Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 12, 1993 TAG: 9307120022
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And it brought him to Roanoke, where he becomes the city's director of human development today, overseeing 14 municipal departments and agencies.
As a youngster, Radcliffe wanted to be a marine biologist. Growing up in Williamsburg, he was close enough to the Atlantic Ocean to know that he liked water and marine life.
When he enrolled in Virginia State University, he intended to major in biology. But that changed when he took a summer job in a mental health center for children in Petersburg.
Radcliffe, 45, was so touched by the experience that he changed his major to education and recreation and decided to work with troubled youths.
For more than two decades he has worked with juveniles in a wide range of jobs in local and state governments - most recently as a regional administrator for the Virginia Department of Youth and Family Services.
"When I started [in the juvenile corrections system], I said I wanted to work myself out of a job," Radcliffe said.
But that hasn't happened. "It's a tough job. The kids keep coming through the system," he said.
Drug abuse has caused new problems for corrections and court officials in dealing with juvenile offenders, Radcliffe said.
The state has a pilot program for juvenile drug offenders in the Roanoke area that seeks to get their parents involved. "You can't just treat the kids. You've got to include the family, too," he said.
That's why the agency dealing with the problem is named the Department of Youth and Family Services, he said.
Although Radcliffe is changing jobs, he's not abandoning his work with juveniles. In the city post, he has supervisory responsibility for the Juvenile Detention Home and two crisis-intervention centers for young people.
He also has budget or supervisory responsibility for 11 other departments and agencies, from city libraries to the city nursing home. This includes city budget responsibility for Total Action Against Poverty, Mental Health Services of the Roanoke Valley, the Health Department and the Fifth District Employment and Training Consortium.
Radcliffe succeeds James Ritchie, who has been promoted to assistant city manager. He is one of four directors reporting directly to City Manager Bob Herbert.
Radcliffe said he had long dreamed of returning to work for a locality after working for the state for more than 15 years.
He said he likes Roanoke and Western Virginia, having become familiar with the region in his state job.
As regional administrator for the Department of Youth and Family Services, he had supervisory responsibility for 40 counties and cities stretching from Staunton and Lynchburg to Lee County at the southwestern tip of the state.
There are 70 programs for juvenile offenders and six juvenile detention homes in the region.
The regional office is in Roanoke, but Radcliffe has lived in Blacksburg, where his wife, Patricia, is special-education coordinator for Montgomery County.
The couple will move to Roanoke. They have two daughters - one has graduated from college and the other is in college - and a son, 14.
In appointing Radcliffe, Herbert noted his wide experience and background in working with people in times of need.
While Radcliffe was not acquainted with Herbert beforehand, he did know Ritchie, having worked with him on issues affecting the juvenile detention home and the crisis-intervention centers for troubled youngsters.
Radcliffe does not have a background in welfare and related social services, but he has become familiar with them in working with the juvenile detention system.
He said Roanoke is fortunate to have Corinne Gott, manager of the Social Services Department, who has been acting director of human development since Ritchie became assistant city manager. Gott returns to that job today.
by CNB