D. Gay Lancaster, Executive Director

D. Gay Lancaster was appointed to be the Executive Director of the JWB Children's Services Council September 2006 after previously serving as the Interim County Administrator for Pinellas County, Florida.  Ms. Lancaster currently manages a staff of 60, a budget of more than 60 million dollars, and oversees the funding of programs that deliver critical services to more than 73,000 children in Pinellas County.

In July 2007, Ms. Lancaster was named by Department of Children and Families Secretary Butterworth to a 7-member review panel to investigate and make recommendations into allegations of mismanagement against the The Sarasota Family YMCA, which oversees foster children in Pinellas, Pasco and three other counties.  In August of 2007, Ms. Lancaster was appointed to the Florida Children's Cabinet by Governor Charlie Crist.  The cabinet is charged with developing a strategic plan to promote collaboration, creativity, increased efficiency, information sharing, and improved service delivery between and within state agencies and organizations. Members will meet six times a year in different regions of the state in an open, public forum.

Ms. Lancaster has been associated with numerous professional and community organizations over the years including, Leadership Tampa Bay and Leadership Pinellas.  She is also associated with a charity event benefiting the Children’s Home Society (for almost thirty years), including co-authoring a cookbook.

Ms. Lancaster has an M.A. in Criminal Justice from Nova University, and a B.A. in English from the College of Education at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

Email Gay: glancaster@jwbpinellas.org

Call Gay: 727-547-5600