Angelique Salizan

Angelique Salizan is a qualified public servant and enthusiastic change agent who is eager to reform systems that will promote equitable policies that build the quality of life for others. Salizan, a native of Brentwood, New York, became a ward of the State of New York at the age of five years old due to her parents’ struggle with drug abuse. Unlike the thousands of youth aging out of care in New York annually, with little to no safety net, Angelique was able to pursue a degree in liberal arts and sciences at Sullivan County Community College to sustain the safety net she created for herself. These combined experiences and her drive to improve the lives of children, youth, and families ultimately led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Binghamton University, which informed much of her advocacy and policy work throughout the remainder of her career.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Angelique went on to participate in the Foster Youth Internship Program with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. As a part of that program she interned for Senator Ron Wyden and worked with his senior staff on the Senate Finance Committee on child welfare issues. It was through this internship that she drafted and published a policy report entitled Closing the Educational Gap: Addressing the Need for Educational-Vocational Specialists. She presented the report to the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, as well as Members of Congress. Angelique went on to expand her public service career to work under Senator Debbie Stabenow as a staff assistant where she learned about the importance of constituent services. Today, Angelique works for Senator Sherrod Brown as a Legislative Correspondent, working on policy issues related to education, civil rights, firearms, and social services. Angelique is also a part-time consultant for the Capacity Building Center for States, an initiative of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, which helps build the capacity of child welfare agencies in order to effectively achieve improved outcomes for system-involved children and youth.