SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — The National Council on Family Relations’ (NCFR) membership has elected Debra L. Berke, Ph.D., CFLE, as the new president-elect of the NCFR Board of Directors.

Dr. Berke is director of psychology programs and professor in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Wilmington University, where she also is director of the Center for Prevention Science. She specializes in trauma-informed approaches, Family Science, and prevention science. Dr. Berke is a leader in bringing recognition to trauma-informed approaches and has played a key role in designing and implementing training to develop Delaware as a trauma-informed state. She has also served as a consultant to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Dr. Berke is a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) who earned her doctorate in family studies from the University of Delaware. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in human development and family studies.

At NCFR, she has served in various leadership roles, including program chair for the 2022 NCFR Annual Conference; at-large member of the NCFR Board of Directors; chair of the Family and Community Education Section; chair of the Family Policy Section; and vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Council on Family Relations. Dr. Berke has also served on numerous committees including the CFLE Application Review Committee and the Public Policy Committee.

With her interests in teaching, research, policy, and Family Life Education, Dr. Berke plans to bring her expertise in translational research and practice to the position of board president-elect and represent a variety of interests within NCFR.

The National Council on Family Relations is the premier professional association for the multidisciplinary understanding of families. NCFR has a membership of nearly 3,000 family researchers, practitioners and educators. For more information on the National Council on Family Relations or its scholarly publications, contact NCFR at 1-888-781-9331 or visit its website at www.ncfr.org.