John Annis is the Senior Vice President for Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, where he is part of a team committed to promoting meaningful changes in the areas of education, humanitarian causes, arts and culture, the environment and medical research.

John is passionate about creating intergenerational cycles of opportunity for children and their families.  Because of his work in this area, he was named as Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow in 2015.  Ascend Fellows work across sectors to advance economic security, educational success and health and well-being.

Previously, John worked at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County where he led the department responsible for grants, scholarships and nonprofit services; the Collins Center for Public Policy where he was the Vice President of Public Policy; and the Herald-Tribune Media Group where he was the Director of Customer Services and a member of the executive team and editorial board.

The majority of John’s professional experience comes from more than 24 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. Prior to retiring in 2002, he served in a variety of roles including combat water survival instructor, legal services chief, equal opportunity advisor and recruiter.  John rounded out his military career as the Sergeant Major of Recruiting Station New Orleans, Louisiana, the largest recruiting station in the eastern recruiting region.  In addition to John’s corporate and military experience, he has a long history of volunteering and supporting nonprofit organizations.  He is a Sarasota Magazine Unity Award winner.

John enjoys reading, most sports and hearing stories from volunteers, staff, board members and donors about the impactful work being done by nonprofit organizations in the community.

Curt Bromund is the CEO of the Marion County Hospital District (MCHD), which develops innovative health projects to tackle diabetes, obesity, behavioral health, substance use disorders and tobacco use. MCHD invests at least $15M a year in health initiatives for citizens of Marion County… without using tax dollars. Two years ago we developed Beacon Point, which is a six-building behavioral health/SUD continuum of care campus for our homeless, working poor and uninsured citizens. Services include outpatient counseling, assessments, psych medication management, 10 inpatient detox beds, seven Res 1 beds, Medication Assisted Treatment, 14 peer counselors, transportation for clients, FQHC primary care and dental services. Low-income, uninsured citizens of Marion County receive all services for free.

We developed two large-scale projects (AMP & FANS) to reduce diabetes and obesity, and to promote healthy lifestyles. Fitness and Nutrition in Schools (FANS) places state-of-the-art, crop-producing greenhouses at high schools, edible learning landscapes at all middle schools and raised bed gardens at elementary schools. FANS integrates hands-on learning with STEAM curricula, so all students learn about healthy food options – and where that food comes from. FANS clubs at schools allow students to share fitness and nutrition information with their peers.

Active Marion Project (AMP) is a county-wide initiative to get our citizens to become more physically active and take more steps each day. MCHD staff developed a phone application that tracks steps and allows groups to compete against each other. We promote healthy competition between schools, businesses and even between elected officials. Our quarterly step challenges allow groups and individuals to join the competition every three months. AMP also oversees our workplace wellness initiatives a and diabetes trainings throughout the county.

Naakesh (Nick) Dewan, M.D. serves as Vice President, Behavioral Health. In this role, which he assumed in June 2020, he is responsible for creating a cross-functional team that designs and implements the enterprise’s behavioral health strategy for all insurance segments. This includes creating new value-based reimbursement models and new roles in the care delivery system, as well as a broad view of behavioral health across demographics and specific points of care.

Additionally, he participates on the enterprise’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, and serves as chair of both the Behavioral Health Steering Committee and the Opioid Task Force.

Dr. Dewan is an accomplished physician and executive with a proven track record in health systems operations. Prior to joining GuideWell and Florida Blue, he was Chief Medical Officer, Behavioral Health for BayCare Health System. In this role, he oversaw operations in 15 hospitals and ambulatory programs in five counties across West Central Florida and supervised a large team that included physicians, psychologists, advanced care nurses, program managers and support staff.

In his more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Dewan has been a pioneer and innovator in behavioral health services and technology. He has served in a variety of clinical and administrative positions, including ten years in private practice. Among other roles, he served as Medical Director for Turning Point of Tampa, a residential treatment facility for eating disorders, substance abuse and co-occurring psychiatric illness; and as Medical Director, Psychiatry for Sylvan Health Care, a nursing rehabilitation and long-term care facility. He is also the Founder of the Center for Mental Health Care Improvement and served as its President for seven years.
Additionally, Dr. Dewan played and coached tennis at the collegiate level and has worked with amateur and professional athletes around the world in multiple sports including tennis, golf, football, baseball, basketball and soccer.

Throughout his career, Dr. Dewan has been active in community and professional organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Positive Coaching Alliance – Tampa Bay and is a past Board Member of Eckerd Youth Alternatives (now Eckerd Connects). Additionally, he is an Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Dewan holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Wright State University, and a Doctor of Medicine from Medical College of Ohio at Toledo. He spent three years in psychiatric residency at the University of Southern California and completed his residency and fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at the University of California, San Diego. He is a certified physician executive and is board-certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine.

Elizabeth Fetterhoff is a Florida State Representative for House District 26 (DeLand). She was elected to represent the Volusia County district in 2018. She currently has six committee assignments in the House – Insurance & Banking Subcommittee – Vice Chair, Judiciary Committee, Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee, Rules Committee, Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee, Government Operations Subcommittee and Local Administration & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.

Ms. Fetterhoff has been involved in the political process for over twenty years. She first started working on campaigns while in high school and continued working for various political entities and campaigns throughout college. She graduated from Tallahassee Community College with her A.A. before continuing her education at Florida State University graduating with a B.S. in Political Science in 2009.

