New CEO Eric Roby Ushers in New Chapter for Fuller Center

Contact: Toni Hassinger
305-240-8894
thassinger@fullercenterfl.org

Former CEO Ellyn Okrent named Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer to help with a seamless leadership transition.

Boca Raton, FL. July 22, 2024 –

The Fuller Center Board of Directors announces an exciting new chapter for the well-respected organization that, for more than 53 years, has been helping hardworking, under-resourced local families and their children reach their full potential. Effective Monday, July 22, 2024, after serving over 12 years as CEO, Ellyn Okrent will become Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, and Eric Roby will assume the Chief Executive Officer role. The change is to accommodate Okrent’s future retirement plans while creating a seamless leadership transition.

“Ellyn has done an incredible job leading the Fuller Center over the past dozen plus years. She has dramatically expanded the organization’s capacity – doubling our operating budget and the number of families we help each year. As Ellyn prepares for her well-deserved future retirement, we are honored that she has agreed to stay on as our new Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer so we can continue to benefit from her experience and wisdom as we transition to our next chapter. The entire Board of Directors is thrilled to announce Eric Roby has agreed to serve as our next CEO and we are confident that Eric will build on the many successes we have had under Ellyn’s leadership. To ensure a smooth transition, I’m delighted that Eric and Ellyn plan to work closely together to ensure the great work of the Fuller Center never skips a beat and the children and families we serve continue to receive the incredible services they deserve,” said President and Board Chair Matthew Scheer.

The Board of Directors selected Roby to be the next CEO after an extensive hiring process, finding his credentials, experience, and skills to be a perfect fit as Fuller Center’s next leader. Roby is well known in the community for his 18-year tenure as a main South Florida news anchor. Over the past five years, he has used his communication skills, fundraising abilities, and community knowledge to become a highly successful non-profit leader as a vice president for Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and, more recently, executive director for the American Red Cross. In both positions, Roby successfully grew high-profile fundraising events and expanded community support and awareness of each organization.

“I am beyond excited to be chosen to help lead the Fuller Center into a new chapter. The organization’s mission is close to my heart as I was the first in my family to graduate college and break the cycle of poverty,” said Roby. “I’ve heard the Fuller Center described as the best-kept secret in Palm Beach County. While that acknowledges the achievements of the Fuller Center, it’s my job to make sure we are no longer the best-kept secret and that everyone is aware of the amazing things that happen on our campuses every day of the week. The Fuller Center has a strong history of helping families and children, and I hope to be able to increase our impact by meeting the changing needs of working families in our community who are struggling more than ever with the high cost of living in South Florida. Every child deserves a high-quality education and support through award-winning programs, and that is what we provide at the Fuller Center with a healthy dose of love and compassion.”

In addition to taking on her new role as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Okrent will work hand-in-hand with Roby to ensure a quick but seamless transition period.

“For more than 53 years, the Fuller Center has been dedicated to providing high-quality programs and services to our community,” said Okrent. “I am proud of the work that the organization has accomplished under my leadership, and I am confident that with Eric’s leadership, he will bring fresh perspectives and new energy to our mission. In my new role, I will work closely with Eric to ensure our mission and values continue to thrive while looking for new solutions for our families that continue to struggle. There is much need in our community, but with our passionate leadership team, Board of Directors and amazing staff, I know the Fuller Center will continue to meet the challenge!”

About the Fuller Center
For more than 50 years, the Fuller Center’s mission has been to embrace, educate, and empower hardworking, under-resourced families and children to reach their full potential. We build a positive future through education for nearly 1000 children (infants through teens) whom we serve annually, as well as nearly 700 of their family members. The Fuller Center reaches families in more than 40 zip codes throughout Palm Beach County, as well as northern Broward County.

65% of Fuller Center parents serve as essential or frontline workers, working in hospitals, retail outlets, restaurants, and hotels. They are our bus drivers, store clerks and cashiers, farmworkers, delivery drivers, security guards, bank tellers, office workers, healthcare workers, home health aides, hospital orderlies and cafeteria workers, and childcare and eldercare workers.

Our programs help empower children to start school prepared, succeed academically, and break the generational cycle of poverty through quality early childhood education, after-school and summer camp programs, our new private elementary school and teen leadership programs, and comprehensive, family-centered support services. They also empower parents who are essential to keeping our local economy open and who provide the vital services we all count on.

The Fuller Center also offers mentoring programs and adult on-the-job training, coaching, and employment support, and no-cost transportation from 14 area schools to our campus-based after-school programs. We serve more than 1,800 nutritious meals and snacks daily.

In addition, Fuller Center provides opportunities for local colleges and universities to place undergraduate and graduate students in internships and child development practicums.

East Campus: 200 NE 14th Street, Boca Raton FL 33432
West Campus: 10130 185th Street South, Boca Raton FL 33498
Intergenerational Program at The Volen Center: 1515 W Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33486

Facebook: @fullercenterfl
Instagram: @fullercenterfl

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