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First, let me apologize for the extra long delay between episodes of Please Speak Freely! While I have intentionally ignored the good advice I get to put the podcast on a set schedule in order to keep it from becoming a chore with an arbitrary deadline, I do intend to release a new episode at least every four to six weeks. The longer stretch that has passed since the last podcast is unusual. That said, I am pleased to present this latest episode, during which I spoke with Michelle Yanche, Assistant Executive Director for Government and External Relations for Good Shepherd Services and a passionate advocate for youth and families in New York City. Michelle talks about her vision for the future of youth and family policy, how she stays sane fighting the same funding cuts year after year, and her own personal reasons for believing so strongly in youth development programs. This episode of Please Speak Freely is dedicated to the loving memory of my hero and friend, Richard Murphy, who passed away on February 14, 2013. Murphy was a lion in the field of youth work. He founded Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families, where he hired Geoffrey Canada, who later succeeded him and transformed the agency into the Harlem Children’s Zone. When he left Rheedlen, Murphy was appointed New York City Commissioner of Youth Services by Mayor David Dinkins. During his time there, he founded the Beacon Programs. He went on to pioneer work in community youth mapping and was the driving force behind many other innovations in the field, and many innovations in people’s lives, including my own. Rest in Peace, Murph.
