Leroy spent most of his teenage years—approximately five years—in the Texas foster care system.
Leroy earned master’s degrees in educational technology and public affairs from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).
Leroy has a decade of leadership, advocacy, and consulting experience across local, state, and federal levels, prioritizing encouraging and facilitating youth and young adult engagement at all levels.
He has collaborated with various organizations in Texas, including the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission Statewide Collaborative on Trauma-Informed Care Working Group, the Texas Permanency Outcomes Project (TXPOP), DFPS workgroups and conferences, and the Coalition for Empowering Children and Families.
Leroy has received internship and fellowship opportunities, including the FosterClub’s Outstanding Young Leaders Program Fellowship (2016) and the Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Program in Washington, D.C. (2016). He has also received nationally recognized awards, such as the Certificate and Letter of Special Congressional Commendation (2016) and another for participating in the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth 2022 Shadow Day Program.
Other Roles
Most recently, Leroy worked as a Project Manager for the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, where he supported youth voice and engagement in seven legacy and community-based care regions across the state.
Before his brief tenure at The Alliance, Leroy was a full-time Project Coordinator at JBS for the Child Welfare Reviews Project. In this role, he was responsible for and was the primary point of contact for all logistical and planning activities. He provided logistical support to the Children’s Bureau Regional and Central office staff, individual states, contract personnel, and JBS staff to ensure the successful planning and completion of the federally mandated state-by-state Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs).
Forever #NYTD
Leroy continues to serve as a Senior National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) Reviewer/Specialist in a federal consulting role with JBS International Inc., a subcontractor of the Children’s Bureau within the United States Administration for Children and Families. In this position, he participates in annual training sessions and was part of the federal team for the District of Columbia NYTD Review in 2018. He also appeared in an award-winning training video that is still used to educate new NYTD Reviewers on conducting focus groups with young people safely and meaningfully. Additionally, Leroy has co-designed materials to assist states in administering the NYTD survey. He also served as the Senior NYTD Reviewer for the 2024 Colorado federal NYTD review.
Leroy is passionate about giving back and uplifting the voices of those with lived experiences.