Director Hired to Lead Newly Established Center

Ellen Piekalkiewicz

Florida State University College of Social Work has chosen an accomplished expert in non-profit leadership as the new director of the Center for Study and Promotion of Communities, Families and Children (the Center).

The Center was established in the fall of 2017 through the support of The Stoops Family Foundation, Inc. and FSU alumni Jeff and Aggie Stoops. The Center’s director will guide The Center’s mission to generate and sustain transformational knowledge that furthers effective policy, services, and research for the promotion of communities, families, and children. 

 Piekalkiewicz becomes director of the Center starting in February 2018. She comes to this new role with more than 30 years of experience in public policy, legislative and governmental affairs, disability rights, and grant writing. In her most recent position, she served as the executive director for the United Partners for Human Services, a membership organization serving human service nonprofits in the Big Bend area of North Florida.

The Center Director with the Stoops
Left to right: Ellen Piekalkiewicz, Dr. Karen Randolph - Stoops Professor, Aggie Stoops, Jeff Stoops, Dean Jim Clark

“I welcome this opportunity to work with the College of Social Work advancing the study of best practices that strengthen communities and establish more holistic support for children and their families,” Piekalkiewicz said. “My hope is to ensure that the efforts of the centers and institutes affiliated with the college synthesize their efforts and opportunities to create collective impacts that benefit communities, families, and children.”

Piekalkiewicz also previously worked as an advisory council for Florida’s Governor and Legislature and as a consultant for numerous statewide organizations, local nonprofits, and federal agencies. A Florida resident since 2001, she also held leadership positions with the Florida Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corporation (executive director) and Disability Rights Florida (director of operations).

“The Center is an innovative and ambitious approach to building sustainable infrastructures for research, service, and education,” Jim Clark, dean of the College of Social Work said. “The director must be a leader who can bring people from all backgrounds to the table to develop exciting and effective partnerships. Ellen is uniquely qualified to do this work and I am very grateful she has agreed to take this on!”

Piekalkiewicz holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grinnell College.

To learn more about the Center for Study and Promotion of Communities, Families and Children, visit http://csw.fsu.edu/thecenter.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 - 02:52 PM
Last updated: Thu, 03/28/2024 - 04:16 PM