The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County has selected a new executive director. Rebecca Bacon will replace Kelley Parris, who served as the executive director for the Children’s Board for 10 years. Bacon assumed the post of executive director as of October 1.
The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County was established in 1988 after the Juvenile Welfare Services Act was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by the governor in 1986 pursuant to Florida Statute 125.901. This enabling legislation provided that any county in Florida, whose voters agreed through referendum, could create a special taxing district for children’s services with a governing board and the authority to levy ad valorem taxes.
The mission of the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County is to invest in quality programs to support the success of all children and families in Hillsborough County. The board invests in programs and services that ensure children are healthy and safe, developmentally on track, have family support and are ready to learn and succeed. In 2022, the Children’s Board invested $50 million in grants to over 66 nonprofits and 110 different programs that help children and families.
Bacon has more than 30 years of experience in children’s services with an emphasis on program and resource development. Bacon joined the Children’s Board 16 years ago as the manager of the Administrative Services Organization (ASO) and was later promoted to director of the Administrative Services Organization. In this role, she managed and developed a full-service fiscal intermediary that funds individualized services for children and their families.
“I am honored and humbled for the opportunity to serve as the executive director with the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County,” said Bacon. “I look forward to working collaboratively with our team and community partners to ensure every child has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”
Bacon added, “The Children’s Board is a true gem with the incredible mission of investing in partnerships and quality programs to support the success of all children and families in Hillsborough County. As the newly appointed executive director, I am honored to work with our talented staff and community partners to improve child and family outcomes in the areas of health and safety, child development, early school success and family support.”
For more information on the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, please visit www.childrensboard.org or call 813-229-2884.
