Annette Sobocinski

Annette Sobocinski (she/her) serves as a program officer with The Kresge Foundation’s Human Services program, where she helps advance the foundation’s efforts to strengthen systems that expand opportunity and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities. She brings extensive experience as a nonprofit executive and systems leader, with a career dedicated to advancing policies, partnerships, and organizational strategies that improve well-being. She joined the foundation in 2026. 

Prior to joining Kresge, Annette served as chief executive officer of Child Care Network, a leading Michigan nonprofit dedicated to strengthening early childhood systems and expanding access to high-quality child care. In this role, she provided strategic leadership focused on organizational sustainability, cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and long-term community impact. 

Throughout her career, Annette has demonstrated a strong ability to align organizational strategy, operations, and public investment to expand access to high-quality early childhood education while strengthening the systems that support working families. Her expertise spans strategic planning, governance, operational excellence, and grant-funded initiatives, enabling organizations to translate bold visions into sustainable impact. She has partnered with public agencies, philanthropy, business leaders, and community organizations to advance shared solutions that improve opportunities for children and families. 

Annette began her career as a clinician, working directly with children and families impacted by trauma, violence, adversity, and systemic barriers. That experience instilled a deep understanding of trauma-informed practice and the importance of designing systems that recognize strengths, resilience, promote healing, and strengthen protective factors. She later served in leadership roles at Whaley Children’s Center, ultimately becoming chief operating officer. Her experience across direct practice, child welfare, early childhood, and nonprofit leadership has shaped her commitment to advancing upstream, family-centered strategies that address the root causes of inequity while promoting economic mobility, family stability, and child well-being. 

She holds both a Master of Social Work and a Juris Doctor, reflecting her commitment to integrating practice, policy, and systems change. As a member of The Kresge Foundation’s Human Services team, Annette brings a critical early childhood and family systems perspective to the foundation’s efforts to build more equitable, responsive, and opportunity-driven policies and systems that enable all children and families to thrive.