Stella Johnson is the CEO of Hope Haven located at 4600 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. Having grown up in Jacksonville, she has brought years of experience in the youth and family services world since she joined the organization seven years ago. She is proud of the connections she has developed over the years and the continuous role it plays in helping the families and children of her hometown.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I grew up in Jacksonville and then went away to Florida State for college before coming back and working in youth and family services for my entire career.
I’ve been at Hope Haven for seven years now.
How has your familiarity with the area helped in your role as CEO of Hope Haven?
I cannot emphasize how important the relationships I’ve had here have been.
Jacksonville is a really special place when it comes to youth and family services due to the collaboration we have with other organizations, and that is not the case throughout the state.
It’s been very valuable for sure.
What have you seen that allows for such collaboration?
A colleague of mine shared with me years ago that our consolidated government with one mayor, one sheriff, and so on has a lot to do with it.
Instead of one, there could be 50 different municipalities you have to deal with in a certain region.
The logistical hurdles alone would be so much greater.
The consolidation of government allows for us to focus on our service and delivery methods and really makes it a more effective process.
When did you discover the path to a career in youth and family services?
I went to college on the law school path, as from the time I was five years old I thought I was going to be an attorney.
But then I took a psychology class and did some internships with juvenile justice and worked at a Boys and Girls Club in Jacksonville, and I never looked back from there.
I felt like it was a much better fit for me and my skill set.
I’ve learned about myself that I do my best work in an independent and autonomous organizational setting.
Our goal and purpose here at Hope Haven is to help children reach the clinical services, educational services and employment services that they need.
We start working with children as young as 16 months old and also help young adults get a job and anything else in between.
What do you enjoy most about your job and the field you are in?
The ones (clients) I remember the most are the ones that are working so hard themselves to get through whatever situation it is they are confronted with.
One of the things I love about Hope Haven is that people with resources have the ability to go anywhere for services, but when they choose Hope Haven, it means the quality is attached to their decision.
But it also allows us to then make it obtainable to anyone out there that may be in need of our assistance.
I’ve just been so fortunate in my career to meet and work with some great people.
Hope Haven is going to be 100 years old in 2026, and I’m excited to help shepherd this organization into its next century. It’s a privilege.
What do you enjoy most about living in the North Florida area?
I’ve traveled all over the world, but I always come back and say that Jacksonville is the best and it has everything you’re looking for.
You can’t go down the river and see a Broadway show in New York City, but you can here in Jacksonville.
