Penny Zuber, a 42-year veteran of the YMCA of Florida's First Coast, became chief executive officer of Jacksonville's Kids Hope Alliance on Monday.

Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) is the city agency that funds youth programs across Duval County, including after-school care, summer camps, early learning and juvenile justice services in Mandarin and other neighborhoods. The agency's board selected Zuber after a national search, Action News Jax reported.

Zuber most recently held three senior roles at the YMCA of Florida's First Coast: executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer. She oversaw 13 branches, a public charter school, an overnight camp, more than 40 program sites and services reaching more than 200,000 people a year, according to a city news release.

Board Chair Marsha Oliver said in a Sept. 17 statement that Zuber's local knowledge and partnerships position her to lead the agency. Mayor Donna Deegan also endorsed the hire.

"Penny has spent her career strengthening Jacksonville's families and communities and her commitment to young people is unmatched," Deegan said.

Agency funding survives city budget fight

Zuber succeeds Dana Kriznar, who served as interim CEO during the transition. Kriznar defended the agency's funding during the fiscal year 2026-27 city budget process, telling the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee that a proposed $5 million cut to KHA's $57 million budget would have eliminated 4,310 program seats. The council kept the funding intact in the city's $2 billion budget, Florida Tribune reported.

In the current fiscal year, KHA funding supports after-school programming for 7,657 children, summer camp for 5,625 children and nearly 500,000 meals, according to the Florida Policy Institute. The agency does not run programs directly but funds a network of providers countywide.

Kids Hope Alliance expands youth programming

KHA has been active in Mandarin this year. John Everett, the agency's director of workforce development and career college readiness, attended the Southeast Citizens Planning Advisory Committee meeting at the Mandarin Senior Center on April 27. Everett encouraged families to use the program locator at kidshopealliance.org to find local camps and youth programs. At the May 18 meeting, Everett noted the Mayor's Youth at Work Partnership Internship Program had roughly 900 students on its waiting list the prior year.

KHA also announced at the April meeting that it is developing new programming for youth and young adults ages 16 to 24, aimed at supporting their transition from high school into college or the workforce.

Zuber holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of North Florida and completed executive coursework at the Wharton School. She is a founding board member of Girls on the Run of Northeast Florida, secretary of the Riverfront Parks Conservancy Board and president-elect of the Jacksonville Women's Network.

Mandarin families looking for youth programs can visit kidshopealliance.org.