Jonathan McLean, CASES CEO, is pleased to announce that Keith Little has been elected Chair of the Board of Trustees. Lee Wood, former Chair of the Board of Trustees, announced her retirement from the Board earlier this year after 29 years of service. Lee said: “It has been an honor to serve as Chair for the last 10 years, and I look forward to seeing the fantastic work that Keith and the entire organization will do in the years to come.”   

“Lee’s work has laid an incredible foundation for the success of CASES and our continuing and growing impact. We are immeasurably grateful to her. Keith has been a respected voice on the Board, and I am looking forward to working together to support the staff and client communities at CASES,” added Jonathan. 

Keith Little, throughout his career, has been a hands-on leader with over 35 years of experience at state, city, and local government agencies and in the nonprofit human services sector. Keith brings considerable expertise in the provision of services to child, families and adults via his work in mental health, health care, early childhood education, child welfare, substance use, intellectual and developmental disability, and juvenile justice programming. 

Keith remarked: “CASES is a unique organization that has an important legacy as well as a promising future. It is my honor to be elected Chair of the CASES Board of Trustees. Since joining as a member in 2023, I have been extremely impressed with the organization’s evidence-based approach and ability to connect with individuals living at the center of the criminal legal and mental health systems. I am looking forward to working with the organization to advance its mission and support a new vision of justice in New York City. I ask for the support of my fellow trustees in supporting the mission, vision, and values of the organization.” 

In his most recent position, Keith served as the President & CEO of SCO Family of Services, where he was responsible for oversight of the organization’s extensive continuum of residential and community-based child welfare, early childhood, youth development, family support, special needs, and homeless services. He has held senior organizational and program leadership positions at the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), where he served as Associate Commissioner and Deputy Director responsible for the oversight of state operations for children’s services and as Executive Director for four of the six state-operated psychiatric centers. 

His experience includes executive leadership posts at the Jewish Board, Edwin Gould Service for Children and Families, the New York City Department of Health, and the Nassau County Youth Board.