Safe & Sound is delighted to welcome Kula Koenig as our new Chief Policy Officer. Kula brings more than a decade of experience advancing policies that support children, families, and community wellbeing. At a time when families are facing increasing pressure from cuts to essential social services, her leadership comes at a critical moment for our work. Kula is excited to help advance Safe & Sound’s mission to strengthen families and prevent child abuse through thoughtful policy and systems change.
Most recently, Kula served as Chief Program Officer at Public Health Advocates, where she led Defend California, a statewide public health movement, and All Children Thrive, supporting youth across more than 30 cities to pass trauma-informed policies that promote children’s mental health. She is also the founder of the Social Justice PolitiCorps, a Sacramento-based nonprofit that builds civic participation and leadership in communities most impacted by structural inequities.
Kula’s previous roles include Senior Director at the United Way California Capital Region, District Director for a California legislator, and Government Relations Director at the American Heart Association, where she helped advance policies on safe drinking water, childhood nutrition, and tobacco reduction. She has also served as President of the Sacramento chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).
A survivor of the Liberian civil war and a former refugee, Kula grounds her leadership in the belief that policy, prevention, and civic engagement must be inclusive, accessible, and healing. She is honored to join Safe & Sound and looks forward to advancing policies that strengthen families and communities across California.