40th Anniversary Symposium

Sterling “Mac” Ryder (September 1992 to June 1994)

Mac Ryder became a Director at time when the Department needed a lawyer who understood the workings of a complex child welfare agency. As the Department’s general counsel, he played a leading role in negotiating the nation’s most comprehensive child welfare reform package -- the B.H. consent decree. As Director, he laid the foundations for the multi-year, multi-million dollar reforms, and convinced legislators that the reforms were worth the high price tag. His administration also reorganized the Department to make it more efficient, expanded adoption preservation services statewide, and established a database to match foster children with foster families. During his term, the Department was named the State Foster Parent Agency of the Year by the National Foster Parent Association in recognition of its outstanding performance in providing service, training and support to the children and families it served.