Big Brothers Big Sisters--1990's

The Board of Directors’ Selection Committee chose Jim Goode, Executive Director of Minneapolis Big Brothers Big Sisters, to succeed Ms. Brennan. Jim accepted his position and relocated to Tampa in July 1989. He saw an immediate need to strengthen the volunteer recruitment effort. The Board accepted Jim’s proposal to assign Brandon Porter, Caseworker, to the new, full-time position of Recruitment Director. The agency benefited from the first annual “Hoop It Up” fundraiser held in November 1989. This three-on-three basketball tournament supplemented the regularly scheduled Bowl for Kids’ Sake and Friends Campaign. National Big Brothers Big Sisters conducted the agency’s five-year evaluation. The agency exceeded all standards for accreditation. In November, Ed Strickland was elected President of the Board of Directors. Mike Pacetti became First Vice President, Kevin Carey Second Vice President, Gerald Gerlach Treasurer, and Cindy Walker Secretary. The annual staff and Board dinner was held at Valencia Gardens.
 
In 1990, the agency relocated to its current offices. Andrea Cheney Knopik organized another successful “Jazz in the Park”. Bob De Carlo from W101 ran for the Honorary Mayor of Brandon and   donated monies from his campaign. The Board added a new fundraiser this year under the direction of Cecil Williams and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The Wellness Classic incorporated bicycling and running events along with fitness screening booths. The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County approved funding for specialized mentoring services, which included Crisis Prevention and Intervention Unit and also funded a Recruitment Director and Caseworker to expand minority recruitment. In September, Mike Pacetti was elected President of the Board of Directors; Rob Ball was elected First Vice President, Ed Strickland Second Vice President, Jim Hanlon Treasurer, and Deborah Blose as Secretary.
 
1991 was a successful and productive year for the agency. The agency obtained an historical high of 171 matches. In February, grants from the Conn Foundation and the Children’s Board allowed the agency to conduct a planning study involving Project Mentor, a program that addressed the needs of children 8-12 who were truant and had experienced their first contact with juvenile authorities. Additional monies were provided by mid-year by the Children’s Board and United Way for Project Mentor. In October, matching monies from Jones Intercable, Tampa Trust, and the Children’s Board provided funds to begin the full computerization of the all agency functions. Fundraising efforts were quite successful with “Beat the Pro”, a ten-week campaign developed by Channel 8 who awarded funds matched by three participating business to the agency; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers designated Big Brothers Big Sisters as their “favorite charity”, the Buc’s “Meet the Coaches” reception on July 11th; The Annual NFL Alumni Association’s Golf Classic held on April 15th; former Buccaneer John Cannon hosted the “John Cannon Retirement Party”; Target, new to the Tampa Bay area, and Lego organized a Lego building contest at Tampa Stadium on July 27th; Bowl for Kids’ Sake League Week and Community Days raised more than $120,000; and the Second Annual Wellness Classic raised more than $18,000 in revenues. A successful reception for the African-American volunteers and potential friends of the agency was held in July at the Museum for African-American Art. Dr. Israel Tribble challenged individuals to “Give Me Ten” (ten hours of service monthly) to become a Big and change the life of a child. Staff attended the National Big Brothers Big Sisters conference in Oakland, California in June and the District Conference in Atlanta in September. In September, the Board elected offices for 1992. President, Rob Ball; First Vice President, John Nix; Treasurer, Gino DiGrazia; Secretary, Ebba Wilson; Nominating Chairperson, Dennis Fedorovich; Resource & Development Chairperson, Elizabeth Fowler; and Program and Assessment Chairperson, Deborah Blose. Big Sister Vickie Lougheed was selected as Region V Big Sister of the Year. Vicki attended an honorary banquet in New York In October. In December, the Board and staff gathered at Cracker’s Comedy Club for its annual Christmas Party. A celebration for the matches was held in December at the Seminole Heights Recreation Center.
 
