Ellen McCarron—Deputy Division Director

Ellen McCarron came to DBS in 2010 with five years of experience as an assistant director, and ten years of experience as an administrator and program manager. Her diverse job responsibilities will include oversight of the division’s contracts and procurement processes, project management, coordination of audit responses, assisting with the division’s strategic plan, and assisting the Director and Senior Management Team with priority issues and projects.  Prior to her promotion, she served the division as Contract Manager and as a Senior Management Analyst II.

Phyllis Vaughn—Bureau Chief, Administrative Services

Phyllis Vaughn is the newest member of the Division’s Senior Management team. As the Administrative Services Bureau Chief, Vaughn’s responsibilities include development of the Division’s Legislative Budget Request (LBR), allotment of the budget to Bureaus/Sections, development of expenditure and cash projections, monitoring federal grant expenditures, acting as liaison with the DOE, Governor’s Office, House and Senate staff on all budget matters, assisting DOE with lease negotiations, acts as Fleet Manager for the Division’s vehicles, supervises the Administrative Services staff who verify budget codes for travel, and purchase orders and approve budget availability for personnel actions and rate control.

Vaughn has held positions in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budgeting, served as the Budget Director for the Department of Insurance, Financial Services Director for the Guardian ad Litem Program of the Justice Administration Commission and the Director of Policy and Budget for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services . She holds both a Bachelor and Master Degree from FSU.

William Findley—Bureau Chief, Business Enterprise Program

William Findley has been with the Division of Blind Services (DBS) since 2006 and was recently promoted to Bureau Chief of Business Enterprise. As head of BEP, Findley supervises 140 facility managers throughout the state. Currently, in collaboration with BBE staff and the Committee of Vendors, he is leading a comprehensive review of the Business Enterprise Program to ensure that a quality training program is in place and that all facility operators are properly and effectively supported and managed.

Findley holds a master's degree in educational leadership from Bob Jones University. Before coming to DBS, Findley was primarily employed in private education, first as a teacher and then as an administrator. 

Antionette Williams—Bureau Chief, Client Services

As Bureau Chief of Client Services, Antionette Williams has oversight of ten district offices throughout the state and responsibilities include budget management, client resolutions, staff training, oversight of general client services operations, and compliance of federal and state regulations.

Williams has worked with DBS for nearly 20 years and has served in various capacities ranging from senior rehabilitation specialist in the Vocational Rehabilitation, Independent Living and Children’s programs to senior management analyst, where she worked on projects such as stimulus funding, internal and external audits, federal and state reporting. She hold’s a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Services and a master’s degree in Public Administration and Policy, both from Florida State University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Susan Roberts—Bureau Chief, Braille and Talking Books Library Services

As Bureau Chief of the Braille and Talking Books Library, Susan Roberts manages all staff and operations of the library, which is the largest of its kind.

Previously, Ms. Roberts worked as director of research, planning and budget for the Georgia Office of Public Library Services and with the Okefenokee Regional Library System. She earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of South Florida.

Edward Hudson—Bureau Chief of the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Edward Hudson is the Bureau Chief of the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Daytona Beach, Florida and is responsible for the overall operation of the center. In addition, he oversees the maintenance and security of all DBS facilities on the Daytona campus. He participates in the planning of construction projects, provides on site supervision, and contract management. Hudson has a BA in Computer and Information Science from the University of North Florida and has been with the division since 1992.

JoAnn Carrin—Communications Director

JoAnn Carrin recently joined the Blind Services team as Communications Director for the division.  She will focus on internal and external communications, public awareness and outreach for the division and stakeholder groups.

Carrin previously worked for over 30 years in public service including Communications Director for the Department of Education and the Attorney General.

Sheila White—Personnel Administrator

Sheila White serves as the division’s personnel administrator. In this capacity, she manages all hiring, new employee benefits, attendance and leave, payroll, separations, retirement, organizational structure of the division, labor relation issues (disciplinary actions, terminations), position descriptions, and performance evaluations. White has worked for the state of Florida for 29 years and has been with Blind Services for ten years.

Paul Harbin—MIS Manager

Paul Harbin joined DBS as the Management Information Systems (MIS) manager. In this role, Harbin works with Blind Services staff to align MIS resources with business needs. Additionally, he manages staff that supports the division’s network environment as well as DBS specific business applications.

Prior to joining DBS, Harbin worked for the Florida Department of Revenue. He has 20 years of experience in state government, 15 years of experience in the private sector, and a strong background in managing projects, leading technical and customer support teams, and securing information systems.