FV@W Welcomes New Executive Director

(WASHINGTON, DC)––Family Values @ Work is a movement network of grassroots coalitions in more than two dozen states working to win paid family and medical leave, earned sick and safe days, and affordable, high-quality childcare at the state and national levels. Today, we are proud to announce the appointment of our new executive director:

Family Values @ Work, along with our network of anchor groups across 27 states, is elated to announce that Josephine Kalipeni will serve as our third executive director. Josephine started on September 20.

“It’s an overwhelming and humbling honor to be invited by the Network, Board, and staff of Family Values @ Work to be the next executive director,” Josephine said. “The work of my heart has always been about pursuing justice and liberation for Black people, indigenous people, immigrants, and people of color (BIPOC). For me, the work we do is personal — and it’s communal. It’s about all of us.”

Josephine joined Family Values @ Work last year as our deputy director. Over the course of her tenure, she’s played a vital role in helping support our network of state anchor groups, spearheading strategic analysis, and fostering a culture of care. As a millennial caregiver, she’s also advocated for more emphasis on the experiences of those who care for their siblings or aging parents. 

Before joining Family Values @ Work, Josephine consulted as a senior strategic advisor for multiple organizations and was the director of policy and federal affairs for Caring Across Generations. Throughout her career, she’s served on outreach and policy committees for political campaigns and published several policy research briefs. Josephine is an expert on care with a race- and gender-equity lens and is a featured speaker at conferences and in the media. She’s been featured in The Washington Post, The Lily, and Good Housekeeping, among others. She’s served as a board member for several organizations, including the National Academy for Social Insurance, American Association of Caregiving Youth, and Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women.

Josephine succeeds Wendy Chun-Hoon, who joined the Biden Administration as the director of the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau earlier this year. We’re eager to watch her take the helm.

“We are really fortunate to have Josie Kalipeni take on this position,” said Ellen Bravo, co-founder and the first executive director of Family Values @ Work. “She combines deep knowledge of the care movement and the lived experience of providing care with being an activist, a strong strategic thinker, and a fighter for all forms of justice. Josephine embodies our commitment to having leaders who foster a leaderful organization.” 

We wouldn’t have made it to this point without the steadfast leadership of Sade Moonsammy, who served as our interim executive director for the past eight months. We extend our heartfelt thanks to her.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead this talented team for the past eight months,” Sade said. “I’m excited to see how our organization and our Network grow under the leadership of Josie. Her experience and passion emanate from a deep, personal commitment to the paid leave movement, and I’m certain they will only serve to further advance the mission work of FV@W.”

Since our founding in 2003, FV@W has been a leader in the time-to-care movement. We’ve established a track record of fostering grassroots organizing efforts to win a significant number of policies for permanent sick and safe days and family and medical leave, paving the way for federal programs. The best is still to come. We’re excited to have Josephine at the helm and look forward to continued success under her direction.

Additional Notes of Support

“The entire FV@W board shares in my excitement as Josie Kalipeni steps in to lead both the organization and the entire FV@W network. Her unique experiences and worldview is a welcome value add to the mission of our work. The board shares the same vision as our new leader, one that is intentionally intersectional and drives steadfast towards meaningful progress that benefits all of us no matter our background or geographic location. I firmly believe Josie’s leadership will help us all sharpen our focus on what really matters.” —Erika Washington, FV@W Board chair and executive director of Make It Work Nevada

“Josie is the exact, right leader to take the critical work of Family Values @ Work to the next level of impact and inspiration. Her years of experience working on some of the most pressing issues for working families, and her commitment to bold solutions, have energized so many and will continue to do so in this new role.” —Ai-Jen Poo, director, National Domestic Workers Alliance and Caring Across Generations

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