by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
After diligently coaching her replacement to take over as chief executive officer of Episcopal Children’s Services, Susan Wilkinson stepped down as head of the not-for-profit child care agency.
Her protege, Connie Stophel, was promoted to CEO from executive vice president.
Wilkinson left the post after 17 years, following her appointment as president of the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership. Stophel is a veteran of the organization, too, tallying 19 years at ECS, 14 of those working with Wilkinson.
“Susan was a great leader,” said Stophel. “We’re on a path of strategic initiatives that won’t change a lot right away.”
Under Wilkinson’s watch, the charity’s main mission was to close the literacy gap in Northeast Florida. Word has spread about the success of their educational programs, drawing interest from other organizations around the state.
“Because of our reputation in the state for good programs, other coalitions in Florida have asked us to handle their fiscal agent contracts,” said Stophel. “We extended the mission by branching into the Panhandle, but we’re still on track for closing the gap. We’ve seen a good gain in scores. These children will be much better prepared for school having gone through these programs.”
Movement in cumulative grades are measured by pre- and post-program assessments.
As an offshoot of spreading interest in their programs, coalitions have been forming around the state. Episcopal Children’s Services, which operates educational child care centers and programs in Duval, Clay, Nassau, Baker, Bradford and Union counties, was one of the first groups in this region to merge with other, similar entities. As CEO, Stophel hopes to organize a multi-county coalition of service providers.
“It is for economies of scale,” she explained. The intent is for local school readiness coalitions formed by counties to slim down their bureaucracy.”
Other benefits include increased efficiency and less overhead, which translates into a greater amount of money actually going to support these programs. According to Stophel, 350 children are directly served by their efforts. Indirectly, she says 14,000 lives are touched by their work. Comparatively, the federal Head Start initiative serves 390 children.
Currently, Stophel has been hammering out collaborative grants with other non-profits such as the Jacksonville Urban League, Duval County School Board, Jacksonville Children’s Commission, Florida Institute for Education at UNF and the Child Development Education Alliance. The top priority is to secure a $500,000 grant to provide training and literacy coaches to school-based providers in Duval and adjoining counties.
Members of ECS have written their own curriculum, Links to Literacy, which they are attempting to publish. The materials are already in use and are being sold on their website to raise additional funds.
“We are trying to develop and diversify [their resource base] so we are able to draw in funds not under government restraints,” said Stophel. “That is one of my primary goals. In the current economy, it’s a tough goal.”
The board is brainstorming to find innovative fund development sources. Potential donors include corporations, grants, foundations and various individuals.
“Our greatest need is for extra funding for wrap-around services [for example, speech therapy, dental and doctor services] for our neediest children,” said Stophel. “We go after donated services but it’s never enough, especially for those in rural areas. With more funding, we could do a better job.”
With a background in banking and law, Stophel is only the third CEO in the agency’s 37-year history.
“I want to look ahead to what’s coming through the legislature and trends in preparing school children,” she said. “I will look at every dollar spent and brought in to see how it will best benefit the children and families we serve.”
Stophel has two grown children and six grandchildren of her own. A Jacksonville native, she holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jacksonville University. Previously, she owned a video and electronics store in Hilliard.