NEW ORLEANS – The Board of Directors of Covenant House is honored to announce our new board chair, Dr. Deidre Hayes.

Dr. Hayes is entering her 4th year serving on our board of directors, but she has a long history and connection with Covenant House – dating all the way back to her time as an original staff member soon after the organization’s founding.

A Professor of Practice at Tulane University’s School of Social Work, Dr. Hayes has been a licensed clinical social worker in New Orleans for over 30 years. She has extensive experience with individuals and families, specializing in mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Her private practice specializes in individual, children and family evidenced based interventions.

In addition to her work with Covenant House, Dr. Hayes has been an integral part of many start-up initiatives including the New Orleans Drug and Mental Health Courts and the New Orleans Family Justice Center. She is a clinical consultant for the National Child and Family Services Wrap-Around Program, providing clinical supervision and guidance for social workers who serve the most vulnerable members of the community. She also currently serves as the Co-chair of the Empowering Change Task Force and Director of the Elk Place Health Spot, a monthly community health fair for the Tulane School of Social Work. 

Executive Director Jim Kelly, who had previously announced his retirement next month, expressed his support and appreciation. “Deidre has been a friend and advocate for the young people at Covenant House since the first day we opened our doors thirty-three years ago,” said Kelly. “Alongside incoming Executive Director Rheneisha Robertson, the young people of  Covenant House will be in excellent and loving hands for years to come.”

A proud New Orleans native, Dr. Hayes has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Loyola University New Orleans, a master’s in social work from Tulane University, and a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

New class of directors joins the board in January

The board is also excited to announce the addition of eight new directors who will begin their service in January: Mr. Eric Alexander, Dr. Marc Behar, Judge Paula Brown, Mr. Gregor Fox, Mrs. Thelma French, Mrs. Karyn Noles Kearney, Dr. Jake Kleinmahon, and Mr. Peter Wilson, Jr.

We invite you to join us in welcoming Dr. Hayes and our new class of distinguished directors.