Ernest E. Allen

Ernest E. Allen is a 1968 graduate of the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in international studies, and he is a 1972 graduate of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. He served as president of the UofL Alumni Association in 1988-1989.

Mr. Allen is a co-founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the organization since 1989. Under his leadership, more than 116,000 children have been recovered and the organization has increased its recovery rate from 62% in 1990 to 96% today.

He has brought technology and innovation to the Center, including age progression and forensic imaging of long-term missing children, a 24- hour missing children hotline, and training for more than 225,000 law enforcement officers. He established the CyberTipline, the 9-1-1 for the Internet, which has resulted in thousands of successful prosecutions, created the Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography to eradicate commercial child pornography, and launched a new unit to help U.S. Marshals track down more than 100,000 fugitive sex offenders. An active spokesman on the issue, Mr. Allen frequently appears on network news and other programs including “Oprah” and “Larry King Live”.

Mr. Allen is also the founder of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children and serves as its CEO. He has built a global network involving 14 nations and formal partnerships with Interpol, the Organization of American States, and the Hague Convention.

Previously, Mr. Allen served as Chief Administrative Officer of Jefferson County and Director of Public Health and Safety for the City of Louisville. For 10 years he was Director of the Louisville-Jefferson County Crime Commission.

A recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, Mr. Allen was named an “I-Force Hero” by Sun Microsystems in 2001 for his use of the Internet for social good. In 2004, he received the Henry Clay Distinguished Kentuckian Award. In 2005 he was named “Executive of the Year” by Non-Profit Times in recognition of his work in helping to reunite more than 5,000 missing children with their families in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.