142 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine SOCIAL WORK, PUBLIC SERVICE, NONPROFIT AND HUMANITIES LIZ FREDERICK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Avenues for Justice New York, NY Upon graduating from Ithaca College, Liz Frederick’s first job interview was on Wall Street. However, as the only woman of color in a room of white colleagues, she felt out of place. This led her to pivot into the nonprofit sector, work that felt more aligned with her upbringing. Ms. Frederick’s father worked for the United Nations, devoting his career to advancing the rights of women and children. At a young age, she lived and traveled in several countries, including Kenya, Bangladesh, India and Denmark, giving her an early awareness of the injustices faced worldwide – particularly by women and children. While working towards a master’s degree in criminal justice at John Jay College, Ms. Frederick met with Avenues for Justice’s cofounder and then-executive director, Angel Rodriguez. A 30-minute meeting turned into a two-hour conversation that revealed her career path and defined her mission and purpose. She joined the organization in 2006 as the operations manager, moving her way up to do development and fundraising. Ms. Frederick was named Avenues for Justice’s chief operating officer in 2020 before the board of directors unanimously appointed her executive director in 2024. She is only the second person to lead the organization, which was established in 1979 and originally called the Andrew Glover Youth Program. Avenues for Justice is an Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) program that advocates for youth involved in the court system to receive wraparound services instead of incarceration. The organization offers various supportive services, such as job readiness, workforce development, educational opportunities and mental health wellness care. In her work, Ms. Frederick aims to restore justice for individuals ages 13 to 24 who face inequities in the criminallegal system. Because these young people often face limited opportunities and resources within their communities, the nonprofit’s presence within court systems across all five New York City boroughs has been instrumental in routing youth to receive their services. Moreover, everyone involved with the organization resides in the same communities
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