Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, has added Jess Tharpe as chief operating officer for the organization.
Better Together, a privately funded, volunteer-driven nonprofit, builds strong families and communities by empowering parents and providing meaningful connections, work opportunities, mentoring and short-term care for children.
As outgoing assistant secretary of the Florida Office of Community Services, Tharpe served on the executive leadership team of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). Tharpe comes to Better Together with 10 years of experience in child and family services and 10 years of experience in business development, operations, and administration.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jess Tharpe as our new chief operating officer at Better Together. Jess has been a tremendous advocate and supporter of our mission over the years. Her extensive knowledge of the child welfare system and her unwavering dedication to vulnerable children and families will be invaluable to our organization,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “Jess’s background in leading transformational shifts within the Florida Department of Children and Families, her strategic initiatives, and her commitment to holistic and family-centered services make her an exceptional addition to our team.”
At the Department of Children and Families, Tharpe also served as the assistant secretary for child and family well-being, deputy assistant secretary for child welfare and director of innovation and project management in the department’s Office of Economic Self-Sufficiency. In these roles, she led several initiatives including the launch of Family Navigation, Florida’s Foster Information Center, Father First and the Office of Continuing Care.
Prior to her work with DCF, she served in various leadership roles within the nonprofit industry, higher education and the private sector, where she led program development, contract and grant management, business development, operations, administration and continuous quality improvement.
“With Jess Tharpe stepping in as COO and partnering with Megan Rose, we’re excited to see their combined leadership drive Better Together to new heights, transforming more families and lives along the way,” said Tarren Bragdon, founder and president of Better Together’s board of directors.
Tharpe also served as Junior League of Tallahassee president. She currently lives in Tallahassee with her husband and two children and is active in her church.
“From watching Better Together’s impact in the child welfare system grow year after year, to working alongside Megan and her team during times of crisis and emergency response, I’m incredibly blessed to join an organization that truly lives out its mission of empowering families through proactive programming and second chances,” Tharpe said. “I’m proud to work alongside the team, our partners, and the many volunteers across the state in wrapping around families.”
Established in Southwest Florida in 2015, Better Together now serves six Florida regions, which span 48 counties. To date, the program has served more than 10,000 children, and 98% of children served through mentoring and hosting remain out of the state system. With job loss at the root of most family crises, the nonprofit has helped nearly 40,000 job seekers connect to work opportunities through church-based job fairs across 24 states.
To learn more about Better Together and its mission, visit BetterTogetherus.org.
ABOUT BETTER TOGETHER
Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. A privately funded and professionally supported organization, Better Together is made up of volunteers who believe helping people help themselves is the best way to restore dignity and bring families together. Through the Better Families program, families are offered a preventive alternative to foster care while they get the help they need. To date, the program has kept 98% of children served out of foster care. The Better Jobs program was created to address the 76% of families that come to Better Together because of economic hardship tied to unemployment. In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners. For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.