Ms. Fetterhoff was in the Florida Army National Guard from 2011 to 2014 and was Honorably Discharged. She was a James Madison Institute – Leaders Fellowship Class III member in 2016-2017. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Downtown DeLand and enjoys volunteering in her community.
She currently resides in DeLand with her husband John and their four cats where she was born and raised.

Elisha Gumataotao, Project Coordinator, LSF Health Systems.

Elisha has served as Project Coordinator for LSF Health Systems’ HRSA funded training programs since 2018.  Elisha believes in helping people through workforce-based adult learning. She is passionate about training adults who are currently in or entering the behavioral health field. Elisha has experience in developing onboarding trainings and orientations for new staff. Elisha’s focus over 10 years has been to serve individuals with a dual diagnosis, those with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, as well as individuals with behavioral health challenges. Through her professional experience as a trainer and her personal lived experience through close family, Elisha has been instrumental in the success and expansion of the peer training program at LSF Health Systems.

Shevaun Harris joined the Department of Children and Families as the Secretary in February 2021 after a nearly two decade career at the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Prior to joining DCF, Secretary Harris served as Acting Secretary at the Agency for Health Care Administration, where she was responsible for administering the Florida Medicaid program and regulating  over 40,000 licensed health care facilities in the state. She also led the Agency’s COVID-19 efforts in partnership with other state agencies and essential health care providers. Secretary Harris has held positions in the health and human services field, providing services to children and adults diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and children receiving services in an inpatient psychiatric program. During her tenure at the AHCA, Secretary Harris led the development of all Medicaid policies and implementation of the agency’s quality improvement initiatives with particular focus on perinatal and behavioral health outcomes. 

Secretary Harris is an innovator, spearheading the development of the State’s Canadian Prescription Drug Importation program. She has led several major implementations and served as the lead negotiator for multi-billion-dollar contracts under the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care program.

Joining DCF in early 2021, Secretary Harris has made holistic care for families a priority by strategically working to integrate systems and services. In September 2021, she joined First Lady Casey DeSantis in launching Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity, a personalized approach to helping families overcome barriers to self-sufficiency through community collaboration. Secretary Harris continues to drive innovative prevention and early intervention efforts through the work of the Department and community partners.

She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work from the Florida State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Quinnipiac University.

Jennifer Johnston, Director of Community Leadership, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, collaborates with nonprofit partners and diverse stakeholders to develop initiatives that positively impact regional priorities. She plays a lead role in mission-driven grant making on behalf of donors and Gulf Coast’s Board of Directors. Jennifer earned a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire. Jennifer loves hiking in the mountains as well as international and domestic travel.

Dr. Christine Cauffield has served as President and CEO of organizations providing integrated health services for children through seniors, including a corporation that provides in-patient, acute psychiatric care to seniors in crisis. She received her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Florida Institute of Technology and completed her Internship and Post-Doctoral Residency at Harvard Medical School, where she specialized in geriatric neuropsychology. She serves as President of Florida Council on Aging, President of Florida Association of Managing Entities, and serves on the Executive Board of Smart Justice of Florida. Dr. Cauffield is appointed to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs State Plan Advisory Group.

Dr. Cauffield serves on the National Substance Use Disorder Strategic Advisory Panel (NSUDSAP) to identify and define evidence-based public health recommendations for the prevention, treatment of and recovery from substance use disorder in the United States. Dr. Cauffield is a Leadership Florida alumna. Dr. Cauffield has written book chapters on senior behavioral health issues in addition to numerous articles. She has appeared on CNN Nightly News, ABC Prime Time, AP Press, and several national and international media. Her clinical expertise includes substance abuse, trauma recovery, grief and loss issues, integrated health, and brain disease/disorders. She is a sought-after speaker and frequently presents at State, National and International conferences.

She currently is CEO of LSF Health Systems, the Managing Entity comprised of 60 Behavioral Health Care organizations that span a 23-county region. The network serves over 350,000 clients annually with a budget of $155 million in North Central and Northeast Florida. Dr. Cauffield represents the United States for EuComs, an organization compromised of 36 European countries that are dedicated to advancing community based behavioral healthcare in Europe.

Mari Kuraishi has served as the new president of the Jessie Ball duPont fund since January 2019. Kuraishi joined the Industrial Bank of Japan in 1987, where she was responsible for researching reform policy and tracking legislative developments that impacted the banking industry.  She then worked for nine years at the World Bank, starting in 1991 as an Operations Analyst for the Soviet/Russia Program and working up to Leader of the Corporate Strategy Group.  In 2000, Kuraishi co-founded GlobalGiving and became its first president.  GlobalGiving is a pioneering global crowdfunding platform for nonprofits around the world.  Since 2002, GlobalGiving has raised $640 million that has funded over 30,000 projects in 175 countries.  GlobalGiving was listed as one of Ten Startups changing the World by Forbes in 2012.

Kuraishi has also served on the board of many nonprofit organizations, including as board chair at GuideStar, US APOPO, and Candid.  She is currently the vice-chair of the board of the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville, and serves on the boards of DataKind, GlobalGiving, and the Jax Chamber. She also serves on the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Advisory Board at Harvard University.

Kuraishi has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern European History and a Master of Arts in Russian Studies, both from Harvard University.  She was a PhD candidate for Political Science at Georgetown University and has completed the Harvard Business School’s Executive Development Program.  She speaks English, Russian, Japanese, French, and Italian.

