TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the members of the newly-created Leon County Children’s Services Council on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Gov. DeSantis named Tallahassee Memorial Hospital CEO Mark O’Bryant, Pineview Elementary School Principal Carmen Conner former Florida A&M University assistant pharmacy professor Zandra Glenn, the Southern Group’s Paul Mitchell and Liza McFadden to the board.
Voters approved the creation of the Children’s Services Council in the November 2020 election. The new board comes with the creation of a new tax expected to generate $8 million a year.
The council stated one of its goals is improving early learning and child health and Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil has said the Council will decrease youth arrests.
More than 80 people applied for the 10-member board. The other five seats are to be filled by County Commissioner Carolyn Cummings, a Department of Children and Families designee, a juvenile case judge, Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna and school board member Alva Striplin.
Mark O’Bryant
O’Bryant, of Tallahassee, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. He has been involved with the United Way of the Big Bend, Florida Medical Association, Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and Rotary International. O’Bryant earned his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and his master of business administration and master of healthcare administration from Georgia State University.
Carmen Conner
Conner, of Tallahassee, is the Principal at Leon County School’s Pineview Elementary School. Previously, she was Assistant Principal at Roberts Elementary School. Conner is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been involved with Leadership Tallahassee, Jack & Jill of America and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She earned her bachelor’s degree and her master of elementary education from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Zandra Glenn
Glenn, of Tallahassee, is a Senior Consultant at Financial Transformations. Previously, she was an Assistant Pharmacy Professor at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Glenn has been involved with the American Pharmacists Association, Centerville Conservation Community and the Girl Scouts of America. She holds a doctor of pharmacy degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Paul Mitchell
Mitchell, of Tallahassee, is a Partner at The Southern Group. Previously, he served as Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Financial Services, Department of Insurance and the Department of Education. Mitchell is the immediate past chair of the Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation and has also volunteered his time with Whole Child Leon and Who We Play For. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida State University.
Liza McFadden
McFadden, of Tallahassee, is the President of Liza and Partners. Previously, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer at the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. McFadden has volunteered her time with the Florida State Parks Foundation, Reading Partners, Challenger Learning Center and the United Way of the Big Bend. She earned her bachelor’s degree in professional writing from Fitchburg State University and her master’s degree in American literature from Florida State University.
