Dayton, Ohio – Montgomery County officials are marking the retirement of longtime public servant Shelley Aukerman after more than three decades of service while also announcing a major leadership transition within the county’s Job and Family Services department.
Aukerman is retiring after 33 years with Montgomery County, including her most recent role as Assistant Director of the Child Support Enforcement Agency. County leaders praised her years of dedication, leadership, and work supporting thousands of local families through child support and family assistance programs.
According to county officials, Aukerman was appointed Assistant Director of Child Support in 2024, but her history with Montgomery County dates back to 1993 when she first joined Job and Family Services.
Over the years, she served in numerous positions across both Family Assistance and Child Support divisions, including supervisor, manager, and deputy assistant director roles.
Officials said her career consistently focused on improving services for residents while helping strengthen support systems for children and families throughout the community.
Child Support Program Reached Major Milestones
During Aukerman’s leadership, Montgomery County’s Child Support program achieved some of the strongest performance numbers among Ohio’s metro counties.
County officials said the agency ranked first among Ohio metro counties in support establishment and second in both current support collections and arrears collections.
In fiscal year 2025 alone, the Child Support Enforcement Agency collected more than $87 million for children across Montgomery County.
Officials also credited Aukerman with helping create the First Contact Resolution Call Center, a system designed to improve customer service and reduce wait times for residents seeking assistance.
According to county leaders, the center currently maintains an average wait time of less than three minutes while achieving a 94% answer rate.
“It has truly been my privilege to serve the citizens of Montgomery County for 33 years. Two of my most meaningful roles were my first as an FAD JFS specialist/caseworker and my last as Director of Child Support,” said Aukerman.
“Along the way, I was fortunate to work with outstanding mentors and colleagues who helped shape my career and, just as importantly, who I am as a person. I am deeply grateful for the journey and a career I can look back on with pride and fond memories,” she added.
Montgomery County Commission President Carolyn Rice praised Aukerman’s impact on the agency and the community.
“Montgomery County’s Child Support program serves more than 51,000 children each year, making its work essential to families across our community,” Rice said. “Shelley’s leadership has helped elevate the program into a model for other counties through her commitment to excellence, coordinated service delivery and continuous improvement. We are grateful for her lasting contributions for our residents.”
New Leadership Named for Child Support Agency
As part of the leadership transition, Montgomery County announced that Makell Baccus has been promoted to Assistant Director of Child Support.
Baccus brings more than 20 years of experience within Job and Family Services and most recently served as Deputy Assistant Director of Family Assistance.
County officials said Baccus has played major roles in improving service delivery, customer service, and SNAP processing timeliness during her career.
She also helped launch the FAD College 2 Work Student Intern Program while supporting workforce training and leadership development initiatives within the department.
County leaders believe her experience will help continue the agency’s focus on strong public service and operational improvement.
“I’m honored to step into the role of Assistant Director of Child Support. This promotion is a reflection of the incredible teams I’ve had the privilege to serve and learn from,” Baccus said.
“I believe deeply in amplifying excellence in public service, creating spaces where innovation, thoughtful discussions and collaboration accelerate positive impact. In this next chapter, my focus is to ensure we continue delivering meaningful outcomes for the individuals and families we have the privilege of serving every day,” she added.
Montgomery County Administrator Michael Colbert said the transition reflects both the depth of leadership within the organization and the county’s commitment to stability for residents who depend on these services.
“These transitions highlight both the experience within our organization and our commitment to continuity in service to the community,” Colbert said. “We are sincerely grateful for Shelley’s decades of dedication and leadership. We are confident Makell will carry this work forward with integrity and with a focus on results for our residents.”
