Three up-and-coming community leaders have been named to receive the first-ever Emerging Leader Awards, sponsored by community advocates Bill and Barbara Little. An award presentation at the Collaboration Celebration luncheon on February 28, 2023 kicks off the program, where each recipient will receive a $1,000 grant to develop their leadership goals.
The awardees are Kelly Duyn, Assistant Director of Education and Community Engagement at Venice Theatre awarded in the category of arts and culture; Dana LeBlanc, Assistant Director at Faces of Accomplishment awarded in the category of human services; and Tiona Settles, Community Health Worker at CenterPlace Health awarded in the category of physical and behavioral health.
Bill and Barbara Little have spent decades working in the community. “During my career in health and human services and Barbara’s time in public health and nursing education, we both worked with many talented individuals who, early in their careers, demonstrated a passion and capacity to be an engaged and collaborative leader,” said Bill Little. “This is our way of continuing to encourage and support emerging leaders of today who will guide our community in the future.”
“Glasser/Schoenbaum was founded by leaders determined to make an impact on this community, and we are honored to provide support to those that will continue that work.,” said Charlene Altenhain, Executive Director of Glasser/Schoenbaum. “I was moved by the impressive submissions received in the first year of the program. These emerging leaders foster optimism for the future and inspire us all to do better.”
Tickets for the February 28 Collaboration Celebration are $90 and can be purchased through February 17. The event will take place at Michael’s On East (1212 S East Ave, Sarasota) from 11:30am – 1:00pm.
Kelly Duyn, Assistant Director of Education & Community Engagement, Venice Theatre
Ms. Duyn holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Central Florida, teaching certifications in multiple disciplines and a 20 year teaching resume that encompasses working with students in exceptional education, coaching a nationally ranked speech and debate team, and developing as well as running theatre programs for elementary through high school both in the US and in China. In addition to directing shows throughout the year and being onstage herself, she enjoys giving back to her community by facilitating theatre workshops with local schools/club/organizations and by reading to classrooms through Embracing Our Differences or collaborating with other arts education programmers in our area to bring new arts education opportunities to the community whenever possible.
Dana LeBlanc, Assistant Director, Faces of Accomplishment
Dana LeBlanc is from Atlanta, Georgia and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. She did public relations for a large cable company before moving to Sarasota and staying home with her two daughters for many years. When reentering the workforce, Dana felt called to work within the field of social work. In addition to volunteering, she currently is employed as the Quality and Utilization Management Liaison for the Safe Children Coalition (child welfare agency) in addition to her work with Faces of Accomplishment.
Tiona Settles, Community Health Worker, CenterPlace Health
Tiona Settles is a certified community health worker with CenterPlace Health where she is part of a team focused on delivering quality, affordable health services in a compassionate and caring manner. She is a Florida native – born and raised in Manatee County. After high school graduation, she moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida A & M University where she graduated with a Master of Public Health. Her professional journey includes working with the Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Department of Health, and Sarasota County Health Department. Because of her personal experience in the foster care system, Tiona is passionate about supporting youth in challenging situations.
Real estate is one of the greatest costs in a business budget. Our partnership with The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center allows more money to go towards our mission. And what better place to house our office than on a campus with nineteen other outreach agencies.
Collaboration is key to the success of our work. The Campus of Caring is a unique space where we can easily join forces with other agencies to make the best use of our resources and maximize our community impact. The affordable rent allows us to allocate more funds to our mission of transforming the lives of students and their families.
As a small organization with a staff of two, employee safety was a big consideration when we were looking for office space. We did not want our employees to be in a place where they were alone. Being on the GSHSC campus has been great because there is a whole community of like-minded professionals.