Velma Monteiro-Tribble is Senior Director, Foundation Community Investments for the Florida Blue Foundation. The Foundation is the philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue, formerly Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, and seeks to improve the health and well-being of Floridians and their communities.

Prior to joining the executive team at the Florida Blue Foundation, Monteiro-Tribble most recently served as Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Treasurer of the Alcoa Foundation, a worldwide over $500 million foundation based in Pittsburgh. There she led strategic direction and operations including corporate citizenship and global programs in 33 different countries. During her eight-year tenure at Alcoa, she also served as Senior Program Officer for Global Programming.

Some of her other experiences includes the W.K. Kellogg Foundation where she specialized in leadership development programs particularly for initiatives in Saltsburg, Austria, Latin America, Brazil and South Africa. She has served in executive roles at the National Association for Community Leadership and at American College Testing (ACT). As an entrepreneur, she owned and operated a national marketing, training and human resources development company that provided leadership development, management and multicultural diversity training for major corporations, governments, individuals and the banking industry.

Monteiro-Tribble’s early work in volunteerism and education ranged from service  as an administrator in the U.S. Peace Corps assigned in the Philippines. During her tenure at the U.S. Department of Education she drafted the first White House Initiative Executive Order for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She is also one of the founders of other Federal  programs, to name a few, the Upward Bound, Special Services for Disadvantaged Students and Talent Search. Monteiro-Tribble has in-depth knowledge, expertise and skills as it relates to leadership development,  creation of foundations, national and global philanthropic giving, and the for-profit, nonprofit, public and education sectors.

Renee Morrissette is a is Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (CRPS) and an employee of the LSF Health Systems’ Training Institute where she works as a Success Specialist with the Opioid Impacted Family Support Program (OIFSP) Training Program. In this role, Renee helps other peers reach their goals of obtaining certification as recovery peer specialists. Renee is also working with other peers in the North Central Florida Area to develop a peer network with the support of the Peer Support Coalition of Florida. Renee holds a Master of Science in Human Services Administration and an undergraduate degree in Counseling Psychology. Renee’s path to recovery is reflected in her long-term goal of opening a respite house for new mothers experiencing mental illness and co-occurring substance use. Renee lives in Gainesville, Florida with her new puppy, Jack. She enjoys writing, audiobooks and all things science fiction, and she hopes to one day attend Comic-Con in Los Angeles.

Darryl Ervin Rouson has earned a reputation as a trailblazer in business and the community. In 1981, he became the first African American prosecutor in Pinellas County. In 2003, he was appointed to the newly formed Substance Abuse and Addictions Task Force for The National Bar Association. Sen. Rouson also served as president of the St. Petersburg NAACP from 2000 to 2005. He also served as a commissioner on both the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission in 2007 and the Constitutional Revision Commission in 2017. In April 2008, Sen. Rouson’s years of activism, bold leadership and community service culminated in his being elected to represent Tampa Bay in the Florida House of Representatives. He served the constituents of Tampa Bay as their representative for eight years.

In 2016, he was elected State Senator from District 19 which includes portions of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Since Sen. Rouson began his tenure in the Florida Legislature, he has been regularly listed as one of Tampa Bay’s most influential politicians. Senator Rouson serves as the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee for the 2020-2022 term.

Sen. Rouson received a college degree in 1977 from Xavier University in New Orleans and graduated from law school at the University of Florida in 1980. He is married to Angela Rouson and proudly raises his five boys while practicing law in the Tampa Bay area with Rubenstein Law.

Paul Sapia is the Principal Population Health Strategist for Humana’s Bold Goal initiatives across the state of Florida including the 3 highly successful Bold Goal markets of Broward County, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.  Paul’s vast experience at Humana spans almost a decade and includes leadership roles in network management where he built and implemented a community Primary Care Physician network in Duval and Nassau County.

For the last 6 years Paul has lead the Bold Goal initiative in Jacksonville, considered one of the most successful Bold Goal Market launches to date.  Paul’s leadership and unique ability to galvanize Business and Community Leaders has been so instrumental in driving a collective impact to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve.  Paul’s outstanding community work has not gone unrecognized, several years ago Paul’s role was expanded to include the Tampa Bay area.  Building on his success in Tampa along with Jacksonville, Paul’s leadership was recently expanded to include the entire State of Florida again acknowledging his leadership, his innovative ideas and the passion he brings to our Bold Goal work.

Paul’s hands-on approach to understanding how Social Determinants of Health impact our communities has led to some amazing partnerships with key business and community organizations that have helped to create sustainable efforts to bring about a positive change in our Bold Goal Communities.   Paul’s unique style of engaging others has enabled him to bring together disparate and often competing groups that he drives in a collective manner to build achievable and sustainable community health interventions.  Paul has become a recognized leader in this area and has been asked to speak to National and regional audiences about the Bold Goal work and understanding how Social Determinants of Health impact the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Prior to Humana, Paul spent four years in direct physician sales, eight years as the National contracting coordinator for a large outpatient rehabilitation provider and seven years working as a Certified Athletic Trainer providing immediate medical care and injury rehabilitation for several local high schools and colleges. Paul graduated from the University of Florida with his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science and received his Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of North Florida.

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Darnell Smith is Florida Blue’s market president for the North Florida Region. In his role, Smith is responsible for Florida Blue’s financial and market growth, customer experience and community engagement across 36 North Florida counties covering cities from St. Augustine to Pensacola.

