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State of the Community - Tackling Childhood Poverty Presented by Heather Cogar

Join us for a powerful conversation at our next State of the Community event, featuring guest speaker Heather Cogar. At this month’s State of Community, hear a powerful and deeply personal message from Heather Cogar, Statewide Director of Engagement & Community Outreach for the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative.

Heather brings her lived experience of overcoming childhood poverty, abuse, instability, and the foster care system to her work today—leading Florida’s mission to cut childhood poverty in half by 2030.

In this impactful session, Heather will unpack:

•    The realities of childhood poverty in Florida

•    ZIP-code-level disparities and why local solutions matter

•    The 10 root causes that keep families trapped in generational poverty

•    The critical role businesses, leaders, and community partners play in changing outcomes

•    How each of us can become a “ZIP Code Champion” and support families, children, and schools most in need

With a blend of data, storytelling, and actionable strategies, Heather challenges communities to step up, collaborate, and transform Florida into a statewide model for prosperity.

More about the Speaker: Heather Cogar - Statewide Director, Community Engagement

Heather Cogar serves as the Statewide Director focusing on Engagement and Community Outreach for the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative. In her role, Heather leads zip code and county-level efforts to replace childhood poverty with prosperity and self-sufficiency by building strategic “root cause” solutions between business leaders, community organizations, and families in need. Her journey from trauma to transformation reflects her unwavering belief that you can change your future, overcome adversity, and the cycle of generational poverty can actually be broken—one zip code at a time, one family at a time.

Heather’s early childhood was marked by nearly unheard-of hardship and instability. By the age of ten, she endured abuse at home, witnessed her mother’s struggles with addiction, and ultimately entered the foster care system alongside her two siblings. The pain of those years led her down a destructive path—until placement in a life-changing program, Camp E-Nini-Hassee, which gave her the stability, guidance, and second chance she needed. That pivotal time became the turning point in a journey defined by resilience, determination, and purpose.

From there, Heather excelled in high school and, after graduation, attended the police academy, earning the Top Physical Fitness Award. She went on to serve six years as a Deputy Sheriff with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, where she was honored with the Mandi Warren Richard Rising Star Award at the Pillar Awards Dinner and named one of the community’s Top 40 Under 40. During her time at the Sheriff’s office, she was determined to continue her education and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Organization.

Eventually becoming a mother, Heather made the decision to leave law enforcement to pursue a career that offered both professional growth and more time with her son. She put herself through real estate school and, through relentless hard work, built a self-made, successful real estate business. Within five years, she became one of the top-producing realtors in her community.

Throughout her career, Heather has remained committed to giving back. She has volunteered for organizations that support struggling children and spoke at events to inspire youth, sharing her story to show that it is possible to overcome hardship and build a better future. Her dream has always been to take that message across Florida, the nation, and eventually the globe—to give hope and encouragement to children who feel hopeless, just as she once did. Her personal story, lived experiences, and triumph allow her to bring a truly unique perspective and approach to the Florida Prosperity Initiative’s work to cut childhood poverty in half by 2030.

A Buffet Lunch will be served:

Roasted Chicken Breast with Tuscan tomato sauce

Seared Local Fresh Mahi served with Honey Dijon Cream

Grilled Green Beans and caramelized baby onions

Garlic Potato Mashed

Hail Caesar Salad

Homemade Bread Pudding and Caramel

If you have any questions regarding this event, please email Celeste Lloyd-Jones at cljones@sarasotachamber.com.