MEET OUR CEO:
Monique E. Ellsworth is the current Chief Executive Officer at Second Harvest of the Big Bend, the food bank serving 11 counties in North Florida. Monique has been actively engaged in Tallahassee’s social service community since 2011, passionately working on social issues related to poverty. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of CESC, a nonprofit organization which operates a homeless shelter, two housing programs (one of which was a tiny house complex), and a healthcare and dental clinic–all which provide care for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and economic hardship in Tallahassee.
Monique graduated from Florida State University with her Masters in Social Work in 2012. She is engaged with the university and invested in student success. She is currently an instructor in the College of Social Work, teaching Homelessness in America, and regularly assists in online courses related to substance misuse. Monique also has served on the selection committee for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation since 2014.
Monique serves on the Board of Directors for Unhoused Humanity, chairs the Starter Sustainer Membership Committee for Word of South, and is Board President of the Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. In 2020, she was named as one of the “25 Women You Need to Know” by the Tallahassee Democrat.
Monique is an avid nature enthusiast enjoying outdoor pursuits including running, fishing, biking and kayaking.