In November 2016, Marilyn Stephens was promoted to Assistant Regional Census Manager for the 2020 Census for the Atlanta Region. In this capacity, she will manage the community engagement and partnership program throughout the region. Moreover, she will meet with and serve as the agency’s liaison to the region’s seven governors. The Atlanta Region is responsible for census operations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. She will manage the outreach team and program. Recently she held the position of Data Dissemination Specialist, Media Lead, and Congressional Liaison for the United States Census Bureau.

For the 2010 Census, she held the position of Assistant Regional Census Manager, the third level of supervision for the Atlanta Regional Census Center. In this capacity, she was responsible for a staff of more than 400:  5 program coordinators, 12 team leaders, more than 200 partnership specialists, 20 media specialists, 190 partnership assistants and clerical support staff.

During her tenure with the Census Bureau, she has also worked in the Chicago Region; and held several positions: Partnership Coordinator; Program Manager of the Partnership and Data Services Program; Supervisory Survey Statistician; and Partnership Specialist.

Most indicative of Marilyn’s commitment to public service has been her involvement in the educational arena. During her career, she has successfully served as executive director of the Citizens Schools Committee, a non-profit educational advocacy organization; Commissioner on the Chicago Public Schools’ Monitoring Commission for Desegregation Implementation (under a Consent Decree from the Federal Court System); president of the Chicago Panel on School Policy; and, co-chair of the Chicago City-Wide Coalition for School Reform.

In November 2003, she received the Bronze Medal Award, the highest meritorious honor given by the U.S. Census Bureau.  She was also awarded a team Bronze Medal Award in 2010 for her management work on the 2010 Census.

Other honors include, Census Bureau Director’s innovation award, one of Chicago’s top business and professional women, Federal Employee of the Year nominee (1999, 2001), Essence Magazine (one of the African American women behind Census 2000), and Research Executive of the Year from Target Market News, Inc.

Also, she is the chairperson of the South Florida Federal Executive Board. The Federal Executive Board system was the creation of President John F. Kennedy (reauthorization is granted by each subsequent President).

She is one of the most requested Census Bureau speakers. To date, she has facilitated more than 800 workshops and presentations across the country: HUD; USCIS; FBI; HHS; US Department of Transportation Civil Rights Symposium; NBC Universal, New York; BET Network, Inc.; Univision; Wal-mart’s Diversity Summit; Centers for Disease Control Epidemiological department (including lay staff and contractors); Media Insights and Leadership Conference (San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale); Operation PUSH Convention; Rainbow PUSH Automotive Summit; American Small Business Development Center Association; Target Market News MAXX Summit; Spike Lee, DDB; Aflac;  National City Bank; 20^th Century Fox’s Hispanic Summit;  GMC TV; General Mills Corporation; Advertising Research Foundation; Southeast Florida Library Institute Network; Florida A&M University; Florida International University; Nova Southeastern University; Roosevelt University; University of Central Florida; University of Mississippi; Chicago State University; Small Business Resource Network of Florida; Eco Latino Media Group; Winn-Dixie Corporation; Bi-Lo Holdings, Inc.; Chrysler Corporation; Nissan North America Corporate Headquarters; Toyota USA, Inc.; Rotary Clubs of America (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana); Florida Association of Counties; Florida League of Cities; Florida School Superintendents Association; North Carolina Tribal Unity Conference, and, The Hispanic Institute for Life and Leadership in Northeast Florida Inc.

The Miami, Florida native earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing.