Jim DeBeaugrine, CEO/Owner

Jim DeBeaugrine has a distinguished career in public service and advocacy. He began his professional journey with the Florida House of Representatives, where he spent eight years as an analyst for the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee and ten years as the staff director for the Justice Appropriations Committee. 

Jim then transitioned to the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities, serving first as Deputy Director and later as Director. During his tenure, he spearheaded efforts that resulted in significant program reforms, including the development and legislative approval of the iBudget Florida waiver. This initiative strengthened person-centered practices in service planning and delivery and has been in effect since its passage in 2010. Jim is widely credited with restoring the agency's credibility with self-advocates, family members, and the Florida Legislature, and he was the first agency director to be confirmed by the Florida Senate in 2008.

Jim also served as the CEO of the Arc of Florida, where he led the organization and its local chapters through the challenges of maintaining critical services during the COVID pandemic. His leadership ensured that essential services continued to be provided to individuals with disabilities during this unprecedented time.

Currently, Jim is the owner and CEO of RFJ Governmental Consultants, representing a diverse range of clients before the Florida Executive and Legislative branches. His advocacy efforts have led to over $1 billion in increased funding for iBudget Florida over the past decade. He has also played a key role in several successful initiatives to reform laws affecting people with disabilities.

In addition, Jim has been the governmental affairs director for Therap Services, the nation's leading software provider for organizations that serve individuals with disabilities as well as other vulnerable populations, since 2023. He is also active in numerous charitable causes. He serves as Chair of the board of the Family Cafe, a non-profit that organizes the largest cross-disability event in the country. He also chairs the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Association (NICA), which was established by the Florida Legislature to provide lifetime health benefits and social supports to individuals and families affected by catastrophic birth injuries.

Jim is actively involved in several professional organizations. He is an alumni member of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) and Advancing States. These affiliations allow him to stay connected with industry leaders and trends and advocate for policies that benefit individuals with disabilities and the organizations that serve them.

Jim holds both an undergraduate degree and a Master of Public Administration from The Florida State University. He resides in Tallahassee with his wife Susan and their four dogs. They have two grown children.