Smith has demonstrated leadership in developing the community through numerous board appointments including Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council of Tallahassee, JAXUSA Policy Council, Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce, Sulzbacher and LIFT JAX.

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Florida State University. He is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and the Advanced HR Executive Program at University of Michigan.

David Smith was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. He represents the citizens of Florida House District 28. The district covers most of Seminole County and includes Geneva, Chuluota, Winter Springs, Oviedo and parts of Casselberry, Longwood and Sanford. He is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and lives in Winter Springs.  For the last ten years he has worked in Central Florida’s Simulation and Training industry. He currently owns a business consulting company.

David’s family moved to Central Florida in 1972. His father was a career U.S. Army officer and Vietnam Veteran. Most of his family still lives in Brevard County.

He attended Texas A&M University on a military scholarship and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Upon graduation in 1982 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

David earned his wings at NAS Pensacola in 1984 and launched his career as a UH-1N helicopter pilot. During his 30 year Marine Corps career he flew more than 4,500 accident-free flight hours and held every Instructor Pilot qualification in the Huey helicopter. Colonel Smith is a designated Weapons and Tactics Instructor. During his career he made six extended deployments overseas or aboard ship, including a combat tour flying in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 1997, in addition to his flying duties he began managing military procurement contracts. He is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University and also holds a Master’s degree in Business Management from Florida Institute of Technology. Based on his education, training and experience, Colonel Smith was selected by the U.S. Marine Corps to be designated an Acquisition Professional.

From 2005-2009 he commanded Fleet Readiness Center, East located at MCAS Cherry Point, NC. This aviation repair depot employed over 4,000 people and generated more than $770 million dollars in annual revenue.  At this time, FRC East was the largest industrial employer in the state of North Carolina.

From 2009-2012 he led a workforce of 200 military and civilian employees at the Central Florida Research Park. He managed a portfolio of $1.4 billion dollars worth of Simulation and Training projects.

Colonel Smith is the recipient of multiple combat decorations and numerous personal awards for sustained superior performance.  During his career he held a TOP SECRET security clearance.

Since leaving active duty in 2012, David has been very active in community affairs. He is a Paul Harris Fellow in the Rotary Club of Winter Springs. He is a member of the Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce, multiple Veterans organizations and many other local non-profit groups. He is a graduate of Leadership Orlando class #78 and Leadership Seminole class #26. David is a member of Cross Life Church in Oviedo.

Representative David Smith is a life-long Republican.

Brittany works with Clay Behavioral Health Center as a peer support specialist with the HELM, CAT and SEE programs.  Brittany is working to become a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist through the OIFSP Program.  Brittany is in recovery from mental health and substance abuse and loves that her clients are comfortable to open with her about their journey, she is a beacon of light to her clients.  Brittany is passionate about mental health and demonstrates that recovery is possible as she works to normalize mental health and talking to someone about mental health.

Sarah works with Clay Behavioral Health Center as a peer support specialist with the HELM, CAT and SEE programs.  Sarah earned an Associates degree in Psychology with a minor in Deaf studies from The University of North Florida and is currently working to become a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist through the OIFSP Program.  She shares her journey of recovery with personal lived experience from an eating disorder, OCD, and bipolar disorder.  Sarah loves making her clients feel understood and heard.

My name is Wayne Blanchette and I’m a CCAR Peer Recovery Specialist with Zero Hour Life Center.  I’ve been in recovery for 32 years. I went to New Hampshire Technical Institute and received an Associate degree in Human Services with a specialization in Substance Abuse Counseling. I am currently enrolled in the OIFSP training program and working on obtaining my CRPS.

Through my experience, I believe that people need more support when they complete treatment.  When I started at Zero Hour Life Center, I learned about RCO’s and peer recovery coaches, here I knew I found the next step in my career to empower people for their success in recovery

My name is Melissa Salazar, CRPS for Shining Light Peer Services.  I obtained my FL certification for CRPS in 2019 and in 2020, I became certified as a HIV 500/501 Testing and counselor.  I’m currently working towards my CRSS through the OIFSP program in addition to becoming a WRAP Facilitator, Mental Health First Aide Facilitator and Harm Reduction Outreach Coordinator. I am passionate about my role as program manager and developing a therapeutic recovery support programs within the Putnam County Detention Center and the Opioid Overdose Initiative-Equip-Putnam.  I am passionate about stigma reduction and cultural competency in the recovery community. The reward in being a Peer has been tremendous, I have seen many advancements in the Recovery Peer Specialist Movement and have lived by the motto, Any Positive Change-Dan Bigg and to meet people where they are at!”

Sarah Smith identifies as a person in long-term recovery. She has been a part of the SPBH team for six years and currently serves as the Grants Director. She currently serves as a Board Member for First Coast Recovery Advocates, a newly formed Recovery Community Organization representing Northeast Florida, and the Florida Harm Reduction Collective, a statewide nonprofit organization.  Ms. Smith holds a master’s in Human Relations with a concentration in Program Development, Social Justice and Change from the University of Oklahoma. Additionally, she is completing a second master’s in social work at Florida State University. She is an Internationally Credentialed Advanced Addiction Counselor (ICAAC), as well as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Oklahoma, a Master Certified Addiction Professional, and a Certified Behavioral Health Case Management Supervisor for adults and children in Florida.

