Leadership Pasco Newsletter - Spring 2020

A Message from
Becky Bennett '07
I am a proud Leadership Pasco Alumni from
the Class of 2007 "Oh Thank Heaven for 2007." I
started working in Pasco County in 2004 to work
in administration at Hernando Pasco Hospice
and moved to New Port Richey from Clearwater
permanently in 2005. I was fortunate to have
a few mentors including Evie Parks and Sandy
Barley who were alumni and suggested that the
best way to become involved in this county were
to join a Rotary Club and Leadership Pasco. After
a couple of years, I was able to do both and truly
believe that they were the best decisions I have
made both professionally and personally. From
the start with the eye-opening bus tour with
Harold Sample to SIMSOC (yellow team with Jeff
Lucas) to Graduation, there is a camaraderie with
classmates and other alumni that is like no other.
Thirteen years later, I am still close with many
of my classmates such as Jamie Mick, Julie Best,
Matt Murphy and Jim Simms.
Our class project was renovating a Hudson office
donated by Pasco County to Pasco Kids First
for their Healthy Families Pasco Program. After
learning about the tremendous impact the program
had on at-risk children and families from
classmate Jennifer Beldotti, literally changing
generations of abuse and poverty, I knew I had to
be a part of it. I became the Program Manager of
the Healthy Families Program in May 2007 and
have worked with Pasco Kids First ever since.
Pasco Kids First has been serving kids and families
in Pasco County for 30 years through child
abuse prevention, assessment and treatment
services. Last year, our county had over 8,000
child abuse reports and Pasco Kids First's Children's
Advocacy Center reviewed 6,600 of them
serving 1,500 kids with child abuse assessments
or therapy services.
Leadership Pasco (and Leadership Hernando
Class of 2008) have been a key part of my journey
teaching the importance of relationship building,
connecting with community leaders and being
an active part of our county by staying educated
about the current and future needs and giving
back through service. I encourage everyone,
whether they are new to Pasco County or lived
here for 25 years, to attend Leadership Pasco and
I promise they will also become an advocate in
the future.
Becky Bennett '07
Director of Development
Pasco Kids First, Inc.
“...there is a camaraderie with
classmates and other alumni
that is like no other. Thirteen
years later, I am still close
with many of my classmates
such as Jamie Mick, Julie
Best, Matt Murphy and Jim
Simms.”
Leadership Pasco
LEADERSHIPPASCO.COM
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