Ben F. Shirley, Jr. was appointed to the Council in 2011 by former Secretary David Wilkins of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) in which he served for two years. Mr. Shirley was re-appointed to the Council in 2016 by Secretary Mike Carroll of DCF. He currently serves as the Regional Director of the Office of Economic Self Sufficiency (ESS) within the Suncoast Region. In his role he’s responsible for all aspects of ESS Programs and Operations. Mr. Shirley has decades of systems and operational expertise and experience. He has held various leadership positions within the Department. Mr. Shirley has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. He is also a Certified Public Manager and a Florida Sterling Examiner.