Jason Sawyer is the Director of Policy at Voices for Virginia’s Children. He provides leadership and strategic direction across Voices’ policy advocacy, research, and community engagement efforts, with a particular focus on child welfare and family economic security.

Jason brings 20 years of experience in social work practice, policy advocacy, community engagement, and higher education. His work spans maternal and child health, child welfare, education, economic development, program evaluation, strategic planning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has taught courses in social welfare, community development, policy advocacy, and child advocacy and has published research on community intervention, community-engaged research, and the intersection of social welfare and social movements. Jason is a co-author of A People’s Guide to Richmond and Central Virginia, published by the University of California Press.

Jason served on faculty at Norfolk State and Old Dominion Universities. In 2023, he received the Association for Community Organization and Social Action’s Emerging Scholar Award. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance, a Master of Social Work, and a PhD in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. His work is shaped by his passion for teaching, mentorship, youth engagement, the arts, and using creativity to build equity, justice, and power.