Layla Ife’ Fitzgerald is case manager for Katrina Resource and Referrals for the Children’s Defense Fund-SRO. Layla began her work with CDF doing a variety of things. In 2004 for the Presidential Election, she helped to register more than 8,000 Mississippi residents as the Hinds County Field Coordinator. She organized public education workshops to educate and register community residents. After hurricane Katrina she became Case Manager of Katrina Resource and Referral.  Layla graduated with honors from The Piney Woods Country Life School in 1997. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Millsaps College and a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Jackson State University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.. 

            Layla began hosting Teen Summits for the Children’s Defense Fund in 2008 where she mentors and hosts events for the youth in the Jackson Metro Area. She is also the regional coordinator for the Cradle To Prison Pipeline® Youth Council. During the past year, CDF-SRO has presented to over 250 students and organized several councils: Boys & Girls Club Council in Jackson, Canton and Bolton, MS; The Farish Street Youth Council; Wingfield High School Youth Council; and partnered with other organizations: the Mayor's Youth Council, Drop Out Prevention Youth Council, Young People’s Project and MS Youth Justice Project. In total, these efforts have impacted over 1,850 youth since the inception of the program. 1,450 touched via the initial campaign with an additional 400 touched via the statewide summit for a total of 1,850. 

           Prior to her work with CDF, Layla was a Career Counselor at Millsaps College where she helped students with career decision-making, administered assessments tests, maintained career center and helped with special events such as the Graduate and Professional School Fair, and the Annual Career Fair.