For Immediate Release
September 13, 2010

Alan M. Levitt joins NACoA as Vice President for Communications and Partnerships

Washington, D.C. – The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) announced today that Alan M. Levitt has become its Vice President for Communications and Partnerships, a new position for the organization.

"We are fortunate to have someone with Alan's expertise and experience in increasing understanding of public health issues among both general and very specific audiences," said Sis Wenger, NACoA President and CEO. "His ability to create effective strategies and partnerships both within and outside of the government has been impressive. Given the current economic climate, it is critically important today for organizations addressing such issues as childhood trauma, parental addiction or mental illness, and family violence to find additional ways to partner via their activities, materials, and other efforts, We need to address these serious impacts on children's development and health more effectively, and to influence public policy that affects them."

For the last 15 years Levitt has worked in various positions in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). He was Associate Director and led the planning and direction of the National Youth Anti-Drug for nearly seven years; he served as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Director; and most recently, he co-chaired ONDCP's Interagency Demand Reduction Working Group on Prevention and Education with more than 25 federal agency representatives.

"As a pediatrician, I am aware of how critical it is for an organization advocating for children and families impacted by parental alcohol and drug use to be able to communicate the serious issues for children related to that impact," said NACoA Chairman Emeritus Donald Ian Macdonald, M.D, former Administrator of the NIH Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Administration. "Alan Levitt can help NACoA be more effective in this crucial mission."

Levitt's career also includes serving as Director of Public Affairs for the National Science Foundation and Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Interior. He also was Senior Advisor to the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention at the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). Levitt has a B.A. in Communications and Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley, and an M.A. in Communications from American University.

"I am proud to be associated with NACoA," Levitt said. "During my federal service career, I've worked with hundreds of non governmental organizations, and seen many with quite similar, often overlapping objectives literally compete against each other for their own visibility and funds. No group was more focused on its mission, more selfless, or more sharing with its resources, than NACoA. Children, youth, and families impacted by substance abuse and other trauma may have their life trajectories irreversibly hijacked unless they receive appropriate forms of intervention, and NACoA is the leading voice for those children."

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The National Association for Children of Alcoholics, located in Rockville, MD, is a national membership and affiliate organization whose mission is "To eliminate the adverse impact of alcohol and drug use on children and families." NACoA has been the leading voice for children and youth hurt by addiction in the family for over 27 years. It is an Internal Revenue 501©3 non-profit charitable organization.