Vice President of Strategic Client Programs

Ava joined Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee in November 2021 as Vice President of Strategic Client Programs. Ava is responsible for the Daybreak Adult Day Center, Friendship Dining Centers, Client Services, and Client Transportation. She is passionate about helping those in our community become more successful.

Ava graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo with a Master’s in Information and Library Studies in 1997 where she returned as adjunct faculty member from 2001 to 2008. This curriculum provided strong foundational skills for researching, analyzing, and disseminating information.

Prior to joining Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, Ava was the Neighborhood Services Department Director for Manatee County Government overseeing the 140+ staff in human service programs including Aging and Eligibility, Veterans, Children’s, Probation and Pretrial Release Services, Neighborhood Connections, nonprofit and grant management, community health and the Manatee County Libraries. She has a solid understanding of the needs in our community and is a strong advocate for Manatee County residents.

Previously, Ava was the Manatee Library Services Manager from 2011-2018 where she led an underperforming library system into a multi-award winning one. Amongst others, she and her team earned several innovation and youth awards and the Florida Library Association Library of the Year in 2016. She was awarded the Florida Library Association’s Librarian of the Year in 2017.

Ava is a graduate of Leadership Manatee (2012), the Public Library Association Academy (2017), and the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (2005).