Anna has a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and currently serves as the Community Behavioral Health Program Director and Peer Community Advocate at Inspire to Rise Inc.  She is a first-generation college graduate of immigrant parents and growing up in lower social economic neighborhoods, she learned that if opportunities are not presented to others, they will never know of what chances they have to succeed. At Inspire to Rise, Anna supervises a team of opportunity makers, leaders, and guides that help others see what opportunities they have to be their greatest self.  She enjoys hearing the stories of determination, the changes in perspectives from “I can’t” to “I’ll try,” and the unity that comes with letting others know that just because you might be the first in your family to do something, does not mean you have to do it alone. Peer work provides that community of support, and at Inspire to Rise, my team makes you feel like family.

Lola is a Certified Recovery Support Specialist and Lead Community Advocate at Inspire to Rise Inc.  She is currently working on her CRPS through the OIFSP program.  Lola knew peer work is what she wanted to do as the success stories of people overcoming obstacles inspires her and makes her work more worth it.  Lola believes in the miracles of peer support services.

Ashna completed the CRPS Training program in 2021 and is currently employed at Park Place Behavioral Health as a Peer Support Specialist.  When asked about the impact of the program, she said the CRPS training program has tremendously impacted my life by teaching me the simplicity of caring for another person with an open mind.  I am able to communicate better with my loved ones and my clients, which leads to creating a relationship that is welcoming and safe.

Travis McAllister is a Recovery Support Manager and a CRPS-A at Park Place Behavioral Health in Ocala. He manages Recovery Support teams in the ED, Detox, Residential, Community outreach, and SBIRT. Travis has over 7 years in recovery and the position as a Peer Specialists has been a way to give back to the community.  He enjoys seeing people transform into successful individuals.  Peer Support is important to him because they break down barriers.  As a Peer Specialists, he has advocated for positive changes to benefit the Recovery Community.

Andrae Bailey is founder and president of Change Everything, an organization committed to creating catalytic transformation for society’s most impactful and seemingly unsolvable problems. Working exclusively in the field of social change for the past 20 years, Andrae’s goal has been to help leaders find collaborative and strategic approaches to solving social problems within their spheres of influence. And to this end, he works with elected officials, business executives, faith leaders and advocates to find real solutions to the critical issues they are trying to affect.

His work focuses on solving important issues like opioid-related overdose, homelessness, and poverty, bringing together leaders in communities to find solutions that combine compassion with common sense.

In 2018, Bailey launched Project Opioid, a business-, faith-, and philanthropic-led collaboration to confront the opioid crisis in communities across Florida. In partnership with the Florida Blue Foundation, Project Opioid has launched five new chapters in Florida this year including Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, West Palm and Ft. Lauderdale. The following Super Advocates serve as the backbone in each region, guiding business and faith leaders through the coalition-building process to prevent overdose and save lives. Project Opioid will be launching its Overdose Initiative nation wide in over 100 communities in the spring of 2022.

Andrae is also the founder of Rethinking Homelessness, a national initiative modeled after the work Bailey did for the cause in Central Florida that earned him the title of Orlando Sentinel’s Central Floridian of the Year in 2015. Rethinking Homelessness national webinar program, launched in 2020, has currently reached and worked with more than 6,000 elected officials and community leaders around America to date.

Andrae graduated from Heritage University and Seminary, where he received a master’s degree in divinity. He also completed the Crummer Graduate School of Business mini-MBA program at Rollins College.

Colleen Bell, MD, FACHE, FAPA, a Board Certified Psychiatrist, has dedicated her career to working with the underserved.  She is the Medical Director, Integrated Health at Sulzbacher in Jacksonville, where she leads a diverse staff in terms of licensure, performs clinic visits, as well as administrative functions that includes funding, growth and development of medical and psychiatric programs and services.  She is the lead for the Mental Health Offenders Program, a jail diversion program in Jacksonville.  She is also core faculty for the Orange Park Medical Center Psychiatry Residency Program and has a Courtesy Faculty Appointment at the University of Florida.

She has conducted volunteer legislation review for State Senator Aaron Bean, and some her recommendations were adopted into Senate Bill 12, a mental health overhaul bill signed into law in Florida.  She is also assisting Senator Bean with the Baker and Marchman Act reform bill this legislative session.  She is a member of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the American Psychiatric Association – Fellow, the Florida Psychiatric Society, the American Association of Community Psychiatry, Alpha Omega Alpha, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and a fellow and member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

She is the current Board President for NAMI Jacksonville, and was responsible for the hiring of NAMI Jacksonville’s first Executive Director, guiding the organization in a period of exponential growth.  She was elected and currently serves as a Director at Large to the national group the American Association for Community Psychiatry.  She is also a Director at Large for the North Florida chapter of ACHE and a Councilmember of the Florida Psychiatric Society.

Andrea Blanch, PhD, is a psychologist with expertise in mental health, trauma-informed approaches, and systems change.  She is a former state mental health commissioner, and served as a senior advisor to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for over a decade. Dr. Blanch was active in second wave feminism and the disability rights movement, and has published numerous articles, book reviews, and book chapters on women’s mental health, empowerment, social change, and trauma-informed approaches.  She was a 2009 Fellow in the Women, Religion and Globalization program at Yale University.  Dr. Blanch current works as a consultant with the Barancik Family Foundation and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation on Here4YOUth, an initiative to strengthen the behavioral health system for youth and families in Sarasota County.  She is also a founding member of Sarasota Strong, a local trauma-informed community initiative.

