Pam Gould resigns from Shepherd’s Hope

Amy Quesinberry Community Editor

Pam Gould spent four years as president and CEO helping the health care nonprofit Shepherd’s Hope grow in the West Orange County community. But she said it’s time to make a career change and shift her focus so she can make a larger impact in the community and with students through public service work.

Gould’s last day with Shepherd’s Hope was Jan. 31.

“Pam’s leadership has been instrumental to guiding Shepherd’s Hope through the challenges the pandemic presented the last several years,” Shepherd’s Hope Board Chair John Miller said in a prepared statement.

“I feel good about where I’m leaving things,” Gould said. “When I came in, we had 24 staff, and now there’s 37 positions. We’ve grown the revenue to match that increase in budget. We’re able to move in and bring in new technologies like telehealth and building capacity. I feel great about where they are.”

Building Hope

In March 2019, Gould arrived at Shepherd’s Hope to a vacant seat, no development person on staff and a nearly finished building that was behind in its construction schedule. And then the pandemic hit.

She said Dr. Bill Barnes, the organization’s founder, told her she was meant to be with Shepherd’s Hope during the global crisis to help solidify the nonprofit’s next chapter in the community.

During her time with Shepherd’s Hope, Gould reached many goals.

“I’m really proud of the team we’ve built,” she said. “I’m proud that we didn’t have to lay off anyone during COVID. I’m proud that we were able to bring additional services to build capacity and access.”

During Gould’s tenure, Shepherd’s Hope secured the first multimillion dollar endowment through Healthy West Orange and another million dollar commitment, so the organization is financially sound, she said.

She said she will continue to support Shepherd’s Hope.

“I feel like I’m walking alongside now, not walking in the lead,” she said.

“In addition to the work and how proud I am of Shepherd’s Hope, I am very committed to our community at large and the work I’ve done on the School Board,” she said.

Gould has a long career history in West Orange County and worked for organizations including Orlando Health and Health Central; she worked on the School Nurse Program; she served as president of the Health Central Foundation; she has worked in marketing and human resources; and she has worked with the Garden Theatre, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, the town of Oakland, Dave’s House and Florida Virtual School.

“I think all the experiences I’ve been able to have in the larger businesses … down to the smaller businesses, have given me a vantage point of the horizon and how it all connects together,” Gould said.

MATCHING STUDENTS WITH CAREERS

Gould believes in bringing together private, public and grassroots entities for partnerships that match students with potential career paths. School is about more than money and infrastructure, she said.

“If you’re not exposed to a lot of hands-on experiences while you’re learning the academic reading, writing, arithmetic, you’re lost when you graduate,” she said. “You might have a path to college but not a path to a career. If people understand what your gifts are, it helps to match you with (the right career). The more we can provide that for our students, the more successful they’ll be.”

Gould wants to create strategies and policies that will have a generational effect on the community. One way to fulfill that goal is by connecting businesses with students through apprenticeships and philanthropy. Another is through a DirectConnect program, which partners local high schools and professionals in careers such as construction and the culinary arts.

FINDING THE TEACHING MOMENTS

“I do think my (experiences) … have been all teaching moments in really understanding the horizon of our community,” Gould said. “I look forward to continuing to work in service and hopefully shape the community for generations to come.”

The Shepherd’s Hope board now is searching for a permanent president. Barnes will serve as interim CEO. He founded Shepherd’s Hope 25 years ago, and the first health center was opened at Orange Technical Center – Westside.

Other changes are coming to Shepherd’s Hope. Barnes said there will be a rebranding for the nonprofit in the next year. The name will be changed to Shepherd’s Health to better reflect the health services provided by the nonprofit; however, he stressed, there will be no changes in the services delivered.

The organization provides free health care access for the uninsured through urgent and specialty care and connecting to ongoing care. It provides services in West Orange from its Winter Garden headquarters at 455 Ninth St.

Hope Bellamy

A nonprofit and for-profit business owner, Hope Bellamy has been serving the community for more than 20 years.

Bellamy is the founder of Zigs Nation Digital Network and oversees the ZAPZ Academy. He holds a certification in senior assisted living and business analytics.

Why are you running for the District 1 seat?

