Children First, Inc., the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services in Sarasota County, is excited to welcome the new slate of board leadership for 2020. Lisa Giglio is the former co-owner of Freedom Boat Club, and has served as an early childhood educator and Director of Education at Sylvan Learning Center. Michael Suarez, former Executive Director of Sarasota County Emergency Services, is also a Life Member, past President, and current Treasurer of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Both have been named to the Board of Directors for 2020.
Both Mrs. Giglio and Mr. Suarez bring a great deal of governance experience, knowledge, and expertise in the field of human services to Children First. They join the rest of the board in serving as pillars of support by helping the agency continue to provide the highest quality of services to those most in need in our community.
Michael Keebaugh, former President of Intelligence and Information Systems at The Raytheon Company, will now serve as Board Chair. Thomas W. Cail III, Realtor and co-founder of Cail Grande Group, is now Chair Emeritus. Katherine Martucci was welcomed as Vice Chair, Katrina Otchet as Secretary, and Jacqueline W. Ray as Treasurer. Keith Johnson was elected as the Human Resource Representative, and Howard Berman as the Liaison to Policy Council, a peer-elected committed comprised of parents or guardians of currently enrolled children.
For more details on Children First’s Board of Directors, please click here.
About Children First:
Founded in 1961 and ranked in the top 1% out of over 1,800 Head Starts nationwide, Children First strengthens children and families by improving the quality of their lives through a comprehensive approach to development, education, health and well-being. At 13 sites throughout Sarasota County, Children First offers full-day preschool, infant and toddler care, and nutrition and health care assistance to children ages birth to five years old from low-income families. Through Children First, the children receive the social and cognitive skills needed to enter kindergarten and elementary school on track. For more information, call (941) 953-3877 or go to childrenfirst.net.