Our Team
LaQuaria “LQ” Barton, Lead Educational Advocate
Aletha “Le” Ruffin, Educational Advocate\
Harry Reed, Resilience Navigator
Melissa Kerce, Restorative Justice Coordinator
Ellis Curry, Restorative Justice Specialist
Dimitri Brewer, Youth Action Coordinator/Circle Keeper
Ratna Arora, Children’s Ombudsperson
Betsy Dobbins, Executive Director
Our Board
Cheryl Barnett – Former Senior Vice President, First Tennessee Bank
Jeff Goldhagen, M.D. – Professor and Chief Community and Societal Pediatrics, UF College of Medicine- Jacksonville
Jennifer Hayes – Regional Executive, Community Banking, Bank OZK
Susie Marchese – Vice President, Vendor Onboarding, CIT Bank
Denise Marzullo, MBA, LMHC – President/CEO, Early Learning Coalition Duval
Lara Nezami, Esq. – Partner, Finnell, McGuinness, Nezami & Andux P.A.
Dennis Stone, Esq. – Director, Center for Advocacy and Social Justice and General Counsel at Jacksonville Urban League Inc.
Jeanne Ward, MA – Child Advocate; Staff member under four Jacksonville mayor administrations: Jake Godbold, Tommy Hazouri, Ed Austin and John Delaney; Economic Development Consultant; Author
Ex Officio Board Members
Laura Lothman Lambert, Esq. – Juvenile Division Director of the Office of the State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit
Founding Board Member in Memoriam
Rob Mason, Esq. – former Juvenile Division Director of the Office of the Public Defender, 4th Judicial Circuit