https://www.fcd-us.org/deborah-temkin-cahill-named-chief-operating-officer-at-the-foundation-for-child-development/
New York, NY — The Foundation for Child Development (FCD) is pleased to announce the appointment of Deborah Temkin Cahill as its Chief Operating Officer.
In this role, Temkin Cahill will serve as a thought partner to the President and oversee the internal policies, processes, and systems that support the execution of the foundation’s goals to advance social justice for young children. Dr. Temkin Cahill brings nearly 20 years of experience working at the intersection of child development research, education policy, and non-profit operations.
“We are delighted to welcome Deborah Temkin Cahill to the Foundation for Child Development. Her deep expertise, collaborative leadership, and commitment to equity for young children will be a tremendous asset as we advance our mission. I look forward to partnering with Deborah in this next chapter of FCD’s work.”
— Vivian Tseng, Ph.D., President and CEO
Prior to joining the Foundation in late 2025, Dr. Temkin Cahill served as the Chief Research Officer (CRO) at Child Trends, a nonprofit research organization of over 250 staff, where she spent nearly 12 years in both research and administrative roles. Over her tenure at Child Trends, Dr. Temkin Cahill served as the principal investigator (PI) or co-PI of 19 projects focused on improving healthy schools, including co-leading the policy analysis and development arm of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Together for Healthy and Successful Schools Initiative.
She has frequently been called upon to provide her expertise on healthy schools, including through testimony to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and through media interviews with The Washington Post, Politico, CNN, Education Week, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today, the 74 Million, and other publications. In her role as CRO, Dr. Temkin Cahill oversaw core operations functions including information technology, cybersecurity, business development, quality control, research ethics, and Child Trends’ institutional review board.
Prior to Child Trends, Dr. Temkin Cahill led the Federal Initiative on Bullying Prevention at the U.S. Department of Education and was a finalist for the 2012 Call to Service Medal of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals.
Dr. Temkin Cahill holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies and an M.S. in Education Theory and Policy from the Pennsylvania State University and completed a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership and Management at the University of Maryland, College Park.