WESLEY HOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

April 3, 2023, marked the first day for the Wesley House Family Services’ new Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Khalilah Dawes. She succeeds Tiffany DaSilva, Community Based Care Director.

Khalilah Dawes has over 20 years of experience in child welfare. She began her career in child welfare as a case manager for the Florida Department of Children and Families, working directly with children who were abused, abandoned, or neglected. She successfully transitioned to the private sector where she has held various leadership positions in child welfare operations. Ms. Dawes has consistently been promoted to leadership roles with increasing levels of responsibilities, reflecting her results-driven and outcome-oriented style of management. As the Assistant Director of Full Case Management with the Center for Family and Child Enrichment Administrator her responsibilities included implementing strategies for the delivery of effective child abuse prevention and intervention programs and services for children and families in Miami- Dade County.

Ms. Dawes brings a wealth of experience in prevention and child welfare program operations. Her previous position was Regional Administrator of Permanency with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Her responsibilities included policy implementation, planning, developing, and coordinating service delivery for Cook County. 

Ms. Dawes is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. She also holds a master’s in public administration from Florida International University. She enjoys coaching and developing her team and is a firm believer that this approach leads to overall organizational success.
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Aleida Jacobo, Wesley House Family Services CEO, said “Khalilah joins us at time of expansion in which her many talents, knowledge, and experience, not to mention her deep roots in South Florida, will be a highly prized asset to our agency.” This exciting chapter in Ms. Dawes’ career brings her back to Florida which has been home for more than thirty years, and specifically to Key West, a place reminiscent of her parents’ birthplace, Jamaica. 

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