Bob Graham Center for Public Service

She also helps develop, initiate, and evaluate the effectiveness of community programs, manage funding opportunities, engage in advocacy efforts, collaborate with community and government partners, and mobilize volunteer support. Having previously worked as a journalist, a town manager, and a director of a Sylvan Learning Center, she is intent on building an empowered and self-sufficient community and is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with others dedicated to doing the same.

She helped to develop and launch the first coresponder team in 2021, which is composed of a paramedic and clinician that work with dedicated senior intervention specialists at the Sheriff’s Office to address age-related concerns with a focus on baker acts, jail, and hospital diversions. She hopes this model will become a statewide practice to allow individuals to age in place with dignity.

She works on projects aiming to lessen barriers to care by connecting individuals to the centers, increasing health education, and addressing socioeconomic determinants of health. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, she spearheaded a community-driven vaccination campaign with the objective of ensuring the maximal vaccination of community members against COVID-19. Overall, her projects contribute to the health and safety of her county’s residents.

She reaches out and works with the administrators, teachers, students, and the families of this school district, actively working on mental health awareness. She is excited for this opportunity to expand her knowledge on issues that affect the counties she is actively involved in!

Her work has also been dedicated to the younger population by assisting the start of the Community Action Coalition which supports the youth and brings awareness to the danger of substance abuse among younger generations. She is excited for this opportunity as it is a great stepping stone in helping create a healthy community where everyone has access to quality healthcare.

After major hurricane Michael in 2018, she participated as a group leader in a community mental health assessment to conduct surveillance of Bay County, Florida residents directly impacted by the catastrophic storm. The goal of the surveillance was to identify the major stressors post storm residents experienced. Through the Academy she aims to learn how to lead by example, interact successfully with my community and ultimately change lives for the better.

She has been a leader in several different foundations and groups, along with also developing a sports organization named Batista Volleyball Academy and where she supervises the leadership program among all of the athletes. As a leader and advocate for her CODA and Latino community, she is honored and excited for this opportunity.”

Additionally, she also had the opportunity to be a part of the Marion County Co-Responder team, which pairs a Community Paramedic with a behavioral health specialist. On this team she is able to offer guidance in terms of the legislative process and advocate for policy that support the expansion of the community. Ultimately, she has identified that working together, in terms of a multifaceted approach, would benefit the community as a whole.

The bulk of individuals served by the United Way are members of the “ALICE” population (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed). She has led UWLS and volunteers in the community including churches, higher institutions and other businesses to raise, collect and distribute food annually around the holidays and the time of when children are home from school. Through her leadership serving Lake and Sumter counties, she is eager to learn and take action on making healthier communities.

He helped lead to address challenges faced by Veterans in rural communities regarding awareness and utilization of health benefits. In 2023 he was awarded the Achievement Award by the National Association of Counties for his “Veterans Benefits in Rural Communities Public Education Campaign”, and he is excited to further develop this project during the Academy.

also manages the Health Education outreach activities and programs, working with other leaders to educate the community on a variety of topics such as drowning prevention, health equity, and health community. She is an active leader and voice in her community with over two decades of preventative work.

Additionally, he was also a main initiator behind the streamlining of emergency communications in Sumter County by leading the transitions to Next Generation 911 services. With the effective use of technology, it can be ensured that there is optimum utilization of resources, enhancing community safety. Ultimately, Kennedy blends technological strategies with public safety goals, ensuring a technological alignment with Sumter County’s needs.