Sep. 23—STOCKTON — One of San Joaquin County's leading advocates for children is stepping down after two decades.
Lindy Turner-Hardin announced she would be retiring as executive director of the Child Abuse Prevention Council this week, a position she held for nearly 20 years.
"I have had plenty of time to think about how to say goodbye to the CAPC," Hardin said in a letter to her staff. "And February of this year I let the board of directors know of my retirement to allow ample time to find a new CEO. But I am no closer to knowing how to say goodbye now than I was then."
Hardin, 63, was named executive director in 2003, and since that time, CAPC blossomed into a $22 million non-profit powerhouse organization, employing some 200 staff members and providing support to more than 1,000 children on a daily basis through its preschool programs.
The CAPC said one of Hardin's crowning achievements during her tenure was the growth and
success of the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, which ensures that children in the foster care program have a voice and and services needed for a stable future.
The program relies on hundreds of volunteers, and is celebrating 20 years of activity in San Joaquin County, due in part to Hardin's leadership, the CAPC said.
"Lindy Turner Hardin's leadership has not only transformed CAPC but also elevated the welfare of
countless children and families in our community," the organization said in a media statement. "Her passion, dedication, and tireless efforts have left an indelible mark on the organization as well as San Joaquin County. Lindy will be dearly missed, and her legacy will continue to inspire us all."
In her letter to staff, Hardin said it was difficult saying goodbye to a position and organization to which she had committed almost all of her waking hours, and something that had become integral to the well-being of local communities, children and families.
"I can't," she said. "And so, instead of goodbye, I will say thank you. Thank you for letting me be a part of something so wonderful. Something that so resonated with my life's purpose that for almost 20 years, I can count on one hand the days that I didn't want to come to work. Even when I was on vacation."
Born in South Africa, Hardin's family immigrated to the United States when she was 15. She earned bachelor's degree in communications from Lee University in 1983, and became the San Joaquin Human Services Agency's public information officer in 1998 before taking on her current role.