Who We Are
Find out more about the amazing individuals who together serve Healthy Teens and make it possible for us to empower teens for success!
Board of Directors
Mary Ann
Chair; MSN, MA, Board Certified APRN
"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." Healthy Teens helps youth build their own future by giving them the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed and purposeful decisions about their health, well-being and future success. Who better to serve as the messengers of this information than youth themselves? Our amazing teens passionately care about their fellow youth, and work tirelessly to advocate and educate our community on the health issues impacting their peers.
Peggy Algozzine
Vice-Chair; MA Counseling
“I am proud to be involved with Healthy Teens. The intelligence, diversity, and energy that the Teen Health Educators share let me know that our community is fortunate and the future is bright because of them.”
Lisa Ramirez
Secretary; Community Health & Communication Consultant
“Healthy Teens work to cover profoundly important but tough issues, such as healthy relationships, coping with mental health concerns and age-appropriate reproductive health education. These are critical to the healthy and whole development of young people as they grow into adults and the future leaders of our community. I’m constantly inspired by our Teen Health Educators’ deep caring, dedication, and leadership in their peer education work; as a proud Board Director, they make me want to do better by them.”
Pat Greco
Treasurer; Educational Game Developer
“I think the journey into adulthood is a precarious stage of life. Big life decisions suddenly demand wisdom and self-awareness from those who were just recently children. So, I'm happy to lend my expertise to Healthy Teens - an organization dedicated to helping kids navigate this successfully.”
Our Staff
Jonathan Evans
Executive Director; Chartered Global Management Accountant
Jonathan joined Healthy Teens in May 2021, having moved with his family from London, UK in January of the same year. Prior to that big move, Jonathan worked for over 11 years as a civil servant in the UK government, in both the environment and revenue departments. During his career Jonathan has worked in policy, strategy, finance and management roles, most recently (prior to Healthy Teens) as the Finance and Performance Director for the Solicitors and Legal Services division of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Jonathan is married to Shannon (a Sarasota native) and they have two young boys
Valerie Green
Program Manager; M.Ed
Valerie joined Healthy Teens in September 2021, having spent over ten years in the Ohio school system, culminating in a Principal position for over five years at Worthington Adventist Academy. An educator at heart, Valerie is an advocate for equity and social justice in all areas of education and life. Valerie moved to Florida from Ohio with her husband and son who is high-school senior, with three other adult children.
Stephanie Rauda
Administrator
Stephanie has been part of Healthy Teens since she was a sophomore in high school: now a senior in college at Trinity University in Texas, Stephanie has been working with us as an intern since 2019, and now as a part-time administrator. She enjoys exploring San Antonio with her friends and is working towards a career in the medical field.
Sarah Averbeck
Communications
Sarah joined as a Teen Health Educator in 2016 while in high school. She now attends Texas Christian University as a Strategic Communications major with a minor in Business. Sarah currently serves Healthy Teens as a part-time intern covering many aspects of our communications, in particular our newsletter and social media activity.
Advisory Board
Our wonderful Advisory Board members support Healthy Teens through offering their expertise, advice and energy to help us succeed in everything we do. If you’d like to join our Advisory Board, get in contact today!
Alyson Battaglia
Esq.; Attorney at Law, Partner in Legler, Murphy, Battaglia
Krista Bloomberg
Community Activist for Children and Adolescents
Laura Brey
Vice President for Strategy and Knowledge National School-Based Health Alliance Washington D.C.
Dr. Candace DeLuca
DNP, ARNP; Pediatric and Adolescent Health
Mary Greco
M.Ed; Collegiate Tutor and Academic Consultant
Heather Keegan
RN; Health Specialist School-Based Health Center, Southeast High School
Debra Landesberg
College and Career Consultant, Owner: My College Resource
Mia Popaja
Photographer, Media Designer, Graphic Artist, Owner, POP Digital Media Group
Susan Wilcox
Freelance Writer and Non-Profit Consultant
Dr. Marilyn Steele
Honorary Member, Philanthropist, Charles Stuart Mott Foundation
About
The Healthy Teens Coalition (HTC) is dedicated to reducing risky behaviors by providing Manatee County youth with the knowledge and skills to make informed choices about their physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being.
Healthy Teens Coalition is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELPFLA, OR VIA THE INTERNET AT WWW. 800HELPFLA.COM REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. ID#45-0990646