Executive Leadership
Taylor N. Hatch
Secretary
Taylor N. Hatch brings a dynamic record of leadership to her role as Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), where she was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2025. Mrs. Hatch comes to DCF after most recently serving as the Director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) from 2023 to 2025. While serving as Director of APD, Mrs. Hatch led the team to transformational service delivery by challenging rigid governmental infrastructures where they exist, to deliver for the people they are intended to serve. Practically, this translated to engaging critical stakeholders and partners to inform and develop key opportunities to remove unnecessary bureaucracy, enhance end-user experiences, and strategically offer the right supports at the right time. Throughout every leadership post, Mrs. Hatch challenges the status quo, driving the performance of government to be more efficient, accessible, appropriate, and impactful for those it serves.
Mrs. Hatch previously served at DCF as Deputy Secretary and as the Assistant Secretary of Economic Self-Sufficiency, driving major reforms to empower families, expand opportunity, and create clear pathways to economic independence. Before DCF, Mrs. Hatch made her mark strengthening the development of Florida’s workforce as Director of Workforce Services at the Department of Commerce and held senior roles advancing policy and operations at the Department of Management Services. Her background also includes private-sector consulting – successfully advocating and advancing priorities across a multitude of business sectors and branches of government. A proud Florida native, Mrs. Hatch and her husband Eddie enjoy life with their three children and remain deeply committed to building a brighter future for Florida families.
Kathryn Williams
Deputy Secretary
Kathryn “Kate” Williams serves as the Deputy Secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families. In this role, she provides operational and policy leadership across the Department’s key statewide programs, including Child and Family Well-Being, Economic Self-Sufficiency, Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Quality and Innovation, and Community Services, ensuring that Florida’s families are effectively connected to the services and supports they need to thrive.
As Assistant Secretary for the Office of Child and Family Well-Being, Mrs. Williams led statewide prevention and diversion strategies that brought Florida to a 20-year low in children entering out-of-home care, while overseeing major system reforms, including the transition of several Community-Based Care Lead Agencies, technology modernization projects, and the integration of Child Protective Investigations from Sheriff’s Offices into the Department. With over 18 years of state government experience, she brings proven leadership in managing multi-billion-dollar budgets, directing multi-million-dollar contracts, and advancing key legislative priorities. Her efforts have driven the launch and expansion of transformative initiatives such as Family Navigation, Behavioral Health Consultants, and the Child Welfare Safety Practice Model.
Mrs. Williams holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of North Florida, and she maintains her certification as a Child Protective Investigator. A dedicated wife and mother of two, she remains deeply committed to advancing the Department’s mission of supporting Florida’s most vulnerable children and families.
Bridget Royster
Assistant Secretary for the Economic Self Sufficiency Program
Bridget Royster serves as the Assistant Secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) Economic Self Sufficiency (ESS) Program where she oversees the state’s government assistance programs, including SNAP (Food Assistance), TANF (Cash Assistance), and Medicaid. In this role, Ms. Royster works to ensure operational and programmatic compliance of these government assistance programs through the use of innovation and technology. Ms. Royster’s extensive experience at DCF includes serving as the Staff Director for DCF’s Deputy Secretary, ESS Director of Strategic Programs and Innovation, Chief of Benefit Investigations in the Office of Public Benefits Integrity, and Deputy Director of Audits and Compliance.
Prior to joining DCF, Ms. Royster held roles at the Florida Department of Commerce, Department of Management Services, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and Department of Education. With more than 20 years in state government experience, primarily working in the Office of the Inspector General across several state agencies, Ms. Royster has a passion for driving compliance and programmatic integrity by incorporating programmatic controls to minimize risks while enhancing quality and operational efficiencies for the state’s program participants.
Ms. Royster holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University. She resides in Tallahassee with her son.
Martha Harbin
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Quality and Innovation
Martha Harbin joined the Florida Department of Children and Families in June 2024 after leading organizational change communications for a major business transformation of a large publicly traded company. She also has served in a senior external relations position for a large healthcare provider. Prior to embarking on her corporate career, Martha owned a sought-after consulting practice, which she launched after successful stints at two of the world’s largest public relations consultancies. Martha is a change agent with vast experience successfully building and sustaining communities around a host of issues in areas as diverse as developmental disabilities, corporate responsibility, and public health policy.
A Florida native and life-long resident, Martha graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, followed by early career experience as a writer and newspaper reporter.