Leadership

Don WinsteadDon Winstead

Special Advisor to the Governor for the Implementation 
of the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

In March 2009, Governor Charlie Crist called on Don Winstead to serve as Special Advisor to the Governor for the Implementation of the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Working in coordination with the Governor’s Federal Stimulus Working Group, he is responsible for overseeing and tracking the distribution of Florida’s federal stimulus dollars and ensuring taxpayers have access to the information needed to hold government accountable for its use of the funds.

Don Winstead continues to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, which has responsibility for a wide range of human services.  He began his career as a front-line caseworker and has worked in a variety of direct service, administrative and managerial positions ranging from Social Worker to Deputy Secretary.

From late 2001 to early 2005, Don served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  In this capacity he was a key advisor on human services policy and was responsible for policy development, research and evaluation related to welfare reform, supports for low-income families, and services for families, children and youth.

Don is a nationally recognized expert on federal funding issues and has negotiated ground-breaking federal waivers in welfare reform and child welfare.

Don is a member of the advisory boards of the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan and the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky.