President Bush created USA Freedom Corps (USAFC) to build on the countless acts of service, sacrifice, and generosity that followed September 11th. When he announced USAFC in his 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to serve a cause greater than themselves. Since then, USAFC has helped Americans answer that call, and the American people are responding.

Alison T. Young

Special Assistant to the President
Acting Director, USA Freedom Corps
The White House

Alison Young was commissioned as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of USA Freedom Corps on February 2, 2008, and currently serves as Acting Director. In this role, Ms. Young serves as an advisor on numerous issues and causes advancing President Bush’s Call to Service.

Ms. Young’s areas of expertise include corporate social responsibility, volunteer management, community mobilization, international volunteering and diplomacy, and the role of volunteers in disaster preparedness and response. Prior to her service to the President, Ms. Young was the White House Liaison for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and Director of the CNCS Faith-Based and Community Initiative where she provided advice and counsel to the Chief Executive Officer on management and policy matters and issues of importance to the agency, helping to better align the Corporation and its programs with the priorities of the Bush Administration and other federal agencies.

Alison began her career at CNCS as part of AmeriCorps*VISTA in 2003. Previously she served as a senior policy adviser and speechwriter at the Food and Drug Administration; as Vice President of the nonprofit Public Forum Institute; and on Capitol Hill in the office of Congressman Phil English and at the House Committee on Ways and Means. Alison earned her bachelors degree in Political Science and Economics from Grove City College, Grove City, PA; and her masters degree in Legislative Affairs from the Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. In addition, Alison was recently awarded a fellowship in the Senior Executives in Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, which she completed in August 2006.

A native of Chautauqua County, New York, Alison is an active volunteer for both domestic and international causes. She currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia.