United Voices for Children (UVC) welcomes the Reverend Beverly Dukes to its new position of Policy Coordinator. In this role Rev. Dukes will identify and 
coordinate the dissemination of public policy initiatives and legislation that impacts children, youth and families in Northern Illinois. The Policy Coordinator will work with UVC’s board of directors and serve as a resource to congregations in Northern Illinois on issues of public policy that affect our children.
Rev. Dukes has worked many years in public service and with children in state care, living in marginalized communities. She has completed extensive trainings in family systems, leadership, and managerial effectiveness. Beverly earned her Master of Science in Public Service Management at DePaul University where she studied public policy design, implementation, and analysis.
In this role with United Voices for Children, Rev. Dukes envisions identifying policies most affecting children by working with state, county and local child-serving and advocacy organizations. She plans to work with local churches to disseminate policies most affecting children and to enable them to advocate on behalf of children. Beverly looks to encourage churches to participate in ministries that support the interests of children and families. Lastly, she will use social media to share legislative updates regarding children’s issues, to raise the conscience of viewers and to prompt advocacy.
“By working with United Voices for Children,” noted Rev. Dukes, “I am looking to create an environment within faith communities that will become increasingly knowledgeable of children’s issues and how best to advocate on their behalf—and to be their voice.”
Beverly currently serves as lead pastor at East Side United Methodist Church in Chicago and has recently earned her Master of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She has been recommended as a Provisional Elder by the Northern Illinois Conference, Board of Ordained Ministry and effective July 1st will be appointed to St. Andrew UMC in Homewood.
The Reverend Robert Biekman, president of UVC, stated that: “This new Policy Coordinator positions UVC to realize its goal of being a catalyst for generating support for addressing issues that impact children. UVC can now be even more effective as conduit through which actionable information is shared with congregations, constituents and child-serving communities.”
United Voices for Children is a coalition of groups and individuals within the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church founded in 1979 and dedicated to speak and act on behalf of children, youth and their families who lack the voice of an advocate as well as to nurture and support ministries of the Conference serving these children and youth.