A COMMUNITY THAT CARES - Key Persons
Ms. Johnson is currently the Budget and Management Services Director for the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. She spent eleven years as a Senior Management and Budget Analyst prior to promotion and was the Analyst responsible for the Health and Human Services Division, as well as several others, over that time. Previously, she was an owner of a home-based business for many years. Ms. Johnson brings extensive leadership skills, financial expertise and long range planning experience to the board.
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
- Program Manager for Healthy Families Highlands
Cynthia Acevedo is the Program Manager for Healthy Families Highlands, overseeing daily operations, quality assurance and contract compliance. She has a degree in Human Services from Southeastern University and also serves as a Board Member for the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties since 2016.
Lieutenant Russell has been employed with the Polk County Sheriff's Office since 2006. She currently supervises several units in the Special Victims Section whose primary function is the investigation of child abuse and missing children cases. Lt. Russell has a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of South Florida and is a graduate of the 146 th Administrative Officer's Course from the Southern Police Institute. Her experience and dedication in keeping our community safe is an asset to the Board of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Operating Officer ( COO
- Heartland for Children 's Chief Operating Officer
Fawn Moore, Chief Operating Officer (COO) has been an employee at Heartland for Children, Inc. since March 2023, but she is no stranger to the work of child welfare.
Fawn comes to Heartland after 24 years of working in the child welfare system under the Department of Children and Families, a partner Community Based Care agency and beginning her career with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. She has proven abilities in managing large agencies and overseeing a multitude of personnel with diverse programs.
As Heartland for Children's Chief Operating Officer, Fawn oversees the operations of Adoptions, Placements, SB 80 MDT Staffings, Recruitment, Licensing and Relicensing of homes for foster caregivers and the Kinship support program.
Fawn serves as the Florida Children's Coalition Residential Group Care Subcommittee Co-Lead and is a member of several related committees with in the Florida Coalition for Children (FCC). During her time with DCF she participated and partnered on numerous workgroups and led many child welfare initiatives.
Fawn is a mother to four children ages 17-28.
Job Titles:
- DCF Human Resource Analyst
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Management Team
- Chief Financial Officer of Heartland for Children
Jay Halferty, Chief Financial Officer of Heartland for Children since June 2006, has over 30 years of experience in accounting and finance. Under his leadership, Heartland for Children has consistently received outstanding audit results. Mr. Halferty is known for timely and accurate reporting to the Department of Children and Families. He started his career in Public Accounting and received his Certification in Public Accounting (CPA) in 1986. He is currently serving as a member of the Florida Coalition for Children's Finance Committee.
Mr. Halferty has held the position of a Controller or Chief Financial Officer for the last 26 years. During this time, he has worked at provider agencies contracting with the Department of Children and Families for the last 17 years. He has served as controller in both medical/surgical hospitals and psychiatric and addictive disease hospitals.
In his leisure time, Mr. Halferty enjoys fishing, "catching", scuba diving, and hunting.
Mr. Carter is a retired, long-time automotive executive and is currently the Church Administrator for the Parkview Christian Life Center. His experience and business acumen with previous boards, marketing and public relations, as well as his ongoing community involvement, help to enhance Heartland for Children's community outreach mission and vision.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Executive Management Team
- Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) Has Been an Employee at Heartland for Children, Inc
- Director of Prevention
Kim Daugherty, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has been an employee at Heartland for Children, Inc. since 2003.
Kim has served as the Director of Prevention, Chief Community Relations Officer, and the Chief Operating Officer for Heartland for Children.
Kim is a native Floridian and has called Polk County, Florida home for over 30 years, and is a graduate of Florida State University. Kim values relationships and is often quoted as saying "without relationships nothing else matters."
