Staff
Executive Director
Patricia K Anderson, MPA
Patricia Anderson, hails from Long Island, New York and earned her B.A. in Political Science and Secondary Education from The American University in Washington, DC. While in school, she gained experience in health policy through her work at The White House. There, she focused on issues of homelessness, mental health awareness, and HIV/AIDS. Upon graduation, she worked in Walt Disney World before she began teaching social studies at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD. While teaching, Patricia earned her Masters in Public Administration and developed a county-wide curriculum in Justice, Law and Society. During the summers, Patricia worked as the Associate Director of Programs for the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in San Francisco, and in the summer of 2005, Patricia traveled with a group of 15 teachers to South Africa and Botswana as part of the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad for Teachers.
In 2006, Patricia moved to Brooklyn, NY to work as the Law Academy Coordinator for the High School for Public Service, and left teaching in June of 2007, having had the honor of teaching more than 1,200 amazing young people. Prior to joining the Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Patricia was a Relationship Manager with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, where she worked with schools in the NYC area to help them create healthier school environments.
Project Director for HIV Education
Kyle Lafferty, MPH, MST.
Kyle Lafferty is Project Director for HIV Education under the Society’s CDC-DASH funded cooperative agreement to build the capacity of state and local education agencies to prevent HIV Infection among youth. Kyle is originally from the Philadelphia, PA area and earned her B.A. in Child Welfare from Brown University in Providence, RI. Following graduation, Kyle joined the 2003 Teach for America Corp as a Special Education teacher at William Niles Middle School in Bronx, NY and earned her M.S. in Teaching from Pace University. After teaching Literacy, Social Studies and Health in New York, she continued her work with youth as a Project Manager with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit based in CA - specializing in community-led playground builds across the country. This position provided travel opportunities throughout the U.S. including concentrated efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast, post-Katrina. After a year and a half on the road, Kyle returned to New York to attend Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, earning her M.P.H while working as a Volunteer Coordinator with Baby Buggy, a NY based nonprofit serving families and children in crisis. Throughout her graduate career, Kyle worked as a health educator, HIV prevention counselor, and HIV/STI testing provider for youth and adults with the Harlem Health Promotion Center, Project STAY, and Chattanooga CARES.
Project Director for Coordinated School Health
Jacquelyn Sowers, M.Ed.
Jacquelyn Sowers is Project Director for Coordinated School Health under the Society’s CDC-DASH funded cooperative agreement to build the capacity of state and local education agencies to promote coordinated school health programs.
Jackie holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida and has taken graduate coursework in organizational development at Harvard University. She has served at every level of schooling as a classroom teacher, principal, K-12 curriculum coordinator, director of staff development, health curriculum developer, college instructor, and national consultant and trainer to many state and local education and health agencies. She has conducted hundreds of keynotes and workshops in all 50 states on a variety of health topics, including child and adolescent development, learning, and motivation, sexuality, HIV/STD and teen pregnancy prevention, tobacco and substance use prevention, nutrition, physical activity, injury prevention, fire and burn safety, stress management, mental health, suicide prevention, life planning, and healthy decision-making. She has also led many seminars on advocacy, managing controversy in health education, and working with parents and administrators to build support for coordinated school health.
Jackie is an avid reader, following research in fields of public health and education, particularly regarding the interplay of health and learning. She is a member of the World Future Society and many other professional organizations. She is the proud grandmother of six and especially enjoys traveling with her sister.
Jackie telecommutes from her home in New Hampshire. She welcomes your e-mails at jsowers@thesociety.org or a call at her home office (dubbed “Society North”) at (603) 926-0744.
Senior Project Manager
Helen Leonard, BS
Helen Leonard is the Senior Project Manager under the Society’s two CDC-DASH funded cooperative agreements for Coordinated School Health and HIV Education. Helen earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Following graduation, Helen worked for the American Lung Association of Northern Virginia (ALANV) where she developed and taught corporate health education programs, including smoking cessation programs and was instrumental in helping companies develop non-smoking worksite policies. Helen also taught ALANV tobacco prevention programs and worked with George Mason University student teachers to conduct these programs throughout schools in Fairfax County. Helen has worked with hospitals and community groups as a health educator for INOVA Health Source where she provided training for student nurses to implement INOVA’s health education programs in the community. Helen is a native of Northern Virginia and enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Finance and Operations Manager
Ruth See
Ruth See, Finance and Operations Manager, has called Virginia her home for over 25 years, and has lived in Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and New York. She received her business training in the Maryland public school system, which has served her well in the many and varied support positions she has held over the years. Her position at the Society requires Ruth to maintain the Society member database, handle accounting, payroll and human resources duties, support the Membership Committee as its staff liaison, and provide membership services.
