Our Breakfast of Champions was a big success!
October 19, 2017 (Sarasota, FL) — On Thursday, October 19, 2017, The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. hosted its 2017 Annual Meeting at Van Wezel Bayside.
The Keynote speaker for the meeting was Jane Murphy, Executive Director of the Hillsborough County Healthy Start Coalition and President of the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions. Ms. Murphy has been instrumental in guiding Healthy Start Coalitions statewide in our focus to improve services to high-risk families, centering on maternal depression, interconception care, and developmental assessments. She discussed the upcoming changes to the Healthy Start Program and how what we do will improve the health and well-being of families, furthering our mission.
After the Keynote Presentation, the Healthy Start Coalition presented Annual Awards to several outstanding community members for their continued involvement and dedication to Healthy Start’s mission “to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women, infants, and young children”.
Annual Award Winners:
- Lawton Chiles Award – Presented to an individual or partner whose contributions to prenatal and early child health in Sarasota County are characterized by exceptional commitment, wisdom, leadership and vision – Presented to Jane Murphy, Executive Director of the Hillsborough County Healthy Start Coalition and President of the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions.
- Mission Award – Presented to an individual whose work with the Healthy Start Coalition has been of sustained, significant value in helping to achieve our mission – Presented to Dr. Pam Beitlich, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
- Board Member of the Year – Presented to a board member who has gone above and beyond to support the mission of the Healthy Start Coalition. Presented to Mary Dunn, Treasurer.
- Business Partner of the Year – Presented to a business whose collaboration has been of contributing support of the Healthy Start Coalition through resources for service enhancement to pregnant women and young children. Presented to MySelfie Photobooth part of MyDJ Entertainment.
- Media Partner of the Year -- Presented to the print or broadcast media coverage which best supported the health of pregnant women and young children in the last year. This year’s award winner was Tom Tryon of the Herald Tribune Media Group and Heidi Godman, host of Health Check with Heidi Godman on WSRQ.
- Community Partner of the Year – Presented to an organization whose collaboration and contribution of support to the Healthy Start Coalition through resource for service enhancement to pregnant women and young children. This year the award was presented to the Junior League of Sarasota.
- Volunteer of the Year – Recognizes a volunteer whose contributions or achievements have been of significant support to families during pregnancy and/or their child’s first three years. Presented to Stefany Holmes and Zubeda Remes.
- Family of the Year – Presented to a Healthy Start family who has overcome odds to provide the healthiest scenarios for their children, by attending all recommended educational classes, and taking advantage of all Healthy Start services – Presented to Lisa Dailey.
The Healthy Start Coalition also elected new members to the 2017-2018 Volunteer Executive Board:
- Chair – Dr. Washington Hill
- Vice Chair – Dr. Pam Beitlich
- Treasurer – Mary Dunn
- Secretary – Amy Fulton
- Past-President – Debra Boterf
- At-Large – Erica Gregory
- At- Large – Sarah Cloud
- At- Large – Dr. Jina Foltz
- At- Large – Christina Holmes
- At-Large – Dr. Karin Stanton
- At-Large – Tiffany Mangold
- At-Large – Angela Baker
- At-Large – Marilyn Lapidus
- At-Large – Kerri Deatherage
- At-Large – Melanie Fiscina
- At-Large – Maggie Davenport
- CYD STAR Student – Caroline Nosal
- Ex-Officio - Shelley Rence