Mrs. Colleen Lunsford Bevis
Colleen Lunsford Bevis' indomitable spirit and energy have been the catalyst for improved services for children in Hillsborough County, throughout the state, and the nation for nearly forty years. From the early days of the fifties to today. Mrs. Bevis has been tireless, consistently working long hours every week voluntarily advocating, organizing, patiently informing, inspiring, and when necessary, cajoling those able to help children.

Colleen Lunsford Bevis, born and raised in Tampa, Florida, attended Hillsborough County Public Schools from the age of six to eighteen. She began her schooling at Robert E. Lee Elementary School, and completed through twelfth grade at the old Brandon High School.

Colleen Bevis A Biographical Sketch
As a trainer of parents and teachers, and then as a trainer of trainers, Mrs. Bevis made it her business to learn the dept and complications of both needs and services for children, especially children with mental and behavioral problems. As a parent, she served as president of PTA at the local and state levels and as a member of the Parent-Teacher Association National Board.

Since 1955, Mrs. Bevis has provided outstanding volunteer leadership to numerous community and state committees, boards, and coalitions.

The many awards that Mrs. Bevis has received are too numerous to mention. Some of note are:

• Service to Mankind award, Tampa Downtown and Central Florida Sertoma Club, 1977
• Northside Residential Unit for Emotionally disturbed Children dedicated to Colleen Lunsford, 1981
• Eliza Woolf Award for Service to the Community, Tampa United Methodist Centers, 1981
• Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners named the Children's Services Office the Colleen Lunsford Bevis Administration Building,1986
• Public Citizen of the Year, Tampa Bay Unit of the National Association of Social Workers, 1982

A long-term friend and powerful advocate for Hillsborough County Public schools, Mrs. Bevis influenced and continually fought for the educational and human service needs of children, particularly those at risk. In 1987, the cooperative school program for severely emotionally disturbed students at USF's Department of Child and Family Studies was officially named the Colleen Lunsford Bevis School by both USF and Hillsborough County School Board in recognition of her work. In 2000, the School Board of Hillsborough County voted to name an elementary school in her honor.