Alison Boehnke is the Director of Community Based Services for Mental Health Resource Center (MHRC). She has been employed with MHRC for 26 years in a wide array of outpatient services. She currently develops, maintains, and manages standards and operations of Care Coordination, Case Management, Therapeutic Family Program, Link to Life, and Forensic Services by providing staff monitoring and administrative oversight. Alison works closely with the Senior Director of Community Support Services to ensure quality programming of the Florida Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) programs statewide. She is a certified Behavioral Health Case Manager Supervisor (CBHCMS) through the Florida Certification Board and a certified instructor of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training. Alison graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Rehabilitation from the University of Central Missouri.

Dr. Kendall Cortelyou, PhD earned her doctoral degree in Public Affairs, Health Care Administration from the University of Central Florida after graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources. Since 2010 Dr. Cortelyou has been a professor and Program Director of Health Care Informatics at the University of Central Florida. In 2019, Dr. Cortelyou joined Project Opioid as the Director of Data, Analytics, and Strategy, publishing frequent reports on the most recent data and trends in the opioid epidemic. She has also maintained relationships with data partners across the state. Dr. Cortelyou is not afraid to challenge the common narrative and has found success in bringing new data to the public. Dr. Cortelyou is currently serving in her role at Project Opioid while working as Program Director at the University of Central Florida.

Terri Crawford is the Director of Mental Health for the Gilchrist County School District. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Terri has spent most of her career helping children and families work through challenging issues including suicide of a loved one.  As a result, she became passionate about suicide prevention by co-creating two suicide prevention projects- Project Elephant in the Room and Maddy’s Puzzle.

Terri may be reached at crawfordt@mygcsd.org.

Clay County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief with 32 years of experience. Background in Hazardous Materials, Special Operations, and Special Event Coordination. Previously served for one year as the Interim Emergency Management Director. Currently serving as the Community Paramedicine Coordinator with programs including Vulnerable Resident Outreach and Overdose Data to Action program, providing Medication Assisted Treatment to prevent opioid related overdose deaths. Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Flagler College. Father of a son in recovery and a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist Specializing in Families.

Natalie currently serves as Pasco County School Project Manager for Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, Inc. In 2010, CFBHN became the first and largest Managing Entity managing state and federal funds for substance abuse and mental health community safety net services. CFBHN is a not-for profit organization contracting with 58 community behavioral health provider organizations serving a fourteen county geographical area on Florida’s central west coast. They serve over 145,000 persons with direct services and some 7-10mm persons with prevention services with a current annual budget of approximately $218mm. Their contracted network provides a full array of services from prevention, intervention, outpatient, residential and crisis care. Additionally, they have lead the charge in areas of community collaboration for diversionary programs partnering with law enforcement and in response to natural and manmade disasters.  CFBHN received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) becoming Florida’s first Services Management Network assuring that they and their contracted network providers adhere to the highest ethical standards of conduct while providing superior care. They have been reaccredited every succeeding period.

Natalie has been a social worker since 2002 and has worked in many settings with diverse populations.  Natalie received her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Oakwood College in Huntsville, AL in 2000 and her Master’s of Social Work from Rutgers University in 2002 and became a licensed clinical social worker in 2015.

Natalie’s role as the Pasco County School Project Manager has allowed for collaboration between the school district and community providers to decrease barriers for children and their families to receive mental health services in Pasco County, FL.  Serving as Project Manager has allowed Natalie to help with coordination of care to help Pasco county students reach and obtain appropriate services to meet their needs.

Lily G. Greenan, LMHC, is the Licensed Supervisor of the Child Welfare Programs for BayCare Behavioral Health in Hernando County, Florida.  Ms. Greenan has over 15 years of experience working with children and families.  The services provided address the full continuum of care aimed at increasing family stability and caregiver protective capacities to enable parents to care for themselves and their children. BayCare is committed to serving the families in  Hernando County and assist them in improving the quality of their lives through access to available treatment and resources.  In addition, Ms. Greenan, Co-Chairs the Hernando County Substance Exposed Newborn Taskforce to increase awareness and resources available to Hernando County women and children.

Hannah is a social entrepreneur who is passionate about rethinking what is possible when it comes to accessing mental healthcare and building a community where people know in their hearts it is okay to ask for help. For the last 23 years she has worked as a social worker and leader, to find innovative ways, through community collaboration, to address the social and behavioral health needs of vulnerable populations in Northeast Florida. She has had the opportunity to see the healthcare system through the eyes of the people she has had the privilege of caring for and believes we, together as a community, can create an effective way to identify and connect with people who are feeling hopeless and their families before it is too late. Hannah has worked across the healthcare continuum and her experience includes inpatient behavioral health, community behavioral health, substance abuse, mental health and aging, integration of primary care and behavioral health, geriatric care coordination, and addressing the social determinants of health. She completed a Master of Social Work and Certificate in Addictions at UCF in 2002 and Master of Business Administration from Jacksonville University in 2017. She is a State of Florida Qualified Clinical Supervisor. Hannah has been the recipient of awards for innovation in mental healthcare delivery and was selected by her Northeast Florida peers as 2010 Social Worker of the Year. In August of 2020, Hannah met Joe Kenney and the two of them joined forces to launch Here Tomorrow. Hannah believes changing the world is possible and that with Here Tomorrow, we have created a place that puts space between a thought and an action; a place to tap into hope and self-acceptance; an experience that tells those contemplating suicide that they are not alone.

