Welcome Director Shelia Horton-Holt
Shelia Horton-Holt took over as the director of the Family Care Center in July, replacing Joanna Rodes, who retired after a decade at the helm. Shelia’s promotion came less than a year after she started with the City as a family support worker in the HANDS program.
But when Rodes’ job came open, Shelia expressed interest in the position and was selected for the role.
“My background is in early childhood education,” Shelia said. “I was in early childhood education for over 20 years before coming to the Family Care Center. That’s what attracted me to it. Not just that piece, but when I was in HANDS, several families on my caseload were some of the young ladies at the high school. Half of my caseloads were at the high school. When I started working with them and then I started working with Melissa (Turner) in Family Coordination because we shared some clients, that’s when I found the love for the campus.”
Shelia has worked in early childhood development for over 20 years. She began her career as a substitute and then worked her way up to a floater, teacher, assistant director, and director and eventually owned two childcare centers. She closed the centers once the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
As she settles into her new position, Shelia has focused on learning more about the people at the Family Care Center and also learning more about her essential job functions.
“My main thing is getting to know all the staff, learning the different policies and procedures for each area,” Shelia said. “That’s been the main thing because there’s no school right now. All the young ladies are out for school, so that’s given me some time to acclimate to the campus.”
One of the main goals Shelia hopes to accomplish early in her tenure is planning more community events at the Family Care Center.
Shelia was born in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and joined the Army right after high school. She was a military police officer and spent four years on active duty and four years in the National Guard.
When she’s not working, Shelia enjoys spending time with friends and family.
“I like to hang out with my grandbabies,” Shelia said. “That’s one of my favorite things to do. I have three grandbabies that I like to hang out with. I’m just a family person. I’m in that friends and family mode. I just like that quality time with them.”
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