In January of 1992, with an initial allocation of $10,000 from the East Hillsborough United Way and $15,000 in matching funds, development of the Plant City Field Office began. The Children’s Board also funded the new “Life Choices” program for pregnant teens and teen moms between the ages of 13-17.
 
In 1993, in spite of a weak local economy, the agency had a very successful year financially. Bowl for Kids’ Sake exceeded the previous year and the Children’s Board provided grants adding $60,000 to the budget. A bequest was also received from the Humphries Estate (a former Big Brother who had been active from 1982-87) to establish a significant financial reserve for the agency. The Children’s Board also funded a grant to study attitudes in the African-American community regarding volunteering for our agency. With the assistance of the Institute for Black Life at USF, the study was highly informative and helped in developing a new thrust in minority recruitment efforts. A grant was also awarded to study the development of a program to serve children impacted by HIV and AIDS. Jones Intercable provided $5,000 for a minority recruitment dinner. Under John Nix’s leadership, the agency realized success both financially and programmatically. In September 1993, Elizabeth Fowler was elected President of the Board of Directors. Ebba Wilson, President Elect; Gino DiGrazia, Treasurer; William Lougheed, Chairperson -Resource & Development; Deborah Blose Donaldson, Chairperson – Nominating Committee & Program & Assessment Committee.
 
In 1994, the specialized program, Project CARE (Children from Aid Related Experiences) began through a grant from the Children’s Board. The program sought partnerships with Hospice, Francis House, and other programs serving this specific population. Fundraising events included a successful Bowl for Kids’ Sake, Meet the Bucs, Wellness Classic, and a golf tournament.    The Board elected Ebba Wilson as President; Mike Hanna, President Elect; Dennis Fedorovich, Treasurer; Michelle Hutson, Secretary; Glenn Gullo, Chairperson – Resource & Development in September of that year.
 
1995 saw the inception of the Adopt-A-Cop program in Pasco County with the help of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Tim Spitzer, and Deputy Alan Weinstein. Initially, the program was managed from the Tampa office. Fundraising events included Bowl for Kids’ Sake, Meet the Bucs, Wellness Classic, the agency golf tournament, and the JCPenney Classic. Agency resources continued to expand and staff continued to be added. In September, Mike Hanna was elected as the new Board President; Glenn Gullo, President Elect; Jim Stefan, Secretary; Scott Lowke, Chairperson – Nominating Committee; Rod Anderson, Chairperson – Resource & Development; Doug Ash, Chairperson – Program & Assessment.
 
In mid-1996, after careful consideration, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Manatee County merged with the Tampa Bay agency. The Manatee County agency had been experiencing financial difficulty and had been without an Executive Director for sometime. Later that year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Polk County merged with the agency. Unlike Manatee County, Polk was in good shape financially, but had lacked program and fund raising growth. The merger became official in the fall of that year. County Directors were hired for each County office, including Pasco. With five offices, including the Plant City location, the agency had the need to create regional staff positions to oversee the agency’s regional interest. Staff currently in place in Hillsborough were utilized for this purpose.
 
The following officers were elected for each county for the year 1997:
 
Hillsborough County:
Glenn Gullo, President
Rod Anderson, President Elect
Doug Ash, Vice President – Program & Assessment
Lorien Smith Johnson, Vice President – Resource & Development
Scott Lowke, Vice President – Nominating Committee
Henry Moorhead, Treasurer
Jim Stefan, Treasurer
 
Polk County:
Ed Maddox, President
Ira Anderson, Vice President
Henry Granese, Treasurer
Jan Parham, Secretary
 
