Manatee County Government
Brenda Rogers named new director of Manatee County Community Services
Rogers was former Agriculture and Resource Conservation Director
The Manatee native and former Ag and Resource Conservation director will lead Manatee's department that oversees social services, public transportation and the Children's Services tax.
MANATEE COUNTY, FL (July 27, 2010) – Manatee County Commissioners today approved Administrator Ed Hunzeker's recommendation to appoint Brenda Rogers the new director of the Community Services Department.
Rogers replaces Fred Loveland, who retired earlier this year. She has served as director of Manatee County Extension/Agriculture and Resource Conservation department since 2000.
Hunzeker said Rogers’ local success and familiarity with the community made her the clear-cut favorite among an impressive set of applicants.
“Brenda’s credentials speak for themselves,” Hunzeker said. “She is a well-respected leader in the Manatee County and her commitment to the community makes her a natural fit for Community Services. With her new role, Brenda will have a chance to apply an impressive skill set to an even broader segment of the community.”
A Manatee native, Rogers is recognized throughout the region as a foremost voice on agriculture-related sciences. She was hired as a Florida extension agent for home economics in 1983. She has earned tenure as a University of Florida faculty member, and has served on many advisory committees for UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. She was named the 2009 Agriculturist of the Year during Farm City week.
"This move provides me with an opportunity to serve my personal interests to serve the community," Rogers told Commissioners. "I leave a wonderful, dedicated group of employees. I’m blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Thank you for having the confidence in me."
Rogers’s new role will bring her career full circle. As an extension agent for Family and Consumer Sciences for the first 16 years of her tenure with the County, she taught parent education programs, trained daycare providers and worked closely with other social service providers.
“In the past I worked with a lot of (social) service agencies, teaching money management and homemaking skills,” Rogers said. “I had an opportunity to be involved in a lot of startup social service activities. Now I’m able to come back and see the fruits of their labors and to help facilitate the future of public service in our county.”
Community Services is among the County departments with most public visibility, comprised of Manatee County Area Transit and social service divisions including Human Services, Veterans Services and Aging Services.
Community Services also oversees the Children’s Services Tax, a voter-approved dedicated milage that pays for programs to benefit the health, welfare and safety of Manatee children up to age 18.
Rogers said it is too early to tell what changes she might bring to Community Services. Rogers hopes to remain involved in some agriculture-related activities, but plans to familiarize herself with the new job for making extracurricular commitments.
The University of Florida will conduct a search for Rogers’ replacement at the extension service.
For more information, or to arrange an interview with Rogers, call Manatee County Information Outreach at (941) 745.3771. To learn more about Community Services and other Manatee County Government departments, visit online at www.mymanatee.org