Virginia Franco, M.A., Founder & CEO

Virginia Franco is Chief Executive Officer and founder of Life Steps Foundation, Inc, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization. She has overseen Life Steps' development since its inception, defining and upgrading its vision, culture, philosophy and goals. Since 1982, Ms. Franco has guided Life Steps Foundation as it developed into an organization serving individuals throughout the life span. Virginia Franco has never avoided taking on the tough issues, nor has she flinched from serving "less popular" populations, whose needs for assistance are nonetheless urgent. This hands-on background has enabled her to lead by example. She is always in touch with Life Steps partners and the wider community.

Fiscal responsibility is the foundation upon which Ms. Franco has built Life Steps programming. From the very beginning, she has assured that the agency remains a careful and responsible steward of available resources. Life Steps has operated in the black for all but one year of its existence, overcoming the limitations imposed by the vicissitudes of governmental policy and grantors' changing priorities.

Ms. Franco hails from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is the eldest in a family of six children. After earning her teaching credentials and a five-year degree in Psychology from Santa Ursula University she worked as a teacher in the local school system. Through teaching in elementary and high schools, Franco was first exposed to developmentally disabled children. She also became involved with a national educational initiative in Brazil, which completely transformed the educational system in the country. Ms. Franco worked as a research assistant on this three years Ford Foundation sponsored project.

Immigrating to the United States in 1976, she attended the Art Therapy graduate program at Immaculate Heart (now Loyola Marymount), earning a Master of Arts Degree. She worked closely with Helen Landgarten and Shirley Riley, pioneers in the art therapy movement. Her clinical skills were honed at Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center and Maryvale Residential Center. After working as a consultant with local Regional Centers, she and two clinician friends founded Life Steps Foundation. In 1984 she took over as Chief Executive Officer.

Ms. Franco participates in a wide variety of professional task forces, committees and boards. She is the founder and Co-Chair of the California Perinatal Treatment Network (CAPTN), a statewide group dedicated to disseminating best practices standards for substance abuse treatment for perinatal and postpartum women with children. When a five-year Federal Demonstration Project was about to expire, Virginia organized the CAPTN group (in 1999) and its campaign to convince the California legislature to continue funding their programs at realistic levels. Happily for some of California's most vulnerable women and children, CAPTN's efforts were successful; all projects continue to provide services. Recognizing the need for consumer advocacy, Ms. Franco has served on many committees and task forces on behalf of Life Steps consumers. She founded the California Association of Service Providers in 1991. Additionally, she was a member of the Lanterman 2000 Blue Ribbon Committee of the Department of Developmental Services, the Wage Fairness Task Force of DDS/CASP, the CSLA Advisory Committee of DDS, member of the board of directors for the Westside Regional Center, and the Governmental Affairs Committee of Area Board X.

Ms. Franco lives in Los Angeles and has one grown son. She speaks four languages: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. She is a voracious reader, particularly of organizational development publications. In her spare time she enjoys painting, sculpting and playing the piano. She is a dedicated persistent chess player and enjoys eastern philosophy, yoga and walking on the beach near her home.