BUSSW Alums Madi Wachman & Jenn Valenzuela Promoted to Leadership Roles in Massachusetts State Government
Two Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) alums, Madi Wachman and Jenn Valenzuela, have been promoted to leadership positions in Massachusetts state government.
Madi Wachman (SSW’14), an alum of the MSW/MPH dual degree program and former assistant director of BUSSW’s Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health, was named director of parent, child and family policy at MassHealth. As the state’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program agency, MassHealth provides health care coverage to more than 2 million members, including 1.6 million low- and moderate-income families. Wachman’s role at the agency will be crucial to ensuring that MassHealth policies serve these families equitably and effectively.
Jenn Valenzuela (SSW’00), also a graduate of the MSW/MPH program, was appointed executive director of The Children’s Trust by the governor of Massachusetts. The Children’s Trust is a state organization that aims to stop child abuse through a statewide network of more than 100 family support agencies across Massachusetts. In an interview posted on the organization’s website, Valenzuela says, “My focus is on the growth and well-being of the team and our partners. This plays to my training in social work and ensures that those who are impacted by the Children’s Trust are put first in decisions, power is shared, and I am always working with the understanding that building up those around me is the only way to go.”