Board of Directors

David Heaton

Chair

CSC of Martin County – Executive Director | Stuart
(772) 288-5758

Lisa Williams-Taylor, Ph.D.

Vice Chair

CSC of Palm Beach County – CEO | Boynton Beach
(561) 740-7000

Sean Boyle

Treasurer

CSC of St. Lucie County – Executive Director | Port St. Lucie
(772) 408-1100

Joe Peppers

Secretary

Kids Hope Alliance – Executive Director | Jacksonville
(904) 630-3647

James R. Haj

The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County – President & CEO | Miami
(305) 571-5700

Cindy J. Arenberg Seltzer

CSC of Broward County – President & CEO | Lauderhill
(954) 377-1000

Susan Ford

Manatee County Children’s Services – Lead Human Services Analyst | Bradenton
(941) 748-4501 ext. 3468

Kelley Parris

The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County – Executive Director | Tampa
(813) 229-2884

Colin Murphy

The Children’s Trust of Alachua County – Executive Director | Gainesville

A Message from Our Chair

Florida’s future is dependent on the delicate balance between the health of its natural resources, the vitality of its economy and the well-being of its residents.

Each year, lawmakers face challenging decisions in directing resources towards programs and services aimed at improving the environment, the economy and the lives of individuals and families that call Florida home. To this end, the Florida Children’s Council serves as a leading voice in advocating for the future of our youngest residents, our children.

The Florida Children’s Council works year round to help educate and inform lawmakers on the importance of investing early in the lives of children. We know from research that the sooner a child is given the opportunity to thrive, the more everyone benefits from their successes. These successes include arriving at kindergarten ready to learn, being raised in safe and supportive communities, having access to quality afterschool programs, and being given the tools to grow into productive, healthy adults. We also know that in order to ensure these positive outcomes for all of our children, worthy investments must be made.

With more than four million children and youth calling Florida home, the Council targets its messaging and data to meet the range of needs that impact the lives of children, youth and their families. We work tirelessly along with our partners to ensure a policy agenda for children is not only recognized, but embraced. We believe that it is everyone’s interest for all children to have the chance to be successful and to grow up strong, safe, and healthy.