Benjamin Appleton

Ben Appleton is an Assistant Director at the GPL on the Children & Families team. In this role, he leads a team focused on improving outcomes for children and families by connecting them to prevention services outside the child welfare system.

Previously at the GPL, Ben worked on diversions and alternatives to the criminal justice system as part of the Safety & Justice team’s Alternative 911 Emergency Response (A-9ER) Initiative. This work seeks to improve resident outcomes by diverting 9-1-1 calls to unarmed trained professionals equipped to de-escalate crises and connect residents to community-based resources. His efforts included supporting Chicago, Washington DC, Alexandria, and Los Angeles in planning, launching, and scaling A-9ER programs.

Prior to joining the GPL, Ben was a Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor for the UK Government, where he worked in a range of social and economic policy roles, including policy interventions to address Covid-19 and cost-of-living challenges. He also previously worked at Deloitte as a consulting analyst. He studied public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School as the 2017-18 Choate Fellow and holds a BA in History from the University of Cambridge with highest honors.

Outside of work, you’ll find Ben exploring the great outdoors with family and friends – whether backpacking, hiking or rock climbing.