Manatee County:
Unknown at this Time
 
In 1997 Pasco County formed its own Board of Directors under the leadership of Captain Alan Weinstein from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. Program services for this county were expanded to include the Core program and CPIU services. With a significant amount of funding received from local, state, and federal grants, services expanded in all counties to include Adopt-A-Cop and CPIU. Weed & Seed monies were also used to fund a position in the “suitcase city” area of Tampa. Fundraising efforts continued to be successful with events now expanding to Manatee, Pasco, and Polk Counties with a Roast in Manatee County, a sock hop in Pasco County, and an auction in Polk Counties. Events in Hillsborough included a Smoker, a celebrity luncheon, and a golf tournament. All counties also participated in Bowl for Kids’ Sake with separate Community Days in Hillsborough, Polk, and Manatee Counties and the JCPenney Golf Classic. 1997 Board of Directors Officers was as follow:
 
Hillsborough:
Rod Anderson, President
Dave Jeffries, Vice President Board Development
Lorien Smith Johnson, President Elect
Scott Lowke, Vice President Program & Assessment
Stephen Koch, Vice President Resource & Development
Susan Mills, Secretary
 
Manatee:
Bob Johnson, President
Bob Nolan, Vice President
Steve Albritton, Vice President – Board Development
Sheryl Henken, Vice President – Resource Development
Bonnie Belford, Vice President – Program Assessment
 
Polk County:
Richard Sloan, President
Cindy Maddox, Executive Vice President
John Schindler, CO VP Resource & Development
Matt Saviello, CO VP Resource & Development
Ed Maddox, CO VP Board Development
Ira Anderson, CO VP Board Development
Ken Williams, Treasurer
Janet Fansler, Secretary
 
Pasco County:
Alan Weinstein, President
Alex Weinberger, Vice President
Doug Tripp, Vice President – Resource & Development
Sandy Faulconer, Vice President – Program & Assessment
Billy Johnson, Treasurer
Susan Willard, Secretary
 
In 1998 the first annual “Art of Helping Children” art auction was held mid-year with much success. In addition, in 1998 the School-Based mentoring program was introduced and a grant was obtained from UPS. CPIU’s name was officially changed to Family Services Unit. In mid-year, the entire regional Board, executive committee, and senior staff met. The possibility of the agency benefiting from TVI was discussed. The fiscal year was changed from July through June to the regular calendar year. Fundraising events included Bowl for Kids’ Sake and JCPenney Classic regionally. Locally Hillsborough hosted the Carrabba’s Celebrity Luncheon, the agency golf tournament, and Wellness Classic. Pasco held its annual sock hop, Manatee held a Celebrity Roast, while Polk held an auction. The following were officers were elected to the Board in November:
 
Hillsborough:
Lorien Smith Johns, President
Stephen Koch, Executive Vice President
Valerie Powell-Stafford, VP Program & Assessment
Katie Cole, VP Resource & Development
Dave Jeffries, VP Board Development
Jim Stefan, Secretary
Kim Rudolph, Treasurer
 
Pasco:
Sandy Faulconer, President
Barry Brown, Vice President
Alan Weinstein, Treasurer
Gloria Elwell, VP Program & Assessment
Susan Bauer, VP Resource & Development
 
Polk:
Cindy Maddox, President
Cathy Gardyasz, VP Program & Assessment
John Schindler, VP Resource & Development
Ken Williams, Treasurer
 
Manatee:
Bob Nolan, President
Larry Kraujalis, Treasurer
Karen Kohn, VP Resource & Development
Chris Whaley
 
In 1999 our fundraising events included the “Art of Helping Children” art auction, the Annual Auction in Polk, a Celebrity Roast in Pasco, an auction in Manatee County, and the Smoker and Carrabba’s Celebrity Luncheon in Hillsborough. Regionally efforts continued with Bowl for Kids’ Sake and JCPenney Classic. TVI was implemented regionally and a truck was acquired to assist in pick up of various items. Technology grants were written through the Park Foundation and Children’s Board to improve current systems. $150,000 was received. Funding was received for recruiters in all counties. Total cumulative matches were 965. Big Brother Stephen Koch was selected at the National Big Brother of the Year, and was honored in Chicago with his Little Brother Paul Rosario at the National Convention of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The following officers were elected for the 2000 Board of Directors:
 
