Franklin County appoints new official to support underserved communities
To better meet the needs of local residents, Franklin County commissioners appointed Joy Bivens as a new deputy county administrator Monday to oversee and integrate county human services systems.
The board announced that Bivens, who currently serves as the director of the county Job and Family Services agency, will take on the administrative role for health and human services to better support traditionally underserved community members.
“Many people are eager for a ‘return to normal’ from this pandemic, but I can tell you that normal was not working for poor people, for Black and brown people or for our most vulnerable,” Bivens said. “Our commissioners recognize that now more than ever, we need a system that is centered around families and their needs. I am grateful for the trust they ... have put in me and I’m eager to take on this new challenge.”
Bivens will continue to lead JFS, the county's largest agency, while overseeing the county's Office of Aging, Child Support Enforcement Agency and Office of Justice Policy and Programs. She will officially begin her role on a day-to-day basis on Oct. 19, according to a news release from by the county.
Bivens, who currently makes $161,242, will have an annual salary of $173,500 with the new role.
The JFS director first worked for the county in 2004 before leaving to begin her own healthcare administration business. She made her way back to JFS in 2015, and was quickly appointed as the director in 2016. She also served on the Whitehall City School Board and maintains leadership positions with the National Association of Counties and the Ohio Job and Family Services Directors' Association.
“Joy Bivens has been a tremendous leader for JFS,” County Administrator Kenneth Wilson said. “And we’re thrilled that she’ll be bringing the energy and expertise that she has shown there to all of our human services agencies. The Board of Commissioners endeavors to serve every Franklin County resident every day, and nobody embodies that spirit more than Joy.”
Along with her leadership under JFS and other organizational bodies, Bivens was tasked with heading the development of the commissioners’ Rise Together Blueprint, a community-wide initiative formed to address the challenges of poverty and to create opportunities for local families.
She was also instrumental in establishing the county's new Family Stabilization Unit, a pilot program that works across county government agencies to provide wraparound assistance for Black boys involved in the juvenile system and their families. The pilot will reflect the "holistic, person-centered approach" Bivens will bring to her new position, officials said.
"This is a natural fit for her," Commissioner John O'Grady said. "She's a fantastic professional and I think this is something she'll thrive in."