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INFERTILITY   ADOPTION   POST-ADOPTION   FAMILY TREE   Adoption Resource Central    Heart of Adoption Articles to inspire   International adoption guide   You can order Family Helper publications   Robin's GLOSSARY of adoption terms		Author Adam Pertman takes over at Adoption Institute BY ROBIN HILBORN, Family Helper editor
		(Dec. 1, 2002) Adam Pertman -- award-winning adoption expert and a Pulitzer-nominated journalist -- became the new executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute on Dec. 1. Pertman is the author of "Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming America" (Basic Books). He also founded the Adoption Nation Education Initiative, which will be integrated into the Adoption Institute as a new division devoted to educational activities. "We are thrilled that Adam is joining us," said Sandra Kresch, president of the Institute board of directors. "His extensive knowledge about adoption issues, combined with his writing, research and speaking skills, have already made him a strong, articulate leader in the adoption world," added Kresch. "We feel confident that he's the right person, at the right time, to take an already-respected national organization to even greater heights. We feel lucky to have him." Georgia Deoudes, Director of Policy, will be promoted to Deputy Director when Pertman assumes his duties. Deoudes will work closely with Pertman to lead policy initiatives, oversee ongoing projects, develop new programs, and build a more results-oriented organization. "The Adoption Institute has done such important work, and plays such a vital role in the field, that I'm more than just honored -- I'm a bit intimidated," said Pertman. "I'll work very hard to retain and enhance the Institute's deserved reputation, and I'm delighted that we share the same goals from the start: to educate Americans so they understand that adoption is part of all our lives and is having a dramatic impact on our country, to erase the negative stereotypes and stigmas that have undermined too many people touched by adoption and, most important, to help children who need permanent, loving homes." The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute is the foremost adoption policy think tank in the United States. For more: Sandra Kresch, 917-445-8960, sandra.kresch@psdinternational.com, or Adam Pertman, 617-332-8944, adam@adoptionnation.org. BIOGRAPHY Adam Pertman was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his writing about adoption in The Boston Globe, where he was a senior reporter and editor for 22 years before turning his career toward adoption. His book, "Adoption Nation" (Basic Books) was named Book of the Year by the National Adoption Foundation, and has been reviewed as "the most important book ever written on the subject." The website for his book is www.adoptionnation.com. Pertman's other honors include: the Angel in Adoption Award from the U.S. Congress; the Special Friend of Children Award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists; the Friend of Adoption Award from the ODS Adoption Community of New England; the Dave Thomas Center for Adoption Law's first award for "the nation's greatest contributor to public understanding about adoption and permanency placement issues"; the American Adoption Congress' first award to the journalist who has done most to inform our nation about adoption and "for his eloquent witnessing of contemporary adoption"; the Year 2000 Journalism Award from Holt International Children's Services; and the Century Foundation's prestigious Leonard Silk Journalism Award. Pertman's commentaries have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald and on National Public Radio, among others. Articles about him and about "Adoption Nation" have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines nationwide, including "People." He has been a guest on many radio and television programs, including Oprah and the Today Show. As a leading expert on adoption and family issues, Pertman is often quoted in electronic and print media outlets. He has delivered scores of keynote speeches and other presentations for organizations including the Child Welfare League of America, the American Adoption Congress, the National Academy of Sciences, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Joint Council on International Children's Services, and the National Association of Child Advocates. Before embarking on his current career, Pertman, 49, was a journalist with The Boston Globe for more than two decades. His jobs included foreign editor, Washington news editor, West Coast bureau chief, diplomatic correspondent, national political correspondent, family and children's issues reporter, and restaurant reviewer. His assignments included the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Philippine revolution, the Gulf War, the Clinton impeachment, the Middle East peace process, the O.J. Simpson trials, and several presidential elections. Pertman is a member of the Council on Contemporary Families and of the editorial advisory board of Adoptive Families magazine. He and his wife, Judy Baumwoll, live in Massachusetts with their two children (both adopted): Zachary, 8 and Emilia, 5. ________________________________________ You may reproduce this item with the credit: "Source: Family Helper (www.familyhelper.net)"