FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Center for Employment Opportunities Media Contact:
Claire Gross, Sr. Manager of Public Relations
cgross@ceoworks.org | (646) 370-8292
New York, NY –May 12, 2026– The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is excited to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Balfour, partner at Sheppard law firm, to the role of Board Chair. Balfour brings 26 years of legal experience and a deep commitment to social justice to her new role on CEO’s Board of Directors.
Her appointment comes at a pivotal moment for CEO as the organization advances Opportunity 2030, its national blueprint to build the reentry infrastructure America has always needed but never had. Through this strategy, CEO is working to create a connected reentry network that ensures every person returning from incarceration has access to income, stability, and a pathway to work. To do so, CEO will expand from 12 to 20 states, reach 127,000 people annually, and secure $750 million in government investment by 2030.
“Elizabeth has been a steadfast champion of CEO’s work for 15 years, and under her leadership, she will help guide the organization through this ambitious next chapter,” said Sam Schaeffer, Chief Executive Officer of Center for Employment Opportunities. “Elizabeth has worked tirelessly in collaboration with CEO’s board and executive leadership to advance its mission. Locally, she has also worked with CEO’s San Diego Office on a number of initiatives, raising the site’s visibility and impact. We are lucky to have Elizabeth at the helm as CEO builds a reentry network that ensures anyone returning from prison who wants to work can find work.”
“CEO is at the forefront of innovation and advocacy when it comes to reentry. CEO is harnessing the power of AI to connect with more justice-involved individuals than ever before,” said Elizabeth Balfour, Chair of Center for Employment Opportunities’ Board of Directors. “Our policy, economic mobility, and fair chance hiring initiatives will drive growth and advance progress toward Opportunity 2030. The work of CEO is transformational and I have been inspired by the stories of the people whose lives it has changed. CEO is led by a committed Board and an extremely talented staff that I feel honored to work with as Board Chair.”
“This is an exciting time for CEO as we transition Board leadership and focus the organization on executing CEO’s Opportunity 2030 initiative – a bold growth and national impact strategy,” said Out-going Board Chair David Moskovitz, Senior Managing Director, Accenture.“I look forward to working with Elizabeth to advance this ambitious agenda.
“Elizabeth has been a ground level champion of our work in San Diego for over a decade,” said Robert Smith, Site Director of CEO’s San Diego Office. From helping grow our holiday breakfast and toy drive from 30 people into a community event serving more than 200 participants and families, to leveraging her relationships to help launch our Homeless Court Program, her impact has been both personal and systemic. Elizabeth understands that real change happens when you invest in people and remove obstacles, and she has consistently shown up to do exactly that. We are fortunate to have her leadership at this moment in CEO’s growth.”
Balfour is a litigator and regulatory attorney whose practice in the healthcare field aligns with CEO’s focus on advocacy efforts to address looming Medicaid work requirements. CEO is dedicated to enhancing pathways to work for people returning from incarceration so they can enroll or remain covered by Medicaid ahead of the January 1, 2027 implementation.
As board chair, Balfour’s top priorities include deepening board engagement, strengthening fundraising, and broadening the board’s expertise in areas such as cybersecurity, accounting and financial analysis, and talent and human resources. By diversifying the board’s expertise, Balfour is ensuring well-rounded leadership to guide CEO’s continued growth and vision to support everyone returning from incarceration.
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About the Center for Employment Opportunities
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in 30 cities in 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring justice-impacted people have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.