Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Mary Chance to the Children’s Trust of Alachua County on Friday. 

Chance is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF). The consortium is an organization that works to develop capacity and resources in 62 county education foundations in Florida, according to the Florida Education Foundation (FEF). 

For 10 years, Chance served as executive director of the local Alachua foundation. She has now been president of the consortium for nine years. 

Chance said working for CFEF has taught her that investing early in children pays off, and that data on age groups and demographics can help point to gaps educators should be prioritizing. 

“What excites me the most is the opportunity to bring what I’ve learned to Alachua County, to the place where I’ve raised my own… kids,” Chance said in a phone interview on Saturday. 

Chance is also a member of the Florida Education Foundation Board and the statewide advisory council for the Florida Grade-Level Reading Campaign. 

An Honors Program graduate of Florida State University with majors in English and Business, Chance also earned a master’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida. Chance has 12 years in public relations and marketing, according to FEF. 

Chance said CTAC covers many of the same areas in which she was already involved. 

“I hope to build on the great work they’ve already accomplished,” Chance said. 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add comments from Chance.