Megan Huizer is the team leader for the Link to Life- Suicide Prevention Program which is designed to help adults who may need extra professional support and are experiencing suicidal thoughts or risk factors. Megan has a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University of Indianapolis and has over 10 years of mental health and social service experience. Her experience includes working in residential treatment, addictions, inpatient, group homes, educational behavioral modification, foster care and suicide prevention. As a certified QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) instructor with a passion for suicide prevention, she is dedicated to building partnerships with local organizations, raising suicide awareness and providing Suicide Prevention Training in Jacksonville.

Jennifer Johnston, Director of Community Leadership, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, collaborates with nonprofit partners and diverse stakeholders to develop initiatives that positively impact regional priorities. She plays a lead role in mission-driven grant making on behalf of donors and Gulf Coast’s Board of Directors. Jennifer earned a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire. Jennifer loves hiking in the mountains as well as international and domestic travel.

Joe is a serial entrepreneur and founder of several companies including Commercial Fire, a nationwide fire and life safety company, of which he served as CEO until he sold the company in 2017. On April 19, 2019 Joe lost his son Gary, age 30, to suicide. Prior to Gary’s death, Joe did everything he could to help Gary who was battling severe depression. When he and his son needed help the most, Joe encountered a healthcare system that was not equipped to advise him or help him keep Gary safe. He couldn’t find any help; he didn’t know where to go or what to do – and he felt he knew everybody. On the day of Gary’s funeral Joe made a decision. He decided to, again, create something that did not exist before, an entity designed to be there for people who are feeling hopeless and families that have no place to turn to for help. Spurred to action by this greatest of loss, Joe set out to solve the most vexing problem of all, preventing suicide. When Here Tomorrow opened its doors in 2021, Joe thought, if Here Tomorrow can ensure that one son, one father, one brother, or one sister is here with us tomorrow, it would all be worth it. The Here Tomorrow Team is now connecting daily with people who are seriously contemplating suicide and offering real help when the stakes are highest. Joe credits his success in business to his ability to envision the future and create something that did not exist before. Commercial Services was born out of a gap he saw in the market. Over time, he built the largest Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning company in the world and the largest nationwide independently owned Fire Services company in the US. Recently, he saw a gap in the mental health field that no one was filling: working with those contemplating suicide NOW, when they are most vulnerable, and helping them NOW. Just because it doesn’t exist doesn’t mean it can’t be attained. According to Joe, the team at Here Tomorrow is a godsend that has created the most innovative answer to preventing suicide one could ever hope to imagine.

Chief Judge Mark Mahon is a native of Jacksonville and a third-generation attorney. He graduated from Florida State University in 1978 with a degree in business and from Florida State University law school in 1981. Mahon worked as an Assistant State Attorney from 1981-1984 when he joined the private practice of law with his father Lacy Mahon, Jr. He subsequently practiced law with his father, and they were joined in private practice by Russell Healey in approximately 1987. While in private practice, Mahon was named to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and served as chair for two years. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. In 2007, Mahon left the private practice of law and the legislature after being appointed Circuit Court Judge by Governor Charlie Crist. Judge Mahon was elected to serve as Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit beginning in January 2015.

Kimberly McGee is the Suicide Prevention Training Coordinator at Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare. She began working for the agency in July of 2021 as a Prevention Coordinator. Kimberly earned her Bachelor of Arts Applied Communication degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2020. Kimberly is certified to teach 4 mental health courses and has taught suicide prevention skills to over 5,000 community members.

She currently serves as a Board Member for the North Florida Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, an organization she has worked closely with since 2012, and has continued to serve as treasurer for her local Family and Welfare Association since 2020.

Jeremy Mikell is the Social Work Coordinator for Gilchrist County Schools. As a clinical social worker with years of experience helping others, Jeremy is passionate about developing new ways of tackling the challenges we face today, especially in the prevention of suicide. He is the co-creator of the suicide prevention curriculums Project Elephant in the Room: Let’s Talk About It and Maddy’s Puzzle.

Vanessa has spent the last year pursuing the CRPS-Y certification. Throughout this process, working with NAMI Sarasota and Manatee counties has helped them prepare for this role. Being in a peer position has allowed Vanessa to develop as an empathetic ear, an eager accountability partner, a gentle support group facilitator, and an artistic content creator. Working at NAMI has shown them the value in surrounding oneself with recovery-oriented people. Vanessa has had the opportunity to create youth programming, to  work with youth under the age of 25 providing direct peer support, and even participate in the Lean On Me initiative providing social and emotional wellness tools to elementary and middle schoolers. This position has allowed them to become a better advocate in the mental health community and to learn so much more about how they can grow as an individual and as a community member. Being a part of a system led by peers for peers has shown Vanessa how systems change can look, led by the people with both youth voice and choice at the forefront. When they are not working with NAMI, Vanessa is typically found locked away in a library room, studying for their Bachelor’s in Psychology. Outside of school, Vanessa enjoys long restorative yoga sessions and deep tranquil naps.

Dr. Laureen Pagel is the CEO at Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, a community-based behavioral health treatment agency in Northeast Florida, where she has worked for more than 24 years. Dr. Pagel earned her Doctorate in Health Care Administration in 2007, is a Master’s Certified Addiction Professional, a Certified Mental Health Professional and Certified Prevention Professional.

