KEES and The Board of Directors of DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform, an organization that improves the lives of vulnerable people in DuPage County by leveraging relationships and knowledge to build an effective and efficient health and human service system, has unanimously approved the hire of David Roth as its next Executive Director.

Roth succeeds Candace McCarthy King, who has led the Federation since its inception in 1995, collaborating with community partners to build a powerful force for improving well-being in DuPage County and beyond.

David Roth is a human services leader with over 25 years of experience in leadership, advocacy/policy, and community development. Most recently, David was a Policy Analyst at the Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY). However, the majority of his career was spent at Lutheran Child and Family Services (LCFS), where he held multiple roles over the last 20 years including Vice President of Church and Civic Engagement, Director of Advocacy, Director of Public Policy and Community Development, and Director of Community Services. David also directed the Youth Shelter Network at The Night Ministry.

David holds a Master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a BSW from Valparaiso University. He is an active volunteer in his community of Oak Park, giving time to Housing Forward, BUILD Chicago and West Side Health Authority Good Neighbor Campaign.

“I believe that everyone ought to have an opportunity to be a full member of our community, and that human services—done well—are crucial and essential contributors to our well-being. The Federation´s work aligns with the core skills of my career: convening leaders in order to create a vision for change that is clear, unifying and hopeful, and to advance the vision into concrete actions that improve policy, expand services, engage stakeholders, and unify collaborators.”

-David Roth

DuPage Federation’s Board of Directors retained KEES as its executive search partner in late August 2018. A comprehensive search was launched, attracting a large number of candidates across the Midwest. The Search Committee, consisting of members Kathleen Rush (Vice President with GovHR USA), Carol Simler (President and CEO of DuPagePads), Jan Kay (Illinois League of Women Voters), Kara Murphy (President of Access DuPage), Michael Williams (Director, Human Resources at Ball Horticultural Company), and Tammy Pressley (Northwestern Medicine), ultimately endorsed David Roth from an exemplary group of top finalists.

“Leading this search has been a privilege and one further step in the Federation strengthening the network of providers in DuPage and surrounding counties. We are eager for David to come aboard and begin to partner with the Board and Council of Community Leaders in defining the future and evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of the county.”

-Kathleen Rush, Search Committee Chair

The DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform (The Federation) is a nonprofit planning and change management organization founded in 1995 that has been intimately involved in the development of the health care safety net and has helped expand the health and human services system to better meet the needs of the area’s changing population.

“The Federation is uniquely positioned in DuPage County and a model for other diverse communities. The Board, Search Committee and staff were amazing partners. David Roth brings the right mix and style to take the organization from where it is at, to where it wants to go.”

-Heather Eddy, KEES President and CEO