Kim has a unique background in that she spent part of her early professional career working in Pediatric Hospitals as a Certified Child Life Specialist, educating and supporting children that had experienced trauma due to child abuse and neglect and chronically ill children and their families during hospitalizations. Kim had the honor of working many years at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas and All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. She also served as Director of Early Childhood Programs in Birmingham, Alabama, and as the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coordinator with Healthy Start for Polk County, Florida.
Currently, Kim serves on statewide committees that are assisting with moving statewide initiatives forward that will help improve child welfare services throughout Florida.
Kim has spoken at National and State Conferences, served on Community Boards, is a 2012 graduate of the Bartow Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program, and her work with children and families has been published.
In her leisure time, Kim enjoys time with her family, traveling, fishing, gardening, and reading.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Chief Quality & Performance Officer
Monique Myers, Chief Quality & Performance Officer (CQPO) has been serving both not-for-profit and governement child-serving agencies in the Suncoast Region for over 25 years.
Her experience includes both direct services and management roles where she was responsible for oversight of dependency case management, foster home licensing, in-home prevention services, adoption services, independent living and transitional support services, and community outreach.
Monique's specializations include child welfare policy, practice, interagency service implementation, and compliance with state and federal mandates.
Shawn Jiles began his legal career working as a criminal defense attorney in Bartow, FL. He is currently a Personal Injury Attorney in Winter Haven, FL. He is a member of the Bartow rotary and has previously served as President of the rotary club. Shawn is a former member of the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County. Over the years he has played a significant role organizing and hosting events such as the Adoption match picnic and the Foster Kids Expo.
Job Titles:
- President & CEO for Career
Stacy Campbell Domineck serves as the President & CEO for CareerSource Polk. Stacy leads a workforce system consisting of two full service career centers, a Mobile Unit, an Administrative Office and an Employer Services division within the fourth largest county in land mass in Florida. Stacy is currently serving as a board member for several community organizations, which include but are not limited to the Early Learning Coalition and Polk County's Healthcare Oversight Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Executive Director of the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency
Stephen Cox is currently the Executive Director of the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Previously, he served as the Executive Director of the Bartow CRA for six years. He is dedicated to making these communities better for its families through several housing initiatives and infrastructure projects. Mr. Cox has cultivated relationships with civic groups and community leaders. His experience in community outreach, budgeting, and mentoring will add great value to the Board.
Tammi Haas is the Interim Principal at St. Joseph Academy. As principal, she is routinely going through long range planning and budgeting, growth of the school, and implementation of programs. Mrs. Haas has encountered many diverse families and situations in her role. Her experience in education and love for children add an immense value to the Board.
Job Titles:
- Chief Community Relations Officer
Tracy Grey, Chief Community Relations Officer (CCRO) joined Heartland for Children, Inc. in 2004 and has over 28 years of leadership experience in child welfare and juvenile justice. Tracy is a Florida native and earned her Bachelor and Master's degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from East Tennessee State University.
Tracy's professional career began when she worked in Oklahoma City for six years as the Assistant Program Director for a residential sex offenders program for teenage boys. She then served as the Executive Director of the Children's Emergency Shelter in Fort Smith, Arkansas before moving back to Florida in 2003.
Since Tracy has been at Heartland for Children, she served as the Assistant Director of Placements and Licensing for 5 years. She then held the position as the Director of Organizational Development and Learning for 10 years until she was named the Chief Community Relations Officer in November 2017.
Tracy served on the Florida Certification Advisory Board and Ethics Review Committee for Child Welfare for six years and was instrumental with the development of policy and practice for child welfare professionals across the state of Florida. She is a certified Child Protection Professional and Child Welfare Trainer. Tracy has served on many boards, committees and workgroups to improve the outcomes for children and families in our community.
As the CCRO, Tracy focuses on community engagement, community relations, prevention, and interagency/intersystem collaboration, which includes Education, Department of Juvenile Justice, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Health Care, Housing/Homelessness, and Community Based Care Integrated Health.
Tracy enjoys the beach, traveling and spending time with family and friends.