The Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (ELCHC) Chief Executive Officer Gordon L. Gillette announced his retirement to the ELCHC Board of Directors on Monday, August 1, 2022. After four years of dedicated service as the CEO of the ELCHC and more than three decades at TECO, Gillette plans to enjoy his retirement.
Gillette said, "I came to the Coalition after retiring with 36 years of service from TECO, where much of my non-profit volunteer work had been in education. It has been my distinct pleasure to work with a strong leadership team to serve the families and children of Hillsborough County. With 90% of brain development occurring before age 5, this work is of paramount importance for every child. We have made great progress in early learning in our County, and I am proud to have led the Coalition during this time."
Under Gillette's leadership, the Coalition reduced the waitlist from several thousand to zero, decreasing the time families wait for services, created new local programming aimed at preparing children for kindergarten. He led the Coalition during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping child care business owners stay in business, including raising rates four times to increase the amount per child received by child care programs participating in the School Readiness program. Gillette is also credited with bringing INCENTIVE$ to the Coalition, resulting in more than $1MM in wage supplements to early education teachers in the County.