Raquel Hatter has joined The Kresge Foundation as deputy director of the Human Services Program.

Hatter brings 25 years of experience supporting adults, children and families as both a practitioner and an administrator to the foundation’s Human Services Program. She will provide leadership for the program’s approach to accelerating mobility for people with low income by advancing policy solutions, investing in innovative human services organizations and building opportunity ecosystems. Hatter will also collaborate with the foundation’s Social Investment Practice to advance the program’s objectives. 

Most recently, Hatter served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services where she identified ways to improve the outcomes for individuals and families across various support systems including child support, TANF, SNAP and other social services.

“Raquel brings valuable expertise to our program,” said David Fukuzawa, managing director of The Kresge Foundation Health and Human Services Programs. “She is a strong advocate and leader in the human services field and will also be a great support for our grantee partners.”

Hatter is a recognized leader in human services. She is known as a strong advocate for delivering human services supports by using a generational approach to poverty which addresses the needs of children and parents simultaneously. She was also recently awarded the 2016 American Public Human Services Association State Member Award for Transforming Human Services.

“Kresge’s Human Services Program provides strong leadership in innovative ideas and approaches for the field and I’m excited to work both with the Kresge team and our grantee partners,” said Hatter. “I look forward to learning about our grantees’ innovative approaches to human services happening across the country.”

A native of Flint, Michigan, Hatter earned a Bachelor of Science degree in clinical community psychology at the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in social work at Eastern Michigan University and a doctorate of education in children, youth and family studies from Nova Southeastern University.