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The Board of Directors is excited to announce that we have selected Heather Barnes as the new Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida. As many of you know, the search was a long one. Over twelve months, we received over 200 resumes, reached out to 20 candidates and interviewed 12 candidates. We’re very grateful for your patience throughout this process. And, it is with great pride and confidence that we say today:
We KNOW we have chosen the right leader to move our organization forward.
Heather has 19 years of experience helping nonprofit and for-profit organizations build strong, sustainable programs. For the past 13 years, she held several positions with Best Buddies International, where she successfully established and expanded efforts that empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In her most recent role as Senior Director of State Operations, she provided development, operations, and programmatic oversight to eight state affiliates, representing $10 million of the organization’s domestic budget. She also served as Director of Government Relations, Director of Operations for Best Buddies for Florida, and Program Supervisor for the Central Florida office.
Before joining Best Buddies, Heather held several supervisory and direct support clinical positions helping people with disabilities, mental health diagnosis, and children/families involved in the state’s Child Services program. She holds a Master’s of Education degree in Mental Health Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida. With her career-long commitment to serving communities with disabilities, Heather brings a broad perspective and exceptional skill set to the table. But what really clinched our decision was her inspiring vision for DSACF moving forward.
“I’m excited to use my knowledge and experience to help empower people with Down syndrome to live the best lives they possibly can, and to show our community—and the world–what people with Down syndrome are truly capable of.”
In the next few weeks, Heather and the DSACF team will be hosting a series of virtual meetings so that you can all get to know Heather a little better, and vice versa. Thank you all for your patience and support as we took the time to find the right person to serve our community. We look forward to working together to build a DSACF that’s stronger than ever.
Sincerely, The Board of Directors
Byron Lawson, Chair
Catherine Davey, Secretary
Diane Levine, Vice Chair
Troy Culley, Treasurer
Patricia Lewis
Oryza Quiles
Ryan Rapolti
