The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County has selected a new CEO, Beth Houghton, who is currently the head of the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.

“Children have always been sort of the core of my passion in helping other people,” she told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday.

Houghton said she was not looking for a new job, but when a member from the Welfare Board reached out to her about the opening, she felt drawn to the agency’s mission and substantial resources. She will sign a two-year contract to lead the Welfare Board, which has a $93.4 million annual budget. The agency issues funds to programs for kids across the county.

Houghton, who was selected following a nationwide search, is taking over for Marcie Biddleman, who led the Welfare Board for 10 years.

“She can think outside the box, but she does it in a quiet and helpful way,” said Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender Bob Dillinger, a Juvenile Welfare Board member who served on the search committee. Dillinger said he has worked with Houghton for years in her role as head of the Free Clinic. She emerged from a wide pool of candidates from as far away as Seattle, he said, in part because of her local ties.

“While our pool of candidates was strong, Ms. Houghton rose to the top because of her legal and fiscal expertise, high regard in the community, vast knowledge of Pinellas County, and reputation for getting things done,” said Jim Sewell, the Welfare Board’s immediate past chair and a member of the search committee, in a statement.

Houghton has overseen the Free Clinic, which helps people in need with food and shelter, for eight years. Her last day is Aug. 2. She is expected to start at the Welfare Board in mid September.

She is a member of the Florida Bar, first admitted in 1980, and was previously the chief financial officer and general counsel of All Children’s Hospital, according to the Welfare Board’s announcement of her hiring. She is married to Scott Wagman, a former St. Petersburg mayoral candidate and prominent local businessman.

Houghton, 64, said she will first try to get to know the northern parts of Pinellas County better in her new role, since she has worked primarily in St. Petersburg. She also plans to delve further into the Welfare Board’s recent initiatives on youth mental health, meet her employees and explore other existing programs at the agency.

“It’s wise to be quiet and listen more at first and find out what the opportunities are before you go off and set direction,” she said.

To view article by Tampa Bay Newspapers visit: https://www.tampabay.com/pinellas/pinellas-juvenile-welfare-board-selects-new-ceo-20190715/ 

On Wednesday, July 24 from 5:30PM to 8:00PM, the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg will host its annual Spelling Bee Finals at YMCA at Lealman Exchange, located at 5175 45th St. North in St. Petersburg.

During the summer, a student’s achievement score declines on average by one month’s worth of school-year learning. The YMCA’s renowned academic curriculum has culminated into a community-wide spelling bee, engaging nearly 600 youth, ages kindergarten through 8th grade. Branch bees held July 11 and 12 determined 70 finalists to compete in the YMCA Spelling Bee Finals on July 24.

The YMCA Spelling Bee is important because, quite simply, spelling helps reading. Studies show that if a student is not reading at grade level by 3rd grade they become four times more likely to drop out of high school. Additionally, spelling bees are a fun way for students to gain public speaking experience, develop a sense of sportsmanship skills and mitigate summer learning loss.

The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg would like to thank Jabil, Raymond James & Associates and the Rays Baseball Foundation for sponsoring the 2019 Spelling Bee. Judges for this year’s event include Dr. Tanika Tomalin, Deputy Mayor/City Administrator of the City of St. Petersburg; Dr. Michael Grego, Superintendent of Pinellas County Schools; Dr. Marcie Biddleman, CEO for the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County and more.

For more information about the event visit: www.stpeteymca.org/spellingbee/

To view article by St. Pete Catalyst visit: https://stpetecatalyst.com/ymca-of-greater-st-petersburg-to-host-annual-spelling-bee/

Summer BreakSpot is a program sponsored by Pinellas County Schools Food Service and supported by partnerships with Juvenile Welfare Board, Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger, Share Our Strength- No Kid Hungry, Florida Department of Agriculture, Florida Dairy Council and UF/IFAS.

Summer BreakSpots are locations where children and teens can receive a healthy meal at no charge while school is out. A list of Summer BreakSpot locations is available at https://www.summerbreakspot.org.

To view article by Tampa Bay Newspapers visit: https://www.tbnweekly.com/schools/article_3113c366-a1a5-11e9-9478-8be65aa7adb3.html

The education and welfare of Pinellas County children was paramount to Art O’Hara, whose vision – and tenacity – helped develop R’Club, Inc. into the largest and most successful education-based childcare program in the area.

O’Hara, 68, died Sunday at St. Anthony’s Hospital, from an apparent heart attack.

The St. Pete native had been executive director of R’Club since 2000, after seven years in a similar position at the Children’s Home Society’s Gulf Coast Division.

