Patricia Mejia marks 10 years with Children’s Advocacy Center for Rockwall County

A decade of heart, hope and leadership

ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (Sept. 22, 2026) Long before blue ribbons, blue lights and “Go Blue for Kids” became familiar sights throughout Rockwall County each April, there was a vision: create a place where children who experienced abuse could know they were safe, heard and supported.

Then came the task of turning that vision into reality.

For the past decade, Patricia Mejia, President and CEO of the Children’s Advocacy Center for Rockwall County (CACRC), has devoted herself to doing just that.

This month, Patricia marks her 10-year anniversary with the organization – a milestone that predates the Center itself. She became CACRC’s first official employee in the fall of 2016, when the fledgling organization had a mission, determined community leaders, and much work ahead. The Center opened for full services in April 2018.

CACRC co-founder Cindy Lindley remembers watching Patricia immerse herself in learning what it would take to build a first-rate Children’s Advocacy Center.

“I don’t think I ever saw anyone learn so much in such a short amount of time,” Lindley said. “She led us through the remodeling process, studying and talking to other area CACs. In the years that followed, she became a walking encyclopedia of the workings of a CAC.”

That willingness to learn – and then lead – helped shape CACRC into the only agency of its kind serving Rockwall County, providing a coordinated response to child abuse through forensic interviews, family advocacy, trauma-informed therapy, case coordination, education and prevention.

Patricia’s contribution, however, cannot be measured simply by programs, dollars raised or children served. It is also found in relationships and her ability to bring law enforcement, prosecutors, Child Protective Services, medical and mental health professionals, volunteers, donors and community leaders together with one priority: the child.

CACRC co-founder and Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney Kenda Culpepper said Patricia’s passion has been central to that success.

“Patricia is not only smart and capable, she is passionate about this work,” Culpepper said. “Our community is immeasurably better because of the enormous impact she has had on and with the CAC.”

Those who work alongside Patricia also know her as a mentor – a leader who expects excellence, leads with compassion and has cultivated a team equally committed to the children and families they serve.

Rockwall County Goes Blue for Kids

One of the most visible examples of Patricia’s ability to rally a community is Go Blue for Kids.

Patricia championed the effort to make blue and April synonymous with Child Abuse Prevention Month in Rockwall County. What began as an awareness campaign grew into a countywide show of support for children, embraced by cities, schools, businesses, civic organizations, churches, first responders and residents.

Each spring, blue ribbons appear across the county, supporters wear blue and buildings shine blue. The season brings a Go Blue Kickoff Party, city and county proclamations, special business promotions, Pinwheels for Prevention, Blue Sunday, a Go Blue for Kids Gala and a variety of efforts benefiting CACRC and other vital child-focused organizations. More than any one campaign or organization, the sea of blue has become a community statement that protecting and advocating for children is everyone’s responsibility.

While Patricia has been instrumental in helping build that tradition, she consistently shares the spotlight with CACRC’s staff, board and volunteers, as well as partner agencies, fellow child advocates, community leaders, donors and supporters who have helped make Go Blue a countywide effort.

That collaborative spirit has helped guide tremendous growth. Since opening for full services in 2018, CACRC has served thousands of children and families. The number of children served annually has grown from 179 in the Center’s first year to more than 600 in recent years.

Patricia’s influence also extends beyond Rockwall County. She serves on the Board of Directors for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, representing CACRC at the statewide level and helping strengthen services for child abuse victims and families across Texas.

Her leadership has also earned recognition in her own community.

In 2020, Soroptimist International of Rockwall presented Patricia with its prestigious Ruby Award, recognizing women whose work has made an extraordinary difference in the lives of women and girls.

At the time, Lindley said Patricia had “improved the lives of countless women and children” and helped make the dream of a top-notch advocacy center a reality.

“We now have a center that is one of the very best in the state,” Lindley said. “This is due to her hard work, long hours and complete passion for helping the abused and neglected children of Rockwall County and their families.”

Six years later, those words carry even greater weight.

Perhaps Patricia’s greatest accomplishment is not simply helping build a Children’s Advocacy Center. It is helping foster a community culture where prevention is as important as intervention; children learn to recognize unsafe situations and identify trusted adults; adults learn to recognize and report abuse; and families facing some of life’s most difficult moments do not navigate them alone.

Patricia often reminds the community that when a child finds the courage to disclose abuse, what that child wants most is for the abuse to stop.

For 10 years, she has worked to ensure what happens next is met with compassion, expertise and hope.

The programs, partnerships, campaigns and accolades tell part of Patricia Mejia’s story. But behind every statistic is a child who was heard, a caregiver who found support, a family that began to heal, and a community that better understands that protecting children belongs to all of us.

That may be the most meaningful legacy of her first decade – and for CACRC and the thousands of children and families impacted along the way, it is certainly something worth celebrating.

Sponsored content, CAC, in collaboration with Blue Ribbon News/BRN Media.

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