Kathleen brings over 15 years of experience in behavioral health across local, regional, and state levels. She holds a Master's of Science in Criminology from Florida State University (2010) and a Master's of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida (2003). Her extensive research background encompasses substance use, mental health, early childhood development, social norms, antisocial behavior, parental influence, sexual violence, and prevention efforts.
As the CEO of Community Coalition Alliance, Kathleen provides ongoing technical assistance and training and serves as a Master Trainer for Florida for the SPF Application for Prevention Success Training (SAPST) Curriculum. Prior to joining CCA, she worked at the Department of Children and Families’ Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH), where she focused on programmatic, clinical, and policy areas. In this role, she served as the Clinical Team Lead, Florida’s National Prevention Network designee, and the State’s Epidemiology Workgroup lead.
Additionally, Kathleen has experience as a Research Associate at Florida State University, collaborating with community coalitions on capacity building and workforce development. She has been involved in grant efforts to address delinquency in rural communities, training and curriculum development for state agencies, and prevention initiatives in higher education.
As the Chief Community Impact Officer of Flagler Cares and One Voice for Volusia, Kristy Amburgey is a trained professional with experience in prevention, community facilitation, communication and marketing development, and implementing evidence-based strategies. Kristy has 25 years of experience working with students and families in developmental and higher education roles. Kristy coordinates substance use prevention efforts by addressing social determinants of health through community convening and capacity building. Kristy has a Bachelor of Science in English and graduate-level coursework in leadership and strategic and project management. Kristy has completed the Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (SAPST), Florida State University Professional Certification in Trauma & Resilience: Level One, Ethics in Prevention, and Certified Instructor training for Responding to Addiction, among other prevention-focused topics.
Vanessa Salmo is a dedicated public health professional with a combined 10 years of experience in quality improvement, health promotion, public health marketing, as well as research and epidemiology. She has experience working at the local and federal levels within the government and non-profit sectors. Currently she is the Epidemiology and Evaluation Director at Community Coalition Alliance where she coordinates data collection and reporting to track overdose and mental health trends which guides strategic prevention planning for coalition development. Vanessa is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Florida where she teaches several public health courses.
Stanley Brizz is Executive Director of Brevard Prevention Coalition in Florida and chairperson of Brevard County’s opioid misuse task force. In addition, he is an addictions and substance misuse counselor for a regional medication assisted treatment (MAT) provider. He has a master’s degree in psychology specializing in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a graduate certificate in Addictions and Substance Abuse Counseling from University of South Florida (USF). Mr. Brizz has managed several substance misuse prevention initiatives for Brevard County and neighboring counties’ coalitions in Florida. These initiatives included large-scale media campaigns sponsored by Central Florida Cares Health System, Inc. and the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families. He has overseen and helped operate school-based substance misuse prevention programs, a mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents, a therapeutic supervised visitation program, a rapid rehousing case management program for individuals with substance use history and prevention initiatives funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Drug-Free Communities Grant support program, the Substance Abuse and Health Administration (SAMHSA), local school districts, and municipalities. Mr. Brizz is a frequent presenter and exhibitor at the national annual Rx & Illicit Drug Summit and similar events. Locally, he has participated on the Together In Partnership (T.I.P.) steering committee of the Brevard County Board of Commissioners in Florida, serves on the Continuum of Care (CoC) advisory council for Brevard Homeless Coalition and is Vice Board Chair of Florida High School for Accelerated Learning - Brevard, Inc. (Riverside Charter High School).
