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HOME > About Us > Executive Board


SYLVIE KRAMER - PRESIDENT

Sylvie H. Kramer is the Executive Director for St. Lucie County Healthy Start. She earned her Bachelor of Social Science and Masters of Education and Business from Xavier University, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her professional experience has been the Chief Executive Officer for Kids Connected by Design Inc. an umbrella agency operating maternal and child health programs (Healthy Start, Healthy families, Healthy Kids, and others).She built a successful community-wide coalition to improve health care and needed services for moms and babies. This action ultimately saved St. Lucie County over $10 million by privatizing prenatal care for indigent women and developed successful public and private partnerships. Sylvie’s past posts includes faculty member of University of South Florida and taught business/management at Purdue University, and CETA Director. Sylvie’s Professional and Civic Leadership comprise of Vice Chair of the Executive Roundtable of St. Lucie County; Member of Four County Alliance for Department of Children and Families; and the Board of Directors, March of Dimes. Sylvie has been awarded a statewide award presented by Governor Chiles for outstanding contribution to women and infants health in addition to the 2003 Davis Award for Excellence in Government, administered by Florida Tax Watch.

Sylvie’s accomplishments are noted as the infant mortality in St. Lucie County has been reduced despite the huge increase in growth. The growth resulted in a large increase in births (approximately 2100 in 1995 to 3500 in 2006) from an average of 13.9 per 1000 for the entire 1980 decade to a rate less than the state averaged consistently for the past 5 years. Additionally, Sylvie formed a decentralized system of care by contracting with all kinds of providers in the public and private sector.



LESLIE SPURLOCK - PRESIDENT ELECT

Leslie Spurlock is currently the Executive Director for Indian River County’s Healthy Start Coalition where she oversees four programs with combined budgets of just over $1,000,000; MomCare, Healthy Start, Healthy Families and TLC (Touch, Love, Communicate) Newborn.

Since 1993 she has worked for three coalitions on the Treasure Coast, accumulating a total of twelve years experience with Healthy Start Coalitions. During this time Leslie has been an active member of the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, serving on several committees and as Chair of the Bylaws Committee in 2005. She is currently in her second term as Secretary for the Association.

Leslie was hired in February 1993 to assist with the development of Martin County’s Healthy Start Coalition. Building a Coalition from the ground up provided her extensive experience in all phases of Coalition development and activities. As the Director of Finance and Community Development, she was responsible for developing and maintaining protocols, and overseeing fiscal operations as well as facilitating several Coalition committees and representing the Coalition in the community. She left the Coalition in 2000 to become Director of Operations for Insights, Inc., a Research and Strategic Planning firm.

Finding the for profit world not as rewarding as helping moms and babies, Leslie came back to Healthy Start two years later and became Executive Director for Okeechobee’s Coalition. Leslie greatly enjoyed Okeechobee’s community and commuted for two years from her home in northern St. Lucie County. In May of 2005 she decided to leave Okeechobee and “came home” to Indian River County’s Healthy Start Coalition.

She and Larry love the Vero Beach community, driving their convertible, and attending art and classic car shows around the state. For rest and relaxation she prefers a sunny, breezy spring day at home on the lake, jazz on the radio and a good book. Leslie believes “Being a mother is the most important job I will ever have”. She and husband Larry are proud parents of four grown children; Stacy, Mike, Jason and Kevin. They have four grandchildren and are hoping for more in the future!



MARY JO PLEWS - PAST PRESIDENT

Mary Jo Plews is the Executive Director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties, Inc. and is a licensed clinical social worker. As Executive Director, Ms Plews oversees all operations of the Healthy Start Coalition, which provides Healthy Start services to over 7,000 women and children annually. Her duties also include oversight of special initiatives including Beds 4 Babies Project, Fetal and Infant Mortality Review, MomCare Program, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative and Place for Grace Grief Support Project.

Ms. Plews holds a Bachelor of Social Work from University of South Florida and Master of Social Work from Florida State University. Ms. Plews has worked in a variety of social services settings, primarily working with women and children. Her 16 years of experience includes providing direct and administrative mental health and social services. She has served as an advocate for women and children’s health and mental health, including research projects involving domestic violence and mental health services. Her community involvement includes development of community based child welfare services, development of case management protocols, oversight of therapeutic services to foster care children, and she currently serves on the Board Of Directors of the Polk County School Readiness Coalition.


