Heartland for Children

Ms. Saunders is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Heartland for Children, the lead agency for Community Based Care in a three county area providing services for protective services, foster care and adoption for over 3200 children. Ms. Saunders has 13 years of experience with Community Based Care through work with USF's Florida Mental Health Institute and as Executive Director of Children's Home Society. As such she oversaw marketing and public relations for a nine county division of Children's Home Society. Ms. Saunders was owner of Saunders Research & Consulting for 5 years and served as the Heartland for Children Board Chair for 2 years.

Ms. Saunders has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma and a Master's degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. She is a resident of Polk County.

Ms. Anderson is the Executive Director of the Polk Arts Alliance, Inc., an organization committed to creating an environment in which all the arts and artists flourish in Polk County. She holds a professional license in the state of Florida as a Real Estate Salesperson and is the Chair and President of Focus on Leadership's Alumni Association.

Ms. Anderson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Russell Sage College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. She also has a Master's degree in Regional Planning from the University at Albany, State University of NY and is currently a Doctoral Candidate for Organization Leadership at NOVA Southeastern University.

Mr. Borglund is currently the Chief Financial Officer at McGee Tire Store, Inc. in Lakeland, and has a degree in accounting from Florida Southern College.

Mr. Borglund's expertise includes professional management, marketing and public relations, and long-range planning.

Dr. Brooks has practiced veterinary medicine at Bartow Animal Clinic for six years. He and his wife, Marcia, are involved in the community through the Kiwanis Club of Bartow, Bartow Community Healthcare Foundation, Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, Junior Service League, and the Board of First United Methodist Church in Bartow.

Dr. Brooks is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Mr. Carmichael is a newly appointed Board member from Winter Haven and currently practices law as a partner of the Boswell & Dunlap, LLP law firm in Bartow. Mr. Carmichael has previously worked as a prosecutor and trainer for law enforcement and child protective investigators, and also possesses past marketing and public relations experience.

Mr. Carmichael has a Jurist Doctorate from St. Thomas Villanova and is a member of the Willson Inn of Court, the Lakeland Bar Association, and the Florida Bar Association.

Ms. Hollis is from Babson Park and has held board appointments from Children's Home Society, Explorations Children's Museum, VISTE, and Lake Wales Charter School Foundation. She graduated from Santa Fe College of Nursing and owns her own business, M.L. Creations.

Mr. Roberts brings to the Heartland board 35 years experience including his position as former director of human services for Highlands County and his work with the Children's Services Council. He adds Executive Officer of Children's Services Foundation of Highlands County to his 25 years of management experience. Other community boards in which Mr. Roberts participates include the YMCA, Heartland Rural Health Network, West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging, Health and Human Services Board.

Mr. Self has been involved with Circuit 10's children in care for 13 years. After earning a Master's degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Oral Roberts University in 1995, Jamie came to Bartow to work for Peace River as a Care 1 Supervisor. He was then hired as Administrator of the Central campus of the Florida Baptist Children's Homes where he remained for 9 years. He has recently accepted the position as the Director of Christian Education at the Bartow Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and completed his Doctorate of Education at Nova Southeastern University. He and his wife, Kristi, live with their two children in Bartow.

Ms. Simmers is the Director of Agency Relations at the Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland. Before accepting this position, Ms. Simmers was the Family Court Coordinator for Florida's Tenth Judicial Circuit for over five years. During the fourteen years prior to her accepting the family court coordinator position, she served as manager of the court's Domestic Violence Program and was instrumental in implementing the first court based domestic violence advocacy program in Florida, which led to her appointment in 2000 to the Governor's Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Ms. Simmers is co-founder of Lakeland based Drug Prevention Resource Center, a non-profit organization that offers drug prevention resource and referral information to citizens and schools in the Polk County area. She has been president of Pride of Lakeland, Drug Dependency Network, and Santa Fe High School Parent Teacher Organization. Ms. Simmers resides in Lakeland with her husband Terry.