Founded in 1967 as Latchkey Services, R’Club is a nonprofit that provides before- and after-school services for children of working families. Approximately 4,500 young people are served per day; the organization’s mission is getting kids ready for school, and helping them be successful in school, through curriculum-based programs, including STEM-related subjects.

Board president Dennis Ruppel said that O’Hara, behind his engaging smile and self-deprecating humor, was laser-focused on the organization’s mission. “He didn’t just go through the motions,” Ruppel explained. “He took on the big challenges.

“The most recent one was his advocating to our board that we agree to take over the operations of Happy Workers Daycare Center, which was a St. Pete institution going back to the 1920s. It had fallen on hard times in recent years and was at risk of losing its license. Art inspired us all to take on that challenge, to raise funds so that it can become a first-class facility. We’re far along, and I know we’ll finish it as part of his legacy.”

O’Hara was instrumental in turning around the fortunes of the Louise Graham Regeneration Center, which provides employment for developmentally disabled adults through the recycling and sale of paper products, in order to maximize their independence. He had been the center’s executive director since 2006.

“Art was very straightforward and very clear about his priorities,” said Ruppel, who joined the R’Club board in 1989. “The things he felt were important. And he had a very persuasive rationale about why his priorities should be adopted by the community.

“And because he did the things he said he would do, he garnered great respect from both city government and county government, the Juvenile Welfare Board and the state legislative delegation. People who got to know him understood that he spoke from depth; he really understood what he was doing, what he was espousing, and that he had a mastery of the complete picture. And that when he said he could get something accomplished, you knew he could get it accomplished.”

Tweeted Mayor Rick Kriseman: “Art O’Hara used his time on Earth wisely. He made a difference, made our community better. The future of St. Pete is brighter because of Art and his focus on our children.”

Mike Sutton, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County, wrote on Facebook: “The Habitat family is saddened to hear of the passing of Art O’Hara, and our prayers go out to his loved ones and the R’Club family. Many of our Habitat partner families have benefited from R’Club Child Care, Inc. programs over the years, and we are grateful for his leadership, legacy and the tremendous impact he made in our community, especially for local children.”

O’Hara, the divorced father of two adult sons, held a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from the University of South Florida, and a master’s in social work from Florida State University. He began his career in social work as director of the San Antonio Boys Village in Pasco County.

He was also a past president of the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club.

“Art had a captivating smile and a shine to his eyes, which really was the emanation of how deep and rich his heart was,” said Ruppel. “He was a very, very caring person; it just radiated from him. And I think that’s why he garnered such respect and trust.”

O’Hara’s talent, he said, extended to building a solid, dependable team around himself.

“I know we’ll continue to operate well,” Ruppel explained. “We won’t miss a beat. But there’s just no replacing somebody like Art. He was very special.

“The board is highly engaged and will take all the right initiatives to find the best possible replacement. But there’s only one Art O’Hara.”

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

To view article by St. Pete Catalyst visit: https://stpetecatalyst.com/art-ohara-is-remembered-for-his-dedication-determination/

As a leader in drowning prevention, the YMCAs of Tampa Bay are teaming up with the Florida Blue Foundation and the YMCA of the Suncoast is joining forces with the Juvenile Welfare Board to offer free water safety lessons from May until August.

Thanks to both generous supporters, the Safety Around Water (visit www.tampaymca.org/programs/swimming/water-safety/) program is free and open to all 3 to 12-year-old beginners and non-swimmers in the community. During the four-day course, certified instructors teach kids a sequenced set of skills that will reduce the risk of drowning and give them confidence in and around water.

Participants must be present on the first day of class and bring their own swimsuit and towel. A YMCA membership is NOT required; however, due to limited space, preregistration is required at these participating Ys:

Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA (all family locations including Campo, North Brandon, Spurlino and Camp Cristina) which will hold the program Tuesday to Friday, May 28-31 and Monday to Thursday, August 5-8. For location information, visit www.tampaymca.org/locations/.

To view article by Osprey Observer visit: https://www.ospreyobserver.com/2019/06/fundraiser-for-service-dog-free-water-safety-lessons-more/

There are 477 children in Pasco County on a waiting list for subsidized day care so their parents can work or go to school without worrying about their offspring.

More than 41,000 kids — nearly 55 percent of the students attending Pasco public schools — qualify for free or reduced-price meals because of their families’ incomes.

In Pasco, 8.5 percent of the babies born in 2017 were underweight at birth. That is an increase from 7.6 percent two decades earlier. Those children are more at risk of dying before their first birthday and could have a harder time learning to eat, gain weight and build their immune systems.