Dr. Pagel currently serves as an Executive Board member for the Florida Behavioral Health Association, has been a Board member of the Florida Certification Board since 2008 and was recently re-elected to serve on the Board of Directors for Mental Health Corporation of America. Dr. Pagel also began serving on the Nassau Chamber of Commerce Board in January 2022 and is a member of the Greater Nassau Rotary Club. Laureen is active in her community and works closely with other non-profit community partners to address the issues of mental health and substance use disorders impacting her local area. Dr. Pagel has worked in the behavioral health field for over 30 years.

Alexandra Porter is the Lead Peer Support Specialist at Clay Behavioral Health Center. She has been working as a Peer for close to five years and uses her lived experience with Opioid Use Disorder and mental health diagnoses to connect with and serve individuals in her home community of Clay County. She is in long term recovery with over 12 years of freedom from opioids and lives with her husband and many pets in Orange Park, FL.

Angela currently serves as Project Manager for the Hillsborough County Public School Mental Health Plan for Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, Inc. In 2010, CFBHN became the first and largest Managing Entity managing state and federal funds for substance abuse and mental health community safety net services. CFBHN is a not-for profit organization contracting with 58 community behavioral health provider organizations serving a fourteen county geographical area on Florida’s central west coast. They serve over 145,000 persons with direct services and some 7-10mm persons with prevention services with a current annual budget of approximately $218mm. Their contracted network provides a full array of services from prevention, intervention, outpatient, residential and crisis care. Additionally, they have lead the charge in areas of community collaboration for diversionary programs partnering with law enforcement and in response to natural and manmade disasters.  CFBHN received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) becoming Florida’s first Services Management Network assuring that they and their contracted network providers adhere to the highest ethical standards of conduct while providing superior care.

Angela has worked in many settings with diverse populations, including case management, crisis response, therapy, program management and collegiate teaching faculty.  She is a graduate of University of South Florida, Tampa, with Bachelor Degree Psychology in 1993 and a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2004. She has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Florida since 2010.

Angela’s role as the Hillsborough County Public School Project Manager has allowed for collaboration between the school district and community providers to decrease barriers for children and their families to receive mental health services in Hillsborough County, FL.  Project Manager responsibilities also include consulting with the HCPS Mental Health Clinicians to assist with linking high need youth with appropriate behavioral health services.

Debra Troupe has been a Licensed Mental Health Counselor for over 19 years and a Certified Addiction Professional in the State of Florida for over 23 years. I have worked in the field of mental health and addiction counseling for 40 years. I have served as counselor in an outpatient, residential, methadone, dual diagnosis, Tier 4 and Ryan White Counselor settings. I have provided group, individual and family counseling as well as assessments.

I am a facilitator and evaluator for the Professionals Resource Network (The Impaired Practitioners Program for the State of Florida) and serve as a clinician for the National Football League. I maintain a small private practice that includes individual, family and group work.

I have worked for Clay Behavioral Health Center for seven years.  I am the Clinical Manager for the Substance Use Disorder Program. I oversee a staff of 23 including the clinical masters level counselors, intervention and prevention specialists (school- based program), Care Coordination and (Project Saving Lives, Clay County Paramedicine), Peer Support Specialists. I also provide licensure supervision as well as master’s level internship supervision.  I am responsible for the clinical content, supervision, monthly outcome reports, reporting to the managing entity and day to day operation of my site.

My volunteer work includes being a Board Member of the Florida Society of Addiction Medicine  and the President of the Clay Action Coalition.

Grief, trauma, and loss are familiar themes in the life of Shanti Vani. In 1978, at the age of 27, she had suffered through serious, debilitating trauma and abuse. She was mother to four young children, but was unable to care for them. She was on the streets in Cambridge Massachusetts when law enforcement picked her up. She was admitted to Westborough State Hospital against her will. There she suffered through seclusion, restraints, forced drugging, and harsh mistreatment.

Shanti came to Gainesville Florida in 1979 and made it her home. She raised her family there and did a great deal of personal healing work. Between 2013 and 2018, seven family members died. The snowball effect of complicated grief was accumulating faster than she could process it. Then COVID hit and in March 2020 her job as a Respiratory Therapist ended abruptly. That loss turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Being a do-it-yourself type, she searched far and wide for grief support, but found very little effective help. While searching on Facebook, she stumbled across the Grief Recovery Method and in November 2020 was certified as a Grief Recovery Method Specialist. She then created her own innovated program, Transforming Grief – An Evolutionary Process, which she has been teaching, both in person and online to groups and individuals.

Shanti’s trainings include End-of-Life Doula Training with INELDA, Trauma and Addiction Certificate through The Meadows Behavioral Healthcare, Counseling Grief Clients Certificate through PESI Inc, WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) through the Copeland Center and QPR Suicide Prevention Training through the Florida LEADS Project.

Shanti lives in Gainesville Florida where she enjoys the company of five generations of family and extended family. She is grateful to be here today with all of you.

Shanti may be reached at shantivani@cox.net or (352) 225 1385.   https://www.shantivani.com/

Tresa J Watson, BS, MBA, is the Executive Director of the Hernando Community Coalition also known as the Hernando County Community Anti-Drug Coalition. Ms. Watson has led HCC’s prevention efforts since 2010 which has resulted in significant decreases in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among residents of Hernando County with a specific focus on youth and families. Since 2016, Ms. Watson has spearheaded the Hernando County Substance Exposed Newborn Taskforce to support prenatal health integrations by providing interventions that include promoting awareness among women of child-bearing age and their family members of the effects that SEN/NAS can have on infants.