George Sheldon

George Sheldon

In February of 2015, George H. Sheldon was selected by Governor Bruce Rauner to serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Sheldon was the Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families from 2008-2011. When he began working for the agency, it was referred to as "the troubled Department of Children and Families." Three years later, a gubernatorial transition report called it the best-run agency in the state. Sheldon expertly weathered $200 million in budget reductions without cutting staff or disrupting services to citizens. He was responsible for a $3 billion budget and workforce of 13,000 employees. Prior to his work as Secretary, he also worked as an Assistant Secretary for Operations. Most recently, Sheldon worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. President Obama appointed him as the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a position he held for more than two years until November 2013. At ACF he was responsible for strengthening the agency's focus on early-childhood education, finding better ways to support children in foster care, and led the first nationwide strategic plan for victims of human trafficking. Sheldon was a practicing attorney before his work with child and family welfare, working in private practice and for the Florida Attorney General as a Deputy Attorney General for Central Florida. Sheldon was also a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1974 to 1982. Sheldon earned his bachelor's degree and law degree from Florida State University.