Good morning, everyone.

Welcome to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners quarterly awards and recognition ceremony.

Um, one note of business, uh, Chair Hagen is out today.

He is helping his daughter move.

Um, Commissioner Myers is going to give the indication and pledge.

Commissioner, you're recognized.

Okay.

Let us stand, please.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Heavenly Father, I come to you thanking you for another day.

I ask that you would bless our quarterly award recipients in the various departments, employees, and volunteers who give their time, their talent to help our constituents here in Hillsburg County.

Bless us as we continue to move forward.

Next quarter, let us have more employees who would be recognized, the departments and volunteers to join you.

Today's ceremony celebrates the employees and volunteers whose work and accomplishments help make Hillsboro County a great place to live, work, and play.

Out of respect for all those being recognized today, I ask that all of our attendees remain until the conclusion of the ceremony if you are able to do so.

Commissioner Cohen will present our first two recognitions.

Commissioner, you're recognized.

With the following individuals from the Social Services Department, please join me at the podium.

Community Action Month recognizes these agencies, most notably the Hillsborough County Community Action Board, whose steadfast dedication and hard work has helped improve quality of life for our residents.

The CAB, as it is known, is instrumental in ensuring the proper disbursement of community services block grants and other sources of funds for programs that provide assistance to residents facing economic distress.

Consisting of representatives from the Hillsburg County Board of County Commissioners and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace, the Community Action Board has been exemplary in working alongside members who advocate on behalf of low-income residents, as well as representatives of organizations interested in providing social services.

I am happy to present this proclamation to Mr.

Quita declaring May 2026 as community action month.

And I am going to read from the proclamation.

Whereas the Hillsburg County Community Action Board guides the development implementation and evaluation of community services block grant funds and programs that serve residents and communities in need.

And whereas the Hillsburg County Community Action Board meets regularly and serves as a fiduciary advisory board that makes recommendations based on input from residents as a guide to voice the needs of their communities.

And whereas the support of its community action board, Hillsbrook County promotes economic prosperity by providing opportunities for residents in need.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsbrook County, Florida, does hereby declare May 2026 as community action month in Hillsboro County and urges all residents to recognize the Hillsburg County Community Actions Board's efforts to improve quality of life and enhance economic opportunities for the region's most vulnerable residents executed this 22nd day of November 2026.

Mr.

Quita.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Would you like to say a few words?

Today we want to take this honor opportunity to uh thank the Board of County Commissioners, our Community Action Board members that are here with us today, and the social services staff that is also here with us today for supporting for their support and dedication to anti-poverty efforts.

We also want to raise the visibility of our programs and showcase successes in removing barriers and connecting motivated individuals and families to greater opportunities.

The Hillsburg County Social Services Department receives funding through the Community Service Block Grant, a federal program dedicated to helping individuals and families move towards financial independence and stability.

Guiding this mission is a 21-person member board represented by the public, private, and low-income individuals.

The education empowerment and the family empowerment program.

The education empowerment program helps individuals achieve academic success through tuition, books, fee assistance, GED preparation and testing support, as well as adult continuing education and higher education scholarships.

During the 2025 grant year, we were able to assist over 60 eligible students achieve their academic goals.

I wasn't gonna say anything today, but um thank you all for recognizing this month or next month, May as Community Action Month.

Um with the current economic situation, things are getting worse for the residents we serve.

What we've seen is an uptick in people seeking crisis intervention services so that they're not evicted, so that um they may be facing um foreclosure of their homes, can't afford gas to get to work, so our efforts to help people out of poverty have become yet again more difficult.

So it's really nice that you all recognize the achievement of the department of the grant and those people who are working so hard towards being uh economically self-sufficient.

So thank you, Commissioner Cohen, for championing us again this year.

Thank you for having me.

Okay, there we go.

All right.

Okay.

I want to make sure I don't drop this.

Uh would Sunshine Line Director Jerry Stickney and Manager of Operations, Leslie McNeil please come to the podium.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

In just four years in the transportation industry, Leslie has proven herself to be a bold, effective, and visionary leader.

Her impact on Sunshine Line has been incredible, making her not only a driving force behind the department's recent successes, but also an inspiring example of the next generation of transportation leadership in Florida.

Under her leadership as Sunshine Line's manager of operations, Ms.

McNeil spearheaded aggressive recruitment and retention strategies that brought her team to ninety-five percent driver capacity.

Additionally, Sunshine Line trips increased by twenty-three percent, totaling just over five hundred and thirty thousand door to door and bus trips in twenty twenty-four.