Children First, Inc., the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services in Sarasota County, is excited to welcome new directors and announce board leadership for 2021. Elizabeth (Liz) Stamoulis, partner at Williams Parker Attorneys at Law, leading the firm’s intellectual property practice, Linda Monda, community philanthropist, and Joe Stephan, former Vice President for the National Cash Register Corporation’s International Division, have all been named to the 2021 Board of Directors.
“We are excited to welcome Liz, Linda, and Joe, who all add so much to our incredible board of directors. Each brings a wealth of experience in their respective fields and a keen understanding of those we serve and will make our agency even stronger as we celebrate sixty years of changing the lives of generations of children and families within our community,” said CEO Philip Tavill.
Stamoulis was recently recognized as the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 2020 Young Professional of the Year and has been named a Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star for the past three years. Monda has helped create pathways and opportunities for those in need through a distinguished record of supporting initiatives such as grade-level reading, scholarships, and ending homelessness. Stephan has lived and worked internationally and has become a staple of support in the Sarasota community through serving on the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and other roles. They join the rest of the board in providing governance experience that helps Children First continue to provide the highest quality of comprehensive and family services to our community’s most vulnerable.
Katherine Martucci, retired educator, will serve as Board Chair and Jacqueline Ray, Ph.D. as Vice Chair. Katrina Otchet, Community Volunteer, and Keith Johnson, Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor with Truist Wealth, will serve as Treasurer and Secretary respectively. Mike Keebaugh, former President of Intelligence and Information Systems at The Raytheon Company, is now Chair Emeritus.
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 15 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, emotional, and cognitive skills needed to enter kindergarten and elementary school on track. For more information, call (941) 953-3877 or go to childrenfirst.net.