Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Sherri McClurg serves as Executive Director and CEO of New Horizons for Children, bringing more than 25 years of experience in clinical psychology, trauma-informed care, organizational leadership, and humanitarian response. Since stepping into leadership of NHFC in 2014, she has guided the organization through significant growth and change, including the development of international partnerships, expansion of trauma-informed programming, and NHFC’s large-scale response to the war in Ukraine.
Under her leadership, NHFC has helped evacuate and care for more than 5,000 orphaned and vulnerable children from areas affected by the war, developed partnerships with Ukrainian government and child welfare leaders, and expanded efforts to help children move from institutional care into family-based settings. Dr. Sherri has also helped develop systems and programs designed to equip foster parents, caregivers, and professionals to better understand trauma and support children who have experienced significant loss, disruption, and adversity.
A licensed clinical psychologist since 1999, Dr. Sherri has extensive experience in clinical and forensic psychology, with particular expertise in trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, and major life stressors. Her professional background has included psychotherapy, psychological and forensic evaluation, clinical supervision, program development, graduate teaching, and consultation with schools, courts, agencies, and other organizations. She is trained in evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, and advanced trauma-informed practices.
Drawing from her clinical experience and work with vulnerable children, Dr. Sherri developed a Trauma-Informed Care curriculum designed to translate the science of trauma into practical tools for foster parents, caregivers, and child-serving professionals. The curriculum is used within NHFC’s trauma-informed care training and programming.
Dr. Sherri’s work has taken her into a variety of settings around the world, where she has worked alongside government and child welfare professionals, nonprofit leaders, caregivers, educators, churches, healthcare organizations, and community partners. She has also designed and led international humanitarian and mission initiatives and helped develop programs serving vulnerable children and young people in Ukraine, Latvia, Kenya, Haiti, and other settings.
In addition to her work with NHFC, Dr. Sherri is a certified Maxwell Leadership trainer and speaker and serves on the Maxwell Leadership President’s Advisory Council. She has provided leadership and personal-growth training to ministries, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, education systems, young people, and other groups in the United States and internationally.
Dr. Sherri’s Christian faith is central to both her life and her leadership. She and her husband have three children, and experiences within their own family have deepened her compassion for people walking through trauma, loss, and difficult circumstances. She is passionate about helping people understand their God-given value, grow through adversity, and use their abilities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Dr. Sherri believes trauma does not have to define a child’s story and that every child deserves the opportunity to experience safety, belonging, and hope.