JENNIFER FLOYD - TREASURER

Jennifer Floyd is the Executive Director/CEO of the Healthy Start Coalition in Brevard County. She has been with Healthy Start for seven years, first as an Assistant Director and elevated four years ago to Executive Director/CEO. In addition to her responsibilities to Healthy Start, she provided administrative and fiscal oversight for the School Readiness Coalition. This blending of responsibilities in Brevard County resulted in a successful merging of maternal and child health with early childhood services. Jennifer oversaw a budget of $23 million and services to over 15,000 children and families annually.

Jennifer Floyd graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Science. Prior to Healthy Start, Jennifer worked in public health for over ten years providing health education services and developing Florida’s initiatives for teen smoking cessation campaigns to be implemented in Brevard. This experience has carried over into Healthy Start where she oversees the annual “Healthy Start Conference” recognized for providing research based education to professionals and marketing Healthy Start services through the “Building Tomorrow’s Child” marketing campaign.



LINDA SUTHERLAND - SECRETARY

Linda Sutherland is the Executive Director of the Orange County Healthy Start Coalition in Orlando, Florida. She began her career with Healthy Start in March 2000 and is currently serving as the Secretary for the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions. Linda has been married for 34 years to her Husband, Douglas. She and her husband have one son and a daughter-in-law. Ms Sutherland is a former Orange County School Board Member for District 2 and served for 12 years. She was elected countywide in 1990, 1994, and 1998. Linda is a graduate of Marymount College and holds a degree in Business Administration. Her advocacy for her community and the children shine through with awards for Who’s Who of Women (2006), Orange County Public Health Hero Award (2004), Women’s Resource Center Summit Award (2003), Orange County Council of PTAs Children’s Friend Award (2003), Women’s Executive Council, Community Service Award (1995), Children’s Advocacy Center Lawton Chiles “In the Life of a Child” Award (2000), Florida School Board Assn. Pat Spengler Children’s Advocacy Award (1995), Florida School Board Assn. Master Board Member (1995-present), Phi Delta Kappa Community Service Award (1991), Orange County Public Schools HERO Award (1990), Outstanding Young Women of America (1991), 2,000 Notable American Women (1995), Who’s Who of International Women (1996). Linda currently serves as a Peer Reviewer for The Maternal Child Health Journal. She has State and National Involvement with Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions Board (2000-present), March of Dimes State Planning Committee (2007-present), Florida's Vision Quest Board Chair (2003-present), Florida Children's Campaign (2003-present), Council of Great City Schools Executive Committee (1996-2002), Education Commission of the States (Governor’s Appointee) (1994-1999), National School Board Association Member 1990-2002; Board 1995-1997, Council of Urban Boards of Education 1991-2000, Florida School Boards Association, Board of Directors 1991-2002 President 1996-1997 Florida AIDS Advisory Council Executive Committee 1993-1998, Board of Directors 1991-2002, Florida PTA Life Member, National PTA Life Member. Her current local Board Membership is with Orange County Primary Care Access Network, Orange County Early Learning Coalition, United Way Board of Directors, Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Board Chair, Central Florida Partnership for Health Disparities, School Health Advisory Committee District 7 Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force, District 7 Child Death Review Team, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition, Community Foundation's 100 Women Strong Initiative, Life Skills Charter School Board Chair, University of Central FL Early Childhood Advisory Board, The First Eatonville Foundation, League of Women Voters, Winter Park Health Foundation Children and Youth Group, Howard Philips Center for Children and Families, Community Leadership Council, March of Dimes Grant Committee, Blue Ribbon Panel for Orange County Public Schools. Her Current Affiliations are with National Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Resource Center, Children’s Defense Fund, and FL Association of Nonprofit Organizations, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Black Child Development Assn., Centering Pregnancy Assn., National Healthy Start Assn., National Perinatal Assn., National Assembly of School Based Health Care. As noted, Ms Sutherland is a well versed child and community advocate.


 

 

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Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions
1311 N. Paul Russell Road, A101, Tallahassee, Florida 32301
phone  850 488-0288         fax  850 933-3622

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