STAFF:

Jennifer Highland – Executive Director

Jennifer’s passion for helping mothers and infants began, of course, with the birth of her children. Most of her early career in Louisiana, Georgia and Texas was as a registered nurse working in hospital settings, in clinical nursing and staff development. Her education positions allowed her to utilize her graphic art skills in the development of printed educational materials and newsletters for hospital staff and nurses. After she moved to Florida and became a mother, Jennifer volunteered for the Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County and completed her Master of Public Health Degree from USF, graduating in 1995. Jennifer was the Project Coordinator for the first and on-going national breastfeeding promotion campaign, “Loving Support Makes Breastfeeding Work,” through her employment with Best Start, Inc., in Tampa. She then became trained as a Childbirth Educator and taught at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Her work at Healthy Start began in 2001 as the Contract/Quality Manager. Her role expanded to include professional education. In 2006 she became the Executive Director.

Janice Baxter – Program Coordinator and Quality Assurance Manager

Janice received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Hawaii. She began her work with Hawaiian children and families over 20 years ago. Since that time Janice expanded her work and passion into the fields of life coaching and psychotherapy, and has creatively developed programs to assist golfers and equestrians with relaxation, balance, and stress reduction through yoga. She has recently returned to United States to be with her family here in Florida. Janice is our Contract and Quality Assurance Manager.

Tiffany Prater - Education Coordinator

Tiffany received her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Murray State University in 2003 and her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership (with a concentration in Community Development) from Lewis University in 2007.  She has worked in health education since 2003 teaching a variety of topics including nutrition, breastfeeding, and tobacco prevention.  Her experience includes working for the Illinois WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program, the Florida AHEC (Area Health Education Center) Network and volunteering for the Growing Healthy Kids program at the All Faiths Food Bank.

Ciera Galbraith - Communications and Development Specialist

Ciera graduated from the University of Florida in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Health Education. She is a Sarasota native who is passionate about reproductive rights and education, graphic design, and music. 

Miryan McDonald –Administrative Assistant and Spanish Speking MomCare Advisor

Miryan has a background in Spanish translation in the business and nonprofit worlds, and has worked as an interpreter. She has experience as an Administrative Assistant and as a Spanish Language instructor in an after-school program. Miryan also hosted a television program for the Hispanic community. She has an A.S. degree in Business Administration and Human Resources.

Anne Muir – MomCare Supervisor

Originally from England, she lived in Canada before moving to Florida. Anne’s passions are many, and include advancing the status of women through film media and the enhancing humanity through improvement in knowledge, unity, and spiritualism. Anne has worked with the Healthy Start Coalition throughout the years, assisting us with office administration, various projects, and MomCare operations.

Teri Endres - MomCare Advisor

Teri Endres is the MomCare Advisor for the MomCare Program. Teri passionately believes that breastfeeding plays a vital role in a child's physical and emotional development and that it is the best way for a child to get off to a healthy start in life. Teri has experience as a La Leche League Leader, a preschool teacher, and a Girl Scout Leader. She is a married mother of two teenage daughters. Her interested include baking, reading, spending time with her family, and working on her spiritual development.

PROGRAM COORDINATORS:

Beverly Phelps – Save My Life Program Coordinator

Beverly is the Program Coordinator for the Save My Life Program with the Healthy Start Coalition, which is funded by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Beverly is a lifetime resident of Sarasota. Besides being the only black Childbirth Educator in Sarasota County, Beverly has also received training in smoking cessation for pregnant women; breastfeeding education and support; maternal mental health; nutrition; women and substance abuse; early childhood mental health; parenting education; and other maternal-infant issues. In the Save My Live Program, Beverly is providing education and support in the Newtown area to African-American pregnant women and women of child-bearing age, in order to help reduce racial health disparities.

Cindy Martin –  FIMR Program Coordinator

Cindy is a health care leader for women and children on the local, state, and national levels. She earned her Bachelor of Nursing Science Degree in 1982 in North Carolina, and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 1988. Cindy frequently speaks about lactation management at conferences across the nation. In addition she is a childbirth educator and an internationally certified “Kangaroo Care” specialist, working with neonatal intensive care units nationwide. Kangaroo Care is used with newborns, especially those who are premature or have health problems, to improve their breathing and heart rate, temperature control, and sleeping patterns through skin-to-skin contact with the parents. It also greatly enhances breastfeeding success. Cindy coordinates our Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Project and educational programs.