They are sobering statistics, particularly in a county with nearly 540,000 residents enjoying a booming economy with low unemployment. But it also is a community where nearly 90,000 households are struggling to pay for basic needs, according to the United Way. That number, too, is on the rise.

At least it’s not all grim. Infant mortality rates across Florida are down more than a third since then-Gov. Lawton Chiles formed Florida Healthy Start 18 years ago to invest in pre-natal and after-birth care.

Now, Jack Levine, the Tallahassee-based children and family services advocate, thinks it’s time for more investment. Last week, he challenged the 50 or so people at the Healthy Start Coalition of Pasco to do just that. Levine believes Pasco voters should consider a referendum to tax themselves for children’s services.

Such an investment, Levine said, “is not an amorphous-reasoning thing. It’s not a statistical thing. It’s a humanity thing.”

This isn’t a ground-breaking idea. The Pinellas Juvenile Welfare Board dates to 1946. Hillsborough County followed suit in 1990. And Alachua County voters just approved a Children Services Council last year. Currently, there are nine councils around the state with the authority to levy property taxes to aid children.

Pasco voters turned down a Children’s Services Council in 1990 — the same year Hillsborough voters approved their version. It lost in Pasco by 4 percentage points. Advocates tried again in March 1992, but faced a severe push-back from Republican activists. Seventy percent of the voters rejected the referendum.

One of the leading advocates then was Circuit Court Judge Lynn Tepper. She retired from her full-time job on the bench last year, but hasn’t retired from public life. Listening to Levine at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, she raised her hand and volunteered to again champion the Children’s Services Council effort here.

The leading critic in 1992 was Mike Fasano, then a partisan pitbull who had yet to hold elected public office. Today, he is Pasco’s tax collector after 18 years in the state Legislature. Last year, he added a consumer advocate to his staff because of the number of needy people contacting the Tax Collector’s Office for assistance.

“There’s no question it should go before the voters,” Fasano said in an interview. “I think the voters should be educated with enough information as possible on how it will benefit Pasco County. That is key.”

He also noted that the Pasco of 2019 — with homelessness, poverty, stagnate wages and blue-collar workers living paycheck to paycheck — is a much larger and more diverse population than the retiree-heavy Pasco of 1992. The needs are greater now.

Levine urged the coalition members to consider a 2022 or 2024 referendum, though it likely could bump against the question of renewing the Penny for Pasco sales tax. That tax for schools, transportation, public safety, environmental preservation and economic development expires in 2024. Voters are expected to be asked in 2022 to consider extending it for 10 more years.

The date, though, isn’t as important as the mission: To expand help for children.

“What are we waiting for?” Levine asked.

Indeed. Babies born the year Pasco voters last considered the Children Services Council are now 27. Maybe they’d like to have a say.

To view article by Tampa Bay Times visit: https://www.tampabay.com/pasco/bowen-its-time-to-invest-in-pascos-children-20190529/?utm_email=74BAD5F3956024D1C5F20542F0&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.tampabay.com%2fpasco%2fbowen-its-time-to-invest-in-pascos-children-20190529%2f&utm_campaign=times-day-starter

In an effort to prevent drowning, free spring and summer swimming lessons are being offered for the first time to Gulfport youth ages 3 to 12 at the Stetson University College of Law pool.

The program is named “Safety Around Water” and its five-day sessions are being sponsored by the school, the city of Gulfport, the Juvenile Welfare Board and the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg.

“All across the country, the Y is the leading provider of swimming lessons,” said Tim Staley, chief operating officer for the local YMCA. “Our local focus in St. Petersburg and in Florida is to make sure that every young child knows how to swim and to keep safe around water.”

The program has been offered in the Tampa Bay area for seven years with a variety of sponsors, he said. “This year, for the first time in Gulfport, we have the opportunity to work with Stetson Law to do it on that campus.”

Florida leads the country in the number of annual drowning cases, said Heidi Blair, senior program director for the YMCA. “In the state, it is the leading cause of death in children under age four.”

Blair is in charge of training all of the swimming instructors and it’s her staff that will be delivering the lessons and guarding the pool.

Gulfport youth who complete the series of lessons will be given a certificate and a bracelet that shows their achievement in the program, said Blair.

“When I was a kid, I was a lifeguard,” said Vice Mayor Paul Ray. “Recently, I was watching a TV show and they were talking about how prevalent it is for kids to drown around pools and water in general.

“It just really bothered me.”

That’s when he reached out to the local YMCA and found out they were already in the process of organizing swimming lessons for free in the area.

Ray helped the effort by finding a local pool and garnering the support of the city.

