Todd Young: “I rise today to commend an outstanding Hoosier whose work in Indiana's child and family welfare system has touched…”

“I rise today to commend an outstanding Hoosier whose work in Indiana's child and family welfare system has touched countless lives, including my own. Sharon Pierce, president and CEO of The Villages--a nonprofit child and family services agency--will soon be retiring after a distinguished 47-year career of serving our children and our families. Sharon also happens to be my aunt, and I have seen firsthand her love and dedication to Indiana's children. Her call to service started early in life. When she was young, Sharon's mother volunteered at a youth home in Fort Wayne. She and her siblings would help her mother with holiday parties. It was there that she first learned how important the family is to a child. A graduate of Ball State University, Sharon's entire career since then has been dedicated to public service. Prior to her work at The Villages, she worked for several youth advocacy programs in Illinois. She also served as a deputy director at the Indiana Division of Family and Children--the forerunner of today's Indiana Department of Child Services. While at the Division of Family and Children, she helped create a 1-800 number to report suspected child abuse. She also established the Healthy Families Initiative, which still today provides resources to at-risk, first-time parents to help prevent abuse and neglect.…”