As we rang in our 118th year, we also hosted our 2020 virtual North Star Awards and iLEAD graduation, an opportunity to celebrate our amazing “do gooders” going above and beyond for the children and families they serve. It was an inspiring celebration, commemorating the impact, dedication and leadership of our teams statewide.

With 82 North Star nominations received, this year set a new record! Congratulations to our 2020 North Stars:

  • Our 2020 Direct Service North Star is Jill Gellibert, a Dependency Case Manager in Greater Lakeland. One of only a few bilingual case managers in her area, she is assigned many cases where the families she serves only speak Spanish and may not understand our mission right away. Through the relationships she forms, she builds trust and understanding among those in her care and empowers each to see their true potential. Your impact is great, Jill… thank you!

  • Our 2020 Operations North Star is Irma Lopez, a USC Transporter in Central Florida. Committed to teamwork and a positive attitude, Irma has a heart of gold for the kids in care. Just recently, she stepped up to serve a teen who’d had trouble finding a stable placement. While the team took turns on the weekend sitting with the young adult at the office, our honoree had another idea… the beach! With proper permissions in hand, she took the teen for a day at the beach… what joy! Thank you for doing GOOD, Irma!

  • Our 2020 Support Team North Star is Maria Sosa, a Talent Engagement Specialist. Instrumental within not only our Talent Team, her insights and professionalism expand throughout our organization as she leads team member anniversary acknowledgments, leadership development and annual symposium planning. Her passion for people, for doing GOOD and for helping our teams run smoothly is invaluable. Way to go, Maria!

  • Our 2020 Leadership North Star is Jennifer Walck, our Director of Organizational Development and Change. A role model for others, Jennifer strives to strengthen supervisor-team member relationships throughout CHS. Over the past year, she’s also revamped our orientation program, revised our performance management process and added a leadership development program to support our Front Line First Initiative. Way to go, Jennifer!

But that wasn’t all. In celebration of our Founders’ Day, we presented a NEW award this year, our CHS President’s Award, selected by CHS President & CEO Andry Sweet, o recognize a team member who deeply believes in and strongly advocates for those we serve while living our CHS values of Caring, Integrity, Respect, Commitment, Leadership and Excellence.

  • Our inaugural President’s Award honoree is Angie Rodriguez, a Dependency Case Manager in Miami-Dade! Known for her passion and for her determination to empower her clients to succeed, Angie often takes more complex cases and builds relationships with families that lead to better outcomes for kids. Her work has been publicly commended in court, and we regularly receive praise about her work from our partners, including Miami’s local CBC agency, the Department of Children and Families, and Guardians ad Litem.  Congratulations, Angie!

And finally, we recognized the great work and leadership of our iLEAD Class of 2020. Commemorating the end of our CHS leadership program, our graduates’ futures are bright!

  • Abbey Stagliano, Greater NE Florida
  • Alex Irizarry, Greater NE Florida
  • Amy GarvinLiddell, Palm Beach/Broward
  • AnnaRose Britain, Central Florida
  • Brittany Brown, Treasure Coast
  • Cara Sutherland, Central Florida
  • Caridad Guerrero, Miami-Dade
  • Courtney Morsberger, Home Office
  • Denise De Carvalho, Central Florida
  • Dolene Harrigan, Miami-Dade
  • Emily Viteri,  Miami-Dade
  • Hallie Kritsas, Greater NE Florida
  • Haveria Butler, Greater Lakeland
  • Jacinta Clay, Big Bend
  • Jeremy Dieringer, Home Office
  • Julie Robinson, Palm Beach/Broward
  • Kelli Foster, Western
  • Laura Zamjahn, Central Florida
  • Mickele Dausman, Home Office
  • Susan Whitted, Home Office
  • Teri Perkins, Western