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