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'Coach' Joining DCF Team

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By WILLIAM MARCH

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 3, 2008

TAMPA - Former state Rep. Bob Henriquez, long prominent in Democratic politics in Tampa, has landed a $105,000-a-year job as an administrator for the state Department of Children & Families.

The job wasn't advertised, and Henriquez, whose career background includes planning and development, and coaching high school football, was the only applicant.

DCF regional Director Nick Cox, who hired him, said Henriquez's ties to the area and knowledge of the state Legislature make him a good fit for the position, which involves much work with the community and the government.

There is no legal requirement to advertise such senior management positions, DCF officials said.

Part Of Reorganization

At the same time the agency is hiring Henriquez and 19 other individuals for new "circuit administrator" positions statewide, it and most state agencies are facing possible job cuts because of the state's budget crisis.

DCF senior managers say, however, they hope to avoid layoffs, and the new positions are a necessary part of an agency reorganization begun last year by DCF Secretary Bob Butterworth. Henriquez holds the position for the area covering Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Cox, a former local prosecutor, is a long-time associate of Butterworth and Butterworth's assistant secretary for operations, George Sheldon, who both also have long histories in Democratic politics.

Butterworth is a former state attorney general whose appointment by Republican Gov. Charlie Crist raised some eyebrows among Republicans. Sheldon, a former state House member, ran for education commissioner against Crist in 2000, and worked for Butterworth in the attorney general's office.

Cox worked with them in the attorney general's office when Henriquez was in the Legislature.

Henriquez has a bachelor's degree in political science from Princeton University and has done graduate work in public administration and planning at the University of South Florida.

He worked as a planner for Hillsborough County from 1989-97 before entering the Legislature. He has since worked for several private companies as a development planner and consultant.

In the state House, his assignments included committees related to planning and growth management, health care regulation, business regulation and other agencies, but not social services.

Henriquez also is the long-time football coach at his alma mater, Tampa Catholic High School, and has helped build a strong football tradition there.

He said he has always combined a full-time job with his coaching work, which pays only $4,500 a year, and hopes to continue that while working for the state. But he acknowledged it may be difficult.

Sheldon said circuit administrators, whose duties include overseeing child and adult protection services, are "on call 24-7 and expected to work 50 hours a week."

Henriquez said if he can't pull it off, he'll have to leave coaching.

"My priority will be to carry out the job I'm being paid to do and being a steward of the taxpayers' money," he said.

Henriquez said he can understand why some people may suspect he got the job because of his political ties, but added, "It's not some kind of political payback" and that he intends to prove he can do the job well.

Henriquez served in the state House from 1998-2006, representing largely Democratic and Hispanic West Tampa. He was personally popular with Democrats and Republicans, who called him "Coach."

More Regional Involvement

Sheldon said Butterworth's reorganization plan aims at decentralizing decision-making in the agency, elevating the importance of regional and circuit administrators.

"You just can't run this agency from Tallahassee" because community organizations and local contractors are involved in the social services it provides, he said.

Butterworth's plan divided the state's six DCF regions into 20 circuits, corresponding to judicial circuits, areas served by a state attorney.

According to a DCF job description, the circuit administrator's duties include:

•Supervising adult services and abuse investigations; substance abuse and mental health service providers; child protection investigators; and food stamp and welfare application offices. Often, these services are performed by contractors including law enforcement agencies or charities.

•Coordinating budgeting.

•Representing the department with local legislators, local government, news media and service-providing organizations.

•Ensuring programs follow law and agency policy.

Cox said soon after Butterworth made him regional administrator, Cox told Henriquez he hoped to hire him into the agency. Henriquez later decided he wanted to leave his current job and contacted Cox.

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com.

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