Nancy Ayers

• Opening Remarks (March 18, 8:30 a.m.)
• Organization: Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

Nancy Ayers serves as the Deputy Administrator for Policy in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the U.S. Department of Justice. Ms. Ayers coordinates the development of policy supporting OJJDP’s mission of preventing and responding to juvenile delinquency and victimization and for improving the juvenile justice system. Before joining OJJDP, Ms. Ayers served in the Office of First Lady Laura Bush as Associate Director of the Helping America’s Youth Initiative, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the challenges facing our youth and to motivate caring adults to connect with young people in the home, at school, and in the community. From 2003 to 2006, at the Department of Justice, she was Director of the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP’s) Office of Communications, where she managed media, congressional, and public outreach on behalf of the agency. Prior to joining OJP, she served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning and Senior Communications Advisor to the Housing and Urban Development Secretary. Earlier in her career, Ms. Ayers worked on Capitol Hill as Communications Director for a U.S. Senator, and began her career in radio and television broadcasting, including seven years as a producer with CNN's Crossfire program. Ms. Ayers holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.