Meredith Shepard joined Heart of Adoptions in August 2013 as the Adoptive Parent Coordinator. She worked closely with waiting adoptive families, handling day-to-day needs and assisting with matching adoptive families to birth families. In July of 2020, Meredith became the Director of Programs for the agency.  As of April 2022, Meredith is the Executive Director for Heart of Adoptions. She is responsible for coordinating and supervising agency staff, volunteers, and handling day-to-day operational duties. Meredith has worked in the area of social work for over 20 years and has experience working within the fields of child development, adoption, foster care, and developmental disabilities.

Meredith graduated with honors from Eckerd College with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Walden University with a Master of Science in Non-Profit Management & Leadership. She was also a Licensed Massage Therapist prior to obtaining her degree. While born in Ohio, which will always be home, she is also a die-hard hot-weather fan and loves nothing more than cruising in her Jeep with the top down and the music loud! She is married, has one young-adult son, and a fur-baby “Voodoo” that she shares her home with. Meredith is an active participant in a local Gasparilla Krewe, Les Belles Femmes,  always enjoys a camping trip with a nice kayak or float trip down a river when the weather is nice, and is an avid reader and podcast junkie.