Take Stock in Children, the statewide nonprofit known for pairing mentorship with scholarships to help break the cycle of poverty, has tapped Bethany Lacey as its new CEO.
Lacey succeeds Jillian Hasner, who led the organization for the past decade and helped cement its reputation as Florida’s flagship mentoring and scholarship program. Take Stock, now in its 30th year, has served more than 45,000 low-income, at-risk students across the state since its founding in 1995.
“Bethany embodies the vision, compassion, and energy that will ensure Take Stock in Children’s success into the future,” Board Chair Fontaine LeMaistre said in a statement. “Her decades of dedication to Florida’s children and families, paired with her proven ability to inspire communities and strengthen organizations, make her uniquely suited to lead Take Stock as we expand our reach and deepen our impact.”
John Locke, the group’s President, said Lacey’s experience and passion will help the nonprofit build on Hasner’s success.
“Bethany is a proven leader whose passion for serving children and families aligns perfectly with our mission,” Locke said. “I look forward to working alongside her as we expand opportunities for Florida’s students and build on the incredible foundation laid by Jillian. Together, we will ensure that every student in our program has the tools, mentorship, and support to achieve their dreams.”
A Tallahassee native, Lacey has more than two decades of experience leading nonprofits and working on child advocacy. She began her career in child welfare as a dependency case manager in Central Florida before spending nearly two decades at Boys Town, where she worked in all three of the organization’s Florida locations.
Lacey became Executive Director of Boys Town South Florida in 2021, overseeing fundraising, board management, licensing, and quality assurance while keeping children and families at the center of her work.
She is also an adjunct instructor at Palm Beach Atlantic University and volunteers as a Guardian Ad Litem.
Take Stock consistently posts graduation rates that exceed state averages, pairing mentors with students to keep them on track through high school and into college.