I am an Ocoee resident. Ocoee has come a long way. … The residents today are not the residents of yesterday, so diversity is needed on a same level. Right now … with George Oliver running for mayor and Mr. Larry (Brinson) stepping down — it leaves those two seats vacant that once did have diversity … and I think Ocoee needs to have diversity as the people as a whole. The mayor is doing a wonderful job, he works across the board, but we still need diversity in order to move things accordingly.

What is your vision for the city?

I come from the lifestyle of a criminal. I got my rights back, and over the last 20 years, I have been doing community outreach, nonprofit, youthprograms. So I bring a lot to the table that normally elected officials don’t bring. A lot of times, they come two, three years down the line before the election and jump on boards and committees and all the good stuff prior to the election years. … Mine dates back

20 years, and I never wanted to go into politics on the level of a seat, but I see that Ocoee can be a pilot city for all the small cities. Ocoee can definitely move in that direction; it just needs some work — make it more user friendly. So there’s a lot that needs to be done, and I feel I’m the most experienced to getting it done.

What changes would you bring to the city?

Diversity is No. 1. Ocoee has a mix of African-Americans, Caucasians, Indians, Mexicans. But when you go to the city level, you don’t have the diversity to understand their language. … So I think we are not inclusive to everybody that resides here in Ocoee. My District 1 is getting a lot of apartments, buildings and homes, and the community was not addressed properly about this. … So, one of the things I want to do is, when developers do come into the city, that the community can actually voice their opinion. Another thing is an open-door policy where citizens can come up to the commissioners and talk to them not only at City Hall but also (in) the community.

How do you differ from the other candidate?

The fact that I was on the other side of the fence. I was there. I came from the low income; I came from the barely ate, I’ve been there. So what makes me different is that I’ve lived that, and I know how to get over that rope. I can relate better to the community as a whole, because I am one of them; I am part of them. … We’ve got to start grooming younger individuals to get into politics. … So we can have younger individuals to get on this board.

Scott Kennedy

A 54-year-old native Floridian, Scott Kennedy has been a resident of the city of Ocoee for 18 years. Kennedy holds a bachelor’s degree in technical management and a master’s degree from Keller Graduate School of Management. Kennedy spent his youth doing volunteer work as part of the Royal Memoirs, with which he was awarded a gold medal of achievement. He serves as the HOA president at Forestbrooke Community Owners’ Association and is a member of the Human Relations Diversity Board.

How did you find your way to Ocoee?

I was born in Melbourne, so I am a native. My parents moved to Orlando, Orange County, when I was a baby, and I lived in Northwest Orange County my whole life. I went to Evans High School. I grew up in the Pine Hills area, and when I got married, my wife and I were saving for our first home. We found a spot we liked here in Ocoee, and we moved here.

Why are you running for the District 1 seat?

I’ve seen the issues and suffered the issues, and I’m running to be an advocate dedicated to that district. (I am) devoted to the issues that affect that district rather than broader state issues, county issues. I am running to be an advocate for the district where I live.

What is your vision for the city?

One of the issues I’m running on is a vision issue. That is, as we grow, I want to see balanced growth that maintains the character of Ocoee. This is our home; we are Ocoee. We are not Windermere. We are not Winter Garden. We are not Apopka. And I think what residents want — certainly residents in my district want — is they want to grow, but they don’t want to see the character of Ocoee change by that growth.

What changes would you bring to the city?

The issues I’m running on are the traffic and the congestion. I think we need to solve those. I think we need to advocate the money from the county to the city and then give it into our district. We have some roads that need to be widened. We have some roads that need more lighting — they are dangerous and congested — and as I said, managing the growth in a balanced way. Also, I want to see the budget and the funding for projects reflect the priorities of the district. Public safety is a huge issue in our district. We have some really bad accidents and fatalities, and I think people should be able to go out and enjoy the city, drive around, walk around with their kids and not get hit by speeding cars and things like that.

How do you differ from the other candidate?

So, I know absolutely nothing about the other candidate. I’ve never met him; I don’t know anything about him. I’m not running to run against another candidate. I have issues on the platform that I am running on, and that’s what I’m going to do.