First Lady Mary Perdue and DHR Commissioner BJ Walker Announce EMBRACE Executive Director

ATLANTA – Today First Lady Mary Perdue and Department of Human Resources (DHR) Commissioner B J Walker announced the selection of Dr. Sylvia Mundy as the first executive director of EMBRACE, the Foster Family Foundation of Georgia.

"I am thrilled to have found someone who will lead EMBRACE as we work to strengthen Georgia’s foster care network and improve how we care for our children," said First Lady Mary Perdue. "As EMBRACE grows, it continues to a difference in the lives of our abused and neglected children."

EMBRACE is a statewide organization that addresses the critical need for additional qualified foster families and establishes new standards and practices of excellence in foster care. An independent 501(c)(3) organization, EMBRACE is a public-private partnership that evolved from the work of the First Lady’s Children’s Cabinet, DHR and community stakeholders and civic leaders. The foundation will focus on the recruitment, preparation and support of DFCS foster families, enabling DFCS staff to focus on the core responsibilities of child placement, case management and permanency planning.

"What children need most is a real connection with caring adults," said DHR Commissioner BJ Walker. "With the help of EMBRACE and the leadership of Sylvia Mundy, we’ll be able to give more children the chance to grow up as part of a safe and supportive family."

A brief bio is provided below:

Sylvia P. Mundy, Ph. D. – Dr. Sylvia Mundy was the former commissioner of the Employment Security Department for the state of Washington. Mundy was owner, president and chief operating officer of a company that owned and operated several restaurant franchises, primarily in northern Virginia. She was the first director of the Center of Business and Industry at Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, Virginia. She also served as the economic development officer for the college. Mundy has taught as an adjunct professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and at Virginia Highlands Community College. She held administrative positions in the public schools of Fairfax, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Mundy is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. and received her master’s degree in science education from Columbia University, New York and a doctorate degree in higher education administration from The Catholic University of America.