May 5th was a very memorable day for the Emerald Coasts Children’s Advocacy’s (ECCAC) Niceville Center. Not only did it mark the official re-opening after the almost 9-month restoration and renovation of the Center after it experienced fire and significant water damage, it was also the official re-naming and dedication of the Center to the Julie Sacco Porterfield Children’s Advocacy Center. Guests at the ceremonies met the ECCAC team, took tours if the newly restored Center and learned about the numerous programs and services offered to locally abused children and their families. Along with several guest speakers, students from the C.W. Ruckel Middle School Choir also entertained attendees just before the ribbon-cutting. Board president Janet Parker commented, “On behalf of the community, our Board, and the children and families we provide services to, we are so pleased to recognize Julie for the extraordinary leadership she has consistently shown over the past 24 years, both founding and running the non-profit’s Centers in both Okaloosa and Walton Counties.” Julie Sacco Porterfield is a special lady with a big heart when it comes to the well-being of children. She was at the forefront of this major undertaking and became the founding CEO of ECCAC. It started before the Niceville center became a reality when Porterfield undertook a grassroots community and governmental effort to establish ECCAC in 1999. A small 900 square foot office was opened in what was once a dry cleaners in Valparaiso. During the first few years of ECCAC’s beginning,... Read More