Catchafire | Celia T

Biography

Mrs. Celia Thomas, MPA has been the Chief Operating Officer at Alternatives For Girls (AFG) since March 2016. Prior to this, for fourteen years, she held several positions with Matrix Human Services including Vice President of Barat Child & Family Services (the Child, Youth and Family Division of Matrix) and Director of the Matrix Off The Streets runaway and homeless youth shelter. Thomas has worked in the Child Welfare arena for almost 30 years also working in the fields of foster care and special needs adoptions. She has been a peer reviewer for the Council on Accreditation (COA) and a Federal Grant Reviewer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB). Thomas has expertise in many areas including, but not limited to, Strategic Planning, Quality Assurance, Research and Evaluation, Program Development/Implementation and Budget Development/Management. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for a local charter school. Thomas has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University (CMU). She is completing a Doctor of Healthcare Administration degree at CMU (2020). Throughout her career, Thomas has focused on breaking generational cycles of poverty; helping children, youth and families to meet basic needs; and systematically supporting the development of pathways to healthy life outcomes and economic self-sufficiency. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Thomas is happily married with four children who are between 24 and 18 years old. The family enjoys spending time together, traveling and being engaged with their church and the community through volunteerism. The Thomas family was extensively featured in a Sesame Street Initiatives special, "Families Stand Together, Feeling Secure in Tough Economic Times" in September 2009 (www.sesameworkshop.org/toughtimes).