Leader, Optimist, People-Centric
Larry Handerhan joined the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) as chief of staff in January 2021. He provides leadership and strategic direction to support the agency’s mission to promote economic and social well-being of children, youth and families. Prior to his position at ACF in the Biden Administration, Handerhan was chief of staff for the Washington, D.C., Department of Human Services, an agency responsible for administering public benefits, ending homelessness and delivering anti-poverty programs. Previously, he was a senior advisor to the deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he led a series of initiatives to improve internal management. Before that, he served as a Presidential Management Fellow and special assistant in HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research. Prior to joining HUD, Handerhan worked for then-mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom and served as a team leader in AmeriCorps. He resides in the LeDroit Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where he is an advisory neighborhood commissioner.