Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Carlos de la Cruz and Jason Barrett to the Children and Youth Cabinet.
“I am honored that these two outstanding individuals have agreed to serve and contribute their expertise and experience to helping improve the lives of Florida’s children,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis, who serves as chair of the Cabinet. “Investing in Florida’s future begins with investing in Florida’s children, and I am confident that this Cabinet will provide meaningful leadership on the important issues facing our kids today.”
Carlos de la Cruz Jr.
De la Cruz, of Key Biscayne, is an executive and shareholder for De la Cruz Companies. Currently, he is a trustee and past chairman of Ransom Everglades School and is immediate past chairman of the Board of Our Kids of Miami-Dade and Monroe, a community-based care provider for foster children with over 4,500 children. He is also treasurer of the Everglades Foundation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Boston College and his master’s in business administration from the University of Miami. De la Cruz is appointed to a four-year term.
Jason Barrett
Barrett, of St. Augustine Beach, is the chief executive officer of Flagler Health+. Currently, he is a board member for the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida and a board member and past chairman of the St. Johns County Economic Development Council. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year Award Recipient for 2016. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health and his master’s in business administration from the University of North Florida, along with his master’s in systems and engineering from Texas Tech University. Barrett is appointed to a four-year term.
