Family Connection of South Carolina has named Alfonso Franco to their board of directors. Family Connection provides resources and services to families who have a child with a disability or chronic health condition.
Franco is currently the Community Impact Director for the American Heart Association. He completed his undergraduate degree at Graceland University in Iowa and his graduate degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina. He also holds a Certificate in Rural Public Health from Texas A&M University.
Franco is originally from Midland, Texas. He moved to South Carolina in 2007 when his wife, Shelli was finishing her graduate degree. Alfonso was with PRISMA Health for more than 11 years and most recently served as the Director of Medical Case Management for PRISMA Health Immunology. His professional endeavors have allowed him to engage with many Latinx organizations in South Carolina, focusing on identifying health disparities and aiding implementation of community-based interventions.
Franco was aware of the mission of Family Connection of South Carolina but had no personal experience with the organization until his son was born. In 2018, Javier Franco was born with Down syndrome and Esophageal Atresia. Javier had an 81-day stay at Prisma Health’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During this time, Alfonso reached out to Family Connection seeking assistance with Medicaid TEFRA. Since then, Alfonso and his family have participated in Family Connection’s Buddy Walk and in the LOOK. Photography Exhibit.
Franco is excited to help further the mission of Family Connection by joining the Board of Directors. He and his wife Shelli, along with son Javier and daughter Chloe, live in Columbia.
“Our Board of Directors is a dedicated team of community leaders committed to creating inclusion, equity and community for the families we serve,” said Amy Holbert, CEO of Family Connection of South Carolina. “We are excited to have Alfonso Franco join our volunteer leadership team. His experience, energy, and passion will help us further our mission and reach more families across our state.”
Also serving on the Family Connection of South Carolina Board of Directors are: Karen Crider, State Treasurer’s Office; Glenn Hutto, Assistant Principal at Irmo Middle School; Elizabeth Kinney, School Psychologist; Cara O’Neill, M.D., Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder of Cure Sanfilippo Foundation and Board Secretary; John Roberts, Partner at Willoughby & Hoefer, P.A. and Board President; Jenny Anderson, Marketing Director at Big Blue Marble Academy; Antjuan Seawright, President/CEO, Sunrise Communications; Sarah Sharpe, Independent Living Specialist and EQUIP Young Adult Leader at ABLE South Carolina; Cathy Stevens, Director of the White-Riley-Peterson Afterschool Policy Fellowship at Furman University; Mitchell L. Yell, Ph.D., Fred and Francis Lester Palmetto Chair in Teacher Education and a Professor in Special Education at the University of South Carolina.
For 30 years, Family Connection of South Carolina has been changing lives by making connections, raising awareness, and promoting inclusion for those with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Family Connection offers programs and services to ensure that parents, professionals, and caregivers have access to resources to help their children reach their full potential. Key focus areas include: Parent Support, Healthcare, Education, Training, and Advocacy. For more information or to make a referral or donation, visit www.familyconnectionsc.org or call 800-578-8750.
