Our Team
Joseph T. Jones, Jr., Founder, President and CEO
Joe Jones is founder of The Center for Urban Families. Prior to founding CFUF Joe developed and directed the Men’s Services program for the federally funded Baltimore Healthy Start initiative and replicated the Baltimore affiliate of the nationally recognized STRIVE employment services program. His ability to engage and provide hands-on services to fathers garnered him the reputation of trailblazer in the field.
Joe Jones is now a national leader in workforce development, fatherhood, and family services programming, and through his professional and civic involvement influences policy direction nationwide. Joe has received numerous awards and honors for his leadership and programming, including the Johns Hopkins University Leadership Development Program’s Distinguished Leadership Award. He has also served on President Bill Clinton’s Work Group on Welfare Reform, was an advisor on fatherhood issues to Vice President Al Gore, and contributed to First Lady Laura Bush’s Helping America’s Youth initiative. He is a Weinberg Fellow and serves as a board member of Open Society Institute-Baltimore, the Development Training Institute, and several other professional, governmental, and civic organizations.
At the age of 50, he became a cum laude graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Cassandra Codes-Johnson, Director of Family Services
Cassandra Codes-Johnson is the Director of Family Services at CFUF. She also doubles as the Program Director for the Baltimore Building Strong Families Program. Mrs. Codes-Johnson’s expertise in the Human Resources arena provides her with the unique ability to not only manage a direct services program, but to provide guidance on how to operate a flourishing non-profit organization. She holds a seat on the Baltimore City Head Start board and has served as a board member on the Juvenile Justice Advisory Council for the State of Maryland. Cassandra Codes-Johnson received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Morgan State University and her Master in Public Administration degree from the University of Baltimore.
Delshan Hanks, Director of Program Planning and Evaluation
Delshan Hanks serves as the Director of Program Planning and Evaluation at CFUF. Ms. Hanks is responsible for overseeing the organization’s grants and contracts, information technology systems, and public policy activities. Ms. Hanks has acted as the Project Coordinator for an Administration for Children and Families Community Services Block Grant and as the Project Coordinator for a Community and Faith-Based Capacity Building grant awarded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Ms. Hanks holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and will receive her Masters in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University in December 2007.
Moses Hammett, Director of Workforce Development
Moses Hammett serves as the Director of Workforce Development, where he oversees 4 programs, including the STRIVE Baltimore program. For the last 15 years, Mr. Hammett has worked with federal offenders during their pre-trial, incarceration, probation, and transitional phases. His specialties include working with youth services and assisting clients who face multiple barriers. Mr. Hammett serves as a counselor and consultant with expertise in substance abuse at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has worked on the United Way of Central Maryland’s Strengthening Families Committee and he currently serves on the Park Heights Community Health Alliance Board of Directors. Mr. Hammett earned his Master of Human Services degree from Lincoln University. He is a life-long resident of Baltimore, married, and the father of six children.
Victor Valentine, Chief Operating Officer
Vic Valentine is the Chief Operating Officer for CFUF. He has over 12 years of public policy, human services, and workforce development experience and is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park with a degree in Government and Politics. Mr. Valentine’s background includes serving as a Legislative and Community Relations Aid with the Maryland General Assembly, the director for government affairs for two community development non-profit organizations, and as Executive Liaison and manager with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development. Victor has served on numerous boards and committees including the Baltimore City Public School System’s Career & Technology Advisory Committee and the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board.
James Worthy, Director of Responsible Fatherhood Program
James Worthy is CFUF’s Director of Responsible Fatherhood. He oversees the organization’s responsible fatherhood activities including the Baltimore Responsible Fatherhood Project, CFUF’s responsible fatherhood-focused advocacy activities, and the organization’s contributions to research and evaluation in the field of responsible fatherhood. Mr. Worthy has been with CFUF since 1999, when he served as workforce development trainer for the STRIVE Baltimore. James Worthy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Penn State University.
Board of Directors
Operating as a steering committee that provides organizational oversight for all activities, the CFUF Board of Directors consists of leaders in financial services, information technology, business development, leadership development, law and legislative affairs.
Click here for a current list of CFUF’s board members