Interim CEO Wants Juvenile Welfare Board to Thrive

Michael Mikurak has been the interim CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County since June. With over 30 years of experience in business, he has focused on creating future-thinking strategies for the organization. 

JWB, which was established by a special act of the Florida legislature in 1945, develops and invests in programs and initiatives that support local children. 

Mikurak was first appointed to JWB’s board in 2013. He held several positions including Board Chair, Vice Chair and Finance Committee Chair before his term expired in April. 

“Coming into the role with the background and knowledge I had from a board member’s perspective, I was able to take that and really begin to move forward quickly in identifying areas of change and where we can enhance the value and benefit.” 

For Mikurak, the job is a passion project. 

Growing up in Trenton, New Jersey in a poor but loving family, he saw firsthand the impact of community. “What was really valuable about my upbringing was the communication, collaboration and the belonging that neighbors had.” 

Support from family and friends allowed Mikurak to pursue a business career and he eventually became an international consulting partner at Accenture plc. 

“That’s what makes JWB so important. Because we have the opportunity to really help kids become who they want to be.” 

Mikurak views the organization as a “retail company” with customers. Those clients are the children as well as the providers and nonprofit agencies JWB supports. 

“In essence, we have to be flexible and understand the issues that are going on within the community, the families and the children themselves,” he explained. “We have to prepare to develop programs that are supportive to create this neighborhood thought and environment.” 

Serving children throughout their adolescence is key, Mikurak said. When organizations come together to educate the young population about career fields, this can have a lasting impact. 

For example, Mikurak argued that giving middle school students skill training in technical industries such as plumbing can ensure job security. 

This should be a team effort between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, Mikurak continued. 

“My vision is to weave them together to create an environment where we can actually work closely with everyone in the community to drive economic development and high-quality lifestyles,” he explained. “JWB can’t be the funder of everything, but we could be the integrator and thought leader.” 

Mikurak believes JWB can also be a test ground for programs. To exemplify, he spoke about the organization’s Turbo Babies initiative, which focuses on learners between the ages of zero and three. 

According to the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, 80 percent of a child’s brain is developed during their first 1,000 days. The program provides parents with tips and activities to aid in their child’s growth. 

As for Mikurak’s future at JWB, he hopes to lead the organization long-term if the board desires. 

“In my past experience in my consulting business, I didn’t just build strategies. I worked there to implement them,” Mikurak said. “So that’s what I want to do. I would be very happy if the board decided to drop the interim title.” 

Read the article as originally published at https://stpetecatalyst.com/interim-ceo-wants-juvenile-welfare-board-to-thrive/