During her career, Ruth has worked for several Fortune 500 companies and won the designation “Secretary of the Year” from Manpower. Her experience with non-profit organizations includes United Cerebral Palsy (where she appeared on television during a telethon), Day Care Council of Westchester-NY (Betty Shabazz served as President for many years), Health Affairs magazine, Winchester Medical Center (a regional hospital in the Shenandoah Valley) and, over eight years with the Society.
Ruth and her husband, Harold, are the parents of a son and two daughters. They are also the proud grandparents of a grandson, and a granddaughter.
Leadership
Meet Our Leaders!
20010-2011 Leadership
Executive Committee: Responsible for and has authority to conduct the affairs of the Society between Annual Meetings and is the policymaking body of the organization. Meets before and after the Annual Meeting and monthly by conference call.
- Kathleen Courtney (Arkansas), President
- Antionette Meeks (Florida), President-Elect
- Lynn Hammond (South Carolina), Past-President
- Nora Gelperin (New Jersey), Member-At-Large
- Meaghan McClellan (Wyoming), Secretary
- Grant Scheffer (South Carolina), Treasurer
- Betsy Gallun (Maryland), Parliamentarian, ex-officior
Leadership Council: Responsible for Applied Strategic Plan review and recommendations, nominations, records and archives, and constitution and by-laws revision recommendations. Members include all officers, committee chairs and chairs-elect. Meets before the Annual Meeting and during the Applied Strategic Planning meeting. Holds conference calls as necessary.
- Kathleen Courtney (Arkansas), Chair
- Antionette Meeks (Florida), Chair-Elect
- Lynn Hammond (South Carolina)
- Nora Gelperin (New Jersey)
- Meaghan McClellan (Wyoming)
- Grant Scheffer (South Carolina)
- Julane Hill (Nebraska)
- Nichole Wilder (Florida)
- Darrel Lang (Kansas)
- John Ray (Delaware)
- Kyle Guerrant (Michigan)
- Martha Harris (Pennsylvania)
- Sharon Murray (Colorado)
- Pat Stewart (Idaho)
- Johanna Chase (North Carolina)
- Michael Cordier (Florida)
- Suzanne Hidde (Washington)
- Betsy Gallun (Maryland), Parliamentarian, ex-officior
Committees:
Advocacy, Policy and Legislation: Charged with those activities designed to promote and further the Society’s mission among members and related publics. Meets at the Annual Meeting and holds quarterly conference calls through the rest of the year.
- Kyle Guerrant (Michigan) and Martha Harris (Pennsylvania), Co-Chairs
- Sharon Murray (Colorado), Chair-elect
Communications and Marketing: Charged with those activities designed to enhance the Society’s image and visibility, recruit new members, and market the services and products of the Society. Meets at the Annual Meeting and holds quarterly conference calls through the rest of the year.
- Pat Stewart (Idaho), Chair
- Johanna Chase (North Carolina),Chair-elect
Finance: Charged with identification and use of fiscal resources that promote the mission and goals of the Society. Meets at the Annual Meeting and holds quarterly conference calls through the rest of the year.
- Darrel Lang (Kansas), Chair
- John Ray (Delaware), Chair-elect
Membership: Charged with promoting, increasing, and retaining members of the Society. Meets at the Annual Meeting and holds quarterly conference calls through the rest of the year.
- Michael Cordier (Florida), Chair
- Suzanne Hidde (Washington), Chair-elect
Professional Development: Charged with building, strengthening, and supporting the capacity of members to achieve the mission and purposes of the Society. Meets at the Annual Meeting and holds quarterly conference calls through the rest of the year.
- Julane Hill (Nebraska), Chair
- Nichole Wilder (Florida), Chair-elect