“It worked out together, perfectly,” he said.

Classes will be 45 minutes in length beginning at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and will take place on Saturdays, except July 6. The dates for Session 1 are June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 while Session 2 is scheduled for July 13, 20, 27, August 3 and 10.

To register beginning May 1, go to the YMCA at 3200 1st Ave. N. in St. Petersburg, call 727-328-9622 or visit stpeteymca.org/programs/water-safety-program.

To view article by The Gabber visit: http://thegabber.com/free-swim-lessons-offered-to-gulfport-youth/   

The YMCAs of Tampa Bay are teaming up with the Florida Blue Foundation and the YMCA of the Suncoast is joining forces with the Juvenile Welfare Board to offer free water safety lessons from May through August. The Safety Around Water program is free and open to all 3 to 12-year-old beginners and non-swimmers in the community. During the four-day course, certified instructors teach kids a sequenced set of skills that reduce the risk of drowning and give them confidence in and around water. Participants must be present on the first day of class and bring their own swimsuit and towel. A YMCA membership is not required, but due to limited space, pre-registration is required at the following Pinellas locations:

• Greater Palm Harbor YMCA: May 20-23
• Clearwater YMCA: Every Friday in May, June 24-27
• Jim & Heather Gills YMCA: Aug. 5-8

To view article by Tampa Bay Newspapers visit: https://www.tampabay.com/pinellas/pinellas-news-briefs-20190430/ 

County Commission Chair Karen Seel is the longest-serving woman on the Pinellas County Commission. She has served since 1999. She was a Clearwater city commissioner from 1996-1999, following a family tradition of public service. Her father, the late Don Williams, served as a Clearwater city commissioner from 1967-1975.

She currently serves as chair of the Economic Development Council and Tourist Development Council. She is a member of the Juvenile Welfare Board, Health and Human Services Leadership Board, Forward Pinellas and Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority. Over the years, she has served on many other boards and task forces and has made safety on U.S. 19 a priority.

She has been married to Ron Seel for more than 30 years. They have two adult sons and one granddaughter.

Seel was asked what it is like to juggle her personal life against the responsibilities of being an elected official and community leader.

“I am so fortunate that my family has been there for every important moment,” she said. “My husband and I have raised two great sons who are very responsible and good citizens. They learned the importance of serving our community. My husband has been my best advocate — he jokes often about being ‘Mr. Karen Seel,’ and I’m thankful for his lack of ego and his support.”

Still, it has not been easy.

“Over the last 23 years of public service, my family has definitely been affected by my public service,” she said. “I have missed ‘back to school nights,’ and many other sports and family activities. However, I often spent three hours in the car, each day — making sure that I was there for both putting them on the bus for school, welcoming them after school and making sure homework was done, making dinner and then attending county events and then putting them to bed. After that, emails were done to around midnight to make sure that I did what was needed to serve our citizens,” she said.

But she says it is worth it.

“I’m so fortunate to have helped our citizens, raised two great sons, and now have a granddaughter who’s 17 months old,” Seel said.

She offers some advice to women who want to succeed at whatever they choose to do, “Patience works, never cry and never give up.”

Janet Long joined the County Commission in 2012, but her career in government really began in 1975 when she worked as a legislative aid. In 2002, she was elected to the Seminole City Council and served until 2006, when she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where she served until 2010.

She currently serves as chair of PSTA and Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition subcommittee. She is a member of the executive committee for the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, Forward Pinellas, Business Technology Services Board and others, including the Largo Medical Center Board of Trustees and Clearwater Central Catholic Advisory Board.

She has been married to Richard Long, a retired officer with the Seminole Fire Department, for 41 years.

They have three children and five grandchildren.

The same as Seel, Long says family support is what allows her to give so much time to public service. She says it is important to make time for her personal life.

“Ensuring that I have quality time with the members of my family is one of my biggest priorities,” she said. “My family, husband, children and five beautiful grandchildren are my very most important priority. It’s not always easy and citizens often don’t want to hear that you can’t attend some kind of an event because you have a family commitment. It requires a bit of commitment and tenacity to follow your heart.”

Long is proud of what she has accomplished as a leader and as a woman.

“There is no question, I’ve been very blessed and have been able to accomplish a great many things,” she said, adding that her family and “too many folks to count have enabled me to become who I am today by virtue of their support and prayers.”

“Watching my three children grow and evolve into the human beings that they are today” also is among her proudest moments.

Long’s message for women who want to become a success is, “Believe in your own abilities, be persistent and tenacious. If you keep moving forward, you will eventually be where you were meant to be. Keep saying your prayers and have faith.”

