Gretchen M. Cassini, J.D.
Principal
Public service and public policy have been passions since my youth. A thirty-year career, primarily in public sector program administration and executive leadership roles, was built on the foundation of believing in building organizations and communities that serve everyone--competently and compassionately.
My professional career began in the Florida Senate before shifting into academia. As a research professor at Florida State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, I was published in national and international peer-reviewed journals while working on U.S. Department of State, Department of Justice, and other grant research programs. Later, as North Carolina's District Director of Sentencing Services, I oversaw felony offender management, reentry, and diversion programs for adults and juveniles, working closely with the State's Attorney, Public Defender, probation, and community-based care providers. The District Administrator position was responsible for an office while carrying a complex caseload and presenting office recommendations to judges during court proceedings.
Upon returning to Broward County, I worked in the field of grant research and writing services for human and social services agencies and community providers. In one role, I was tasked with developing courses for professionals in the fields of social service delivery and public health to receive continuing educational credits through partnerships with local universities while also developing and delivering hundreds of courses to non-profits intended to strengthen institutional and community capacity. While overseeing and coordinating grant pursuits for Broward County in various roles, I secured hundreds of millions in competitive grants and appropriations related to organizational and community priorities, many of which involved complex collaborative partnerships.
Success in building and managing cross-functional collaborative programs led me into executive leadership positions. As Director of Grants and Governmental Relations for Barry University, I worked directly with the university's President on issue and policy advocacy at the state and federal levels. This same role was responsible for the centralization and oversight of extensive research - and project-based funding pursuits across several campuses statewide. For two semesters, I also served as an adjunct professor of Sociology and Criminology.
As Broward County's Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Professional Standards, I oversaw a team of lawyers, audit specialists, and certified investigators handling housing and employment discrimination investigations, EEO compliance, whistle-blower complaints, allegations of HIPAA and ADA violations, and enforcing the County's Human Rights Act. The Director was the County's chief direct state and federal advocate, while also managing lobbying contracts responsible for legislative and executive branch advocacy on behalf of the County's policy platforms and funding priorities. The Director was also required to serve as FEMA Liaison Officer during declared states of emergencies.
From 2012 to 2020, I worked in County Administration for the 11th largest county in the nation, supporting the top executive, nine elected officials, and leaders of diverse business lines. I was responsible for supporting policy-level strategic planning, business plan alignment, and countywide organizational development and effectiveness efforts, including an ERP transition, IT implementations, and technology adaptations. The role also oversaw centralizing grant pursuits and four direct grant staff reports. I supported numerous special projects including a multi-agency, multi-funder, regional transportation and economic development "streetcar" initiative, and two ballot initiatives. The County's 2018 referendum was the largest by dollar value to pass in that cycle in the nation; expected to generate over $15 billion for transportation improvements by 2048.
After the successful passage of the 2018 referendum, I was asked to operationalize and oversee the complex transportation surtax program requiring coordination with several County agencies, the Florida Department of Transportation, the local MPO, regional stakeholders, and municipalities. I was responsible for acting as the Executive Director/Coordinator for a seven-member authority and nine-member independent oversight body, along with the nine elected members of the County Commission, County executives, the business community, and the public. With broad local, regional, and occasionally national interest in the program, I acted as the program's spokesperson in a variety of capacities, building new, and strengthening existing, relationships. In that role, I developed and maintained nationally recognized communications strategies, including reporting tools, innovative information delivery methods (including AR/VR/3D, project visualizations using drone and animated imagery, as well as PowerBI and GIS dashboards), grassroots civic engagement initiatives, and a robust social media presence. The position responded to programmatic audits and maintained a constantly iterating innovative transparency and accountability tools. One such effort included a collaborative project to develop a centralized financial and reporting structure for the program involving multiple agencies to facilitate effective oversight of billions in anticipated revenues. I also had responsibility for administering over $200 million in grants and contracts.
I attended Wake Forest University, earned a BA from Florida State University (FSU) in 1994, and received a Juris Doctor from FSU College of Law in 1997.
In 2021, I graduated from Leadership Florida's Cornerstone Class 39 and in December 2024, completed the national High Performance Leadership Academy.
Throughout my academic and professional career, I have received recognitions for excellence and maintained memberships in numerous professional associations where I was a member of regional, state, and national committees, I served as a professional and personal mentor for over 25 years and remain committed to a servant-leadership philosophy. By investing in institutions and systems working to regain and maintain trust in the public sector, I support the integration of people with government. I am inspired by transformational change and experiential growth that builds resilient, courageous people and communities.
In 2026, I retired to focus on building CivVia Solutions; seeking to deliver direct services to organizations while increasing positive momentum in the public sector.
The CivVia team includes expertise from seasoned professionals across a variety of fields, willing to bring their knowledge and skills on-site or deliver value virtually. We are here to empower performance, create lasting organizational culture change, and build transformational communities.