Hillsborough County:
Stephen Koch, President
Ron Broadrick, Executive Vice President
Janet Siling, Vice President Program & Assessment
Linda Allen, Vice President Resource & Development
Mark Ciaravella, Vice President Board Development
Yvonne Laplante, Treasurer
Shari Stone, Secretary
 
Manatee County:
Chris Whaley, President
Curtis Hunt, Vice President
Don Walther, Treasurer
Don Scarlett, Secretary
Joe Alvarez, VP Board Development
Jim Vett, VP Resource & Development
Larry Kraujalis, VP Program & Assessment
Ben Prescott, VP Marketing & Communications
 
Pasco County:
Paul Holden, President
Faleena Hamid, Vice President
John Eagle, Treasurer
Barry Brown, Secretary
 
Polk County:
Ken Williams, President
Derrick Ragland, Vice President
Louise Spivey, Secretary
Michael Carter, Treasurer
Ryan Weaver, VP Resource & Development
Janet Fansler, VP Board Development
Greg Snyder, VP Program & Assessment
 
 
In 2000 a Regional Board of Directors Executive Committee was formed with the following officers:
 
Stephen Koch, President
Chris Whaley, Vice President
John Eagle, Treasurer
Ken Williams, Secretary.
 
It was agreed that the Regional Executive Committee would meet quarterly. Recruitment efforts increased with billboards going up in Hillsborough County and planning for implementing an agency website. Sponsorships monies for BFKS reached an all-time high. The agency goal of reaching 2,000 matches by the end of 2000 was met. A policy allowing staff members to volunteer for the site-based program was approved. Office technology was improved with the donation of monies from Park Foundation and the Children’s Board and equipment from IBM. MATS (Mentor Automated Tracking System) was implemented county-wide on a WAN. In May, a Strategic Planning Conference was held. A Regional Conference was hosted by our agency. Fundraising success was experienced by the agency with the Smoker, Carrabba’s Celebrity Luncheon, art auction, annual auction in Polk, and pep rally in Manatee. Regionally, Bowl for Kids’ Sake was also successful.
 
The following officers were elected for 2001:
 
Hillsborough County:
Stephen Koch, President
Ron Broadrick, Vice President
Yvonne Laplante, Treasurer
Kristi Allred, Secretary
Jane Siling, VP Program & Assessment
Aaron Eddings, VP Resource & Development
Kim Faulk, VP Board Development
 
Manatee County:
Curtis Hunt, President
Jim Vett, Vice President
Don Walther, Treasurer
Scott Duncan, Secretary
Karen Kohn, VP Resource & Development
Kris Kenney, VP Board Development
Brian Adams, VP Program & Assessment
Mark Matter & Ben Prescott, VP Media
 
Pasco County:
Paul Holden, President
John Eagle, Treasurer
 
Polk County:
Ken Williams, President
Janet Fansler, Vice President
Louse Spivey, Secretary
Michael Carter, Treasurer
Todd Chaney, VP Program & Assessment
Eric Bayne, VP Resource & Development
 
In 2001 the Polk staff moved locations from the house on Palmola to a new office space on Kentucky in Lakeland. The Tampa office was given a complete overhaul with walls being knocked down and cubicles installed in the “landscape” area. Manatee County left the agency to merge with the Sarasota agency. Geographically, this move made more sense. Jim Goode resigned from his position as CEO due to ongoing health issues. A search for a new CEO was postponed until the beginning of 2002. Staff was streamlined with the County Directors position being eliminated and new staffing chart was implemented. Discussion began to merge all Boards to one.
 
In early 2002 the three county Boards of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk Counties merged to form one Board, with the following leadership:
 
Ron Broadrick, President
Todd Chaney, President-Elect
Suzy Willard, Vice President
Stephen Koch, Immediate Past President
Jane Siling, VP Program & Assessment
Wrede Kirkpatrick, VP Board Development
Karen Greenhalgh, VP Resource & Development