Vice-chair Pat Gerard was first elected to the commission in 2014. She served on the Largo City Commission from 2000-2014 and as mayor for eight of those years. She currently serves on the Career Source Pinellas Board, Youth Advisory Committee, Child Licensing Board, Value Adjustments Board, PSTA, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, Pinellas Park Water Management District and Public Safety Coordinating Committee.

In addition to her work for the county, she is a chief grants officer for Family Resources, a nonprofit agency that serves children and families in Pinellas. She has been an advocate in the fields of domestic violence, victim advocacy and mental health for many years.

Gerard has been married to a “wonderful husband” for 34 years, “who is supportive of whatever she does, and who makes her laugh when I need it most.”

Her answer to the question about juggling her personal life against her responsibilities of an elected official was a bit different from the others.

“Fortunately I like to stay busy and have a low threshold for boredom,” she said, adding that she has never been bored as a county commissioner. “I also have a great deal of flexibility in my personal life, not having children or elderly parents at home.”

Her proudest moment as a woman is seeing her daughter, age 34, “grow into an accomplished, confident, independent and compassionate human being.”

As a community leader, she is proud to be able to use her “personal and professional experiences and my knowledge to inform my decisions and when I can respect others’ knowledge and experience enough to learn from them.”

“Having a background in human services makes my acutely aware of how our decisions impact ordinary citizens, and if I forget, I have many constituents who will remind me!” Gerard said. “I love being able to work with people to solve problems, to encourage folks to get involved with their government and to be part of a dynamic team.

Her advice to women is “to decide what they want, go for it with everything they have and never give up. Appreciate help when it comes but never rely on someone else to do what is yours to do. It is your life, and you will always be the one that has the biggest stake in its outcome.”

Commissioner Kathleen Peters is the newest commissioner, winning her seat in 2018. A 35-year county resident, she is no stranger to public service. She served as commissioner and mayor of South Pasadena from 2008-2012. She served in the state House of Representatives from 2012-2018. She has worked with the Juvenile Welfare Board, YMCA and Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce.

She also has owned and operated a business in St. Pete Beach. She is a travel enthusiast and loves paddle boarding. She also loves spending time with her four sons, two daughters-in-law and four grandsons.

“It hasn’t always been easy meeting the demands of a public official — while having a day job, raising a family and prioritizing what’s important in life — but I’ve grown stronger from it,” she said. “Earning the privilege to impact changes as an elected official has its tradeoffs, and juggling a healthy work-life balance is certainly one of those.”

Peters is appreciative of the support she’s received from her family and friends.

“I’ve had wonderful family support as a public official and candidate,” she said. “We sometimes forget the toll that it takes on our families when we’re in the spotlight. My sons have seen quite a bit of negativity as a result of me being a politician. I’m forever humbled by the guidance, love and support that my family and friends have provided me along this journey.”

She’s “most proud of watching her four sons grow into the fine young men that they are,” and as a leader, she’s “very proud to have a cause for which I fight for every day.”

“When I was first elected as a state representative, our Pinellas sheriff and public defender introduced me to the dire need for mental health and addiction reform. We worked together to craft policy that impacts the daily lives of those suffering without a voice.”

Peters also shared some advice to women who are looking for success.

“I would encourage you to surround yourself with people who model your values and ambitions,” she said. “The strongest women I know are also some of the most resilient; they’ve overcome life’s many unpredictable challenges and are better for it. By choosing to keep your circle open to those who lift you up, dismissing negativity and never giving up, you’ll have the support system you need to get where you want to be.”

To view article by Tampa Bay Newspapers visit: https://www.tbnweekly.com/special_sections/article_7ad26664-6830-11e9-983a-d3b9df0dc3dd.html

More than 400 students from elementary, middle and high schools were honored during the Maria Edmonds Hispanic Achievement Awards ceremony April 6 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. In addition to the awards, students will have opportunities for scholarships from St. Petersburg College, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Pinellas Technical College.

The event will honor the legacy of Maria Nieves Edmonds, an advocate for women, children and members of the Hispanic Community. Edmonds, who passed away January 19, 2017. She was an associate provost at St. Petersburg College and served on the Juvenile Welfare Board and as chairperson for the Hispanic Leadership Council.

The event will feature student performances, a presentation by Pinellas Superintendent Michael Grego and a message by Mount Vernon Elementary School Principal Robert Ovalle. 

To view article by Tampa Bay Newspapers visit: https://www.tbnweekly.com/schools/article_ed6967f4-5a39-11e9-96a6-cf84396a4c11.html