Child welfare nonprofit names new board officers

Safe Children Coalition — which provides child welfare services in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties — has new board leadership, according to a statement from the nonprofit.

Tony Gamelin will lead the board as chair, with Brian Goodrich as vice chair and Chris Stobaugh as treasurer. Directors are Ken Alexander, Jamara Clark, Paul Couzelis, Darren Gambrell, Rob Goldstein, Ann Marie Jones and Lee Lipton, according to a statement.

Gamelin owns CFO Integrity, a financial firm based in Sarasota, and has more than 35 years of experience as a CPA. He also has three adopted children, according to a statement.

Goodrich is an attorney and shareholder of Bentley Goodrich Kison, P.A., where he focuses on commercial and real estate litigation, the statement says.

Stobaugh has been the chief financial officer of Gulf Coast Community Foundation since 2018 and was previously CFO of Grain Management, a private equity firm with about $5 billion in assets under management. Her passions include causes related to women and children, according to a statement.

“We are so fortunate to have a strong, expert board of directors, with diverse backgrounds and widespread areas of expertise to help guide us through every challenge and take advantage of every opportunity,” Safe Children Coalition President and CEO Brena Slater says in a statement. “We are so grateful to our volunteer leaders for committing their time, resources and knowledge to help us create a brighter future for the children and families of Circuit 12.”

Circuit 12 includes Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. In those areas, Safe Children Coalition’s core functions include child welfare case management, foster care, adoption, independent living, prevention, diversion, quality management and support services.

In addition to supporting the organization’s objectives and providing expertise from banking to behavioral health, the board will guide the Safe Children Coalition’s capital campaign to build a new youth shelter in Sarasota.

In 2023, officials say the coalition served almost 9,700 children and families; provided nearly 3,000 emergency safe shelter bed nights for homeless youth; advocated for more than 1,000 homeless and unaccompanied youths; and helped hundreds of children find homes through adoption services.