HCJFS is the largest department within Hamilton County government and reports to the Board of Hamilton County Commissioners.

The Hamilton County Job and Family Services Planning Committee serves as an advisory body to the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners on the many family, employment and social services which are locally developed to meet local needs and state and federal law.

 

Executive Team                     >>Top Management

Michael PattonDirector

Patton, who joined JFS in 1993, has held numerous executive roles, including leadership positions in Child Support, Children’s Services Program Support, Workforce Development and Public Assistance. Patton launched programming focused on fathers, which has grown into the successful Fatherhood Collaborative of Hamilton County. He’s spearheading the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and guided creation of the agency’s first peer-to-peer mentoring program for staff. Patton is a 1993 graduate of the University of Cincinnati. 

 

Talia BryanDirector, Office of Client Rights

Bryan joined the leadership team in 2018. Before joining JFS, Bryan worked as a Hamilton County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, representing JFS in child abuse, neglect and dependency matters before the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. She has also served as an Assistant General Counsel to the University of Cincinnati. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School.

 

Melissa GravesAssistant Director, Economic Sustainability 

Graves started with JFS in 1992 as an Eligibility Technician. She has a long history of working in the public assistance arena and initiated the hardship extension and good cause policy. In March 2004, Graves was promoted to Child Care Section Chief and served in that capacity until she moved to the Family and Adult Assistance Section Chief position in 2008. 

She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University.  Graves has been recognized as a Hamilton County Employee of the Year.

Sherri JonesStrategic Initiatives Director

Jones joined JFS in 2023 and immediately went to work on priority projects to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and ensure JFS continues to provide quality service delivery to Hamilton County children and families. She came to JFS from Standard Textiles and was previously with Northern Kentucky University where she worked in the departments of Compliance, Enrollment and Degree Management. It was at NKU where she earned her two masters degrees: Business Leadership and Innovation as well as Public Administration. Her Bachelor’s Degree in Integrative Studies was from NKU as well.

 

John NelsonAssistant Director, Finance and Operational Support

Nelson joined JFS in 2023, after a successful tenure with the Hamilton County Conservation District, where he rose from a Communications Specialist to Executive Director during his 11 years. Here, he oversees the Contracting and Fiscal departments, as well as Information Systems and Building Services.

He has a master’s degree in public administration from Arkansas State University, and bachelor’s degrees from Temple Baptist College and Bangalore University. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional with the U.S. Green Building Council.

 

Monica SaylorAssistant Director of Child Support and Fatherhood Initiatives

Saylor earned her juris doctorate at the University of Dayton School of Law. She worked in Butler County for three years as a staff attorney before joining Hamilton County Job and Family Services.

In her previous role as Legal Section Chief, she was responsible for managing the child support Legal unit, Administrative Hearings unit and the Order Modification unit. 

 

Jim TinkerChief Communications Officer

Tinker joined the agency and the leadership team in 2020. Before joining JFS, his career included communications, marketing and management roles with nonprofits as well as agency marketing. Tinker began his career leading economic development and historic preservation efforts.

He has a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and earned his MBA from the University of Cincinnati.

 

Margie WeaverDirector of Children’s Services

Weaver joined the executive team in 2017 after 13 years with the agency. She has worked as a Section Chief extensively in Utilization Management and more recently in Intake. Before joining JFS, Weaver worked as a program director and clinical director at two local foster care agencies. She brings an additional focus on child safety to Children’s Services. She holds a master’s degree from Xavier University.