FLORIDA.........Govenor Crist Appoints Children's Cabinet.................Tuesday Aug. 28,2007
Govenor Charlie Crist announced today appointments to the Children & Youth Cabinet and designated Lt. Govenor Jeff Kottkam to serve as chairman. Bill sponsors Senator Nan Rich(D) and Represenative Loranne Ausley (D) joined Gov. Crist and Lt. Gov. Kottkamp for the announcement.
"I am grateful to the outstanding public servants appointed today for taking the time to serve Florida's most vulnerable citizens," said Govenor Crist. "Under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Kottkamp, the Children's Cabinet will coordinate with state agencies and programs that deliver children's services.
"Children are our highest priority and we will work to ensure that important programs are planned and delivered as comprehensively and effectively as possible," said Lt. Govenor Kottkamp. " By streamlining the distribution of critical services we can keep our children's best interests paramount."
HOUSE BILL 509 was signed by Gov. Crist earlier this year, creating the Children &Youth Cabinet as a council within Executive Office of the Govenor. The Cabinet is charged with developing a strategic plan to promote collaboration, creativity, increased efficiency, information sharing, and improved service delivery between and within state agencies and organizations. Members will meet six times a year in different regions of the state in an open public forum. The Govenor and the Florida Legislature will receive annual report detailing the cabinet's progress.
15 YOUTH CABINET MEMBERS announced by Gov Crist
Lt. Govenor Jeff Kottkamp
Secretary Bob Butterworth
Secretary Walt McNeil, Department of Juvenile Justice
Secretary Andrew Agwunobi, Agency for Health Care Administration
Director Jane Johnson, Agency for Persons with Disabilities
Director Monesia Brown, Agency for Workforce Innovation
State Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros, Department of Health
Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg, Department of Education
Angela Orkin, Director of Guardian Ad Litem Office
Jim Kalliger, Chief Child Advocate
Judy Schaechter, physician and professor at the University of Miami Center for Child Develpment
David Lawrence Jr., President of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation at the University of Florida
Donna Gay Lancaster, Executive Director of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Children's Services
Antonia Crawford, Chairman of the Early Learning Coalition
*** Batchelor, President of *** Batchelor Management Group
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS:
Senator Nan Rich
Representative Lorrane Ausley
Chief Justice Fred Lewis, Florida Supreme Court
Attorney General Bill McCollum
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink