My name is Dawn Melani, Charter School Principal. This is my 4th year with Easterseals.

My Primary responsibilities as the Principal are handling all of the day-to-day operations of the Charter School including teacher and paraprofessional supervision and training.

I enjoy building strong relationships with families. Our students benefit in so many ways when they have a strong home-school connection.

I believe to be successful you have to grow both personally and professionally. I have set my goals high and I’m committed to learning everything I can about my position. I embrace change and that has helped be grow personally as well.

I want to be known as the person any staff member or parent can go to for support or resources.
I love to be a mentor, help and give back!

I hope that when people think about Easterseals, they think about all the valuable child development and educational services we provide to help guide parents through the preschool years.
 

Easterseals offers public recognition and personal thanks to Rep Tom Leek and Sen Tom Wright for their efforts on our behalf to secure and maintain important funding for our Autism Center of Excellence.  In a budget year riddled with pandemic related caution and concern, and nearly, our advocates fought hard to serve our families. An appropriation of $250,000 was approved and is being utilized today to guide dozens of local families towards a definitive diagnosis of autism and evidence-based interventions for the best chance of childhood and lifetime success.

"We are so excited, grateful, and appreciative of the renewal and increase of funding for our Autism Center of Excellence, and the statewide expansion of the PLAY Project.  Our autism program staff, in particular, is already preparing to start the new fiscal year strong.  In the month of May, 2021, their volume grew from an average of 40-60 physician referrals each month to a whopping 89 referrals!  Each referral represents a family and physician that has significant concerns about their child's development, in most cases a family that is significantly underinsured, and an entire team of folks eager to help their child succeed!  They are so very grateful for the services we are able to provide." ~ Dorothy Lefford, Vice President Clinical Services 

A fairly new and special category of recognition for Easterseals staff is our Emerging Leaders awards. These select staff members have been nominated by their supervisor for overall initiative and growth mindset for our organization. 

Bobby Cyril, Supervisor, Case Management, Pediatric Specialty Therapy Services
Bobby is new to Easterseals but has jumped in with 2 feet to learn case management and research next steps to elevate the team to Targeted case managers. He was promoted to SOAR manager and has held two successful programs with teens promoting social skills, wellness and nutrition as well as Activities of Daily Living (ADL's). He has a gift for structure, organization and mentoring lending which definitely are qualities of rising leaders. Bobby also is a graduate of this years IMPACT Team.

Brenna Giblock, Program Manager, Easterseals Early Steps, North Beaches
Brenna K. Giblock, MSW Program Manager, Early Steps North Beaches, is responsible for assisting the Program Director with implementing the State Early Steps program locally, supervision of Early Steps program staff as well as meeting the needs and responsibilities of program staff, and maintenance of grant standards to meet the needs of Early Steps clients and their families.  In everything she does, Brenna exemplifies her philosophy for her leadership success which  lies in one simple concept -being approachable, listening - ensuring both families and staff feel heard.

Jillian Overbey, Charter School Teacher, Easterseals Charter School, Daytona
Jillian has recently stepped into a new role connecting the Charter School and the Early Childhood Education Center in Daytona. Jill is ever so eager to assist wherever is needed and is bringing her knowledge of ESE to the afterschool programming. Jill is always upbeat and happy and her energy is contagious.

Niki Roberts, Assistant Director, Early Childhood Education Center, Daytona
Niki is a new staff member to Easterseals, but has jumped in with both feet. Niki truly leads by example. There is not anything Niki isn’t willing to do….open the facility, run children to the classrooms, jump into a classroom, meet with parents. And Niki does it all with a smile.

 Crystal Smithers, Family Service Coordinator Supervisor-Early Steps
Crystal is known to go the extra mile in all that she does. She was a member of the first IMPACT Team and this year she took a lead role on the planning committee. She shares her knowledge and experience as part of the team as well as Easterseals Early Steps as a whole. During the last year Early Steps brought on quite a few new Family Service Coordinators and Crystal has worked to enhance the trainings used and took on training many of the new FSC staff. She does not shy away from any task given.
 
Two of the leaders that we spotlighted last year as Emerging Leaders, have indeed, gone on towards promotions and increased responsibilities in their field.
 
Allison Berard, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, has taken on a new initiative, and a newly launching Behavior Services Program as Manager.
 
Gabriella Goeke, Assistant Director of Clinical Services, Speech-Language Pathologist was promoted recently in a newly created position to help manage our increased volume in pediatric specialty therapy services.
 
Congratulations to Easterseals Emerging Leaders!
 
 

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Of all the dynamic prior recipients of Easterseals highest award, the Power of Hope Award, formerly the Lily Award, one common theme among all of the collective accomplishments is dedication. Dedication that is sustained.  Dedication that is measured by acts of true service and sincere giving.  Dedication that is driven by intense passion for the clients that Easterseals serves, and the families who love them.

Last year, we were honored to award the inaugural Power of Hope Award to Kelly Parsons Kwiatek.

This year, we are honored to present the 2021 Power of Hope Award to the Rotary Club of Daytona Beach.  The Rotary Club of Daytona Beach has hosted it's annual Golf Tournament for 40+ years to benefit Easterseals mission. During the height of the pandemic, they not only conducted a successful belated 40th anniversary event, but also rallied to get back on schedule just 8 short months later for the 41st year.

Both events exceeded expectations and pushed the total monies raised over the years over the $1 million mark!! Rosaria Upchurch, Dean Kurtz, Sheryl Cook and  Bev Johnson accepted the award on behalf of the Rotary Club.

Easterseals is grateful for all of our volunteers year-round in the classrooms, special events, our holiday party and more. They are a loving extension of our staff and support the work that we do.  There are some special folks that go above and beyond and we honor a few of our most involved.

​Project Linus Volusia and their “Blanketeers” The volunteer “blanketeers” affiliated with Project Linus – both men and women – create beautiful handmade fleece and crocheted blankets and gift them to Easterseals about every six weeks.  Their mission is to give “comfort blankets” to children in need, including new clients in therapy, Early Steps, audiology, and our classrooms, including Project Warm. They are beautiful!

John Yesolonia and PC Construction – A young, new dad with construction experience, John has volunteered to use his design and construction skills to help our Daytona center childhood staff and therapists build items for our clients that are normally cost-prohibitive for parents and clients.

Andy Peterson - Andy volunteered at the last minute on both occasions to help us with the Early Learning Coalition Annual Duck Race event- coming in 2nd place! and the Daytona Beach Rotary Club Annual golf tournament. He researched who we were before participating, wanting to be part of something meaningful for the community and was such a good sport and genuinely excited to help.

Generation Impact of United Way -  Special thanks to the amazing crew of young professionals from the Generation Impact team of United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties. They’ve helped us several Saturdays with some prep as we reimagine and redesign our Early Childhood Center classrooms. More to come!!

We always appreciate the kindness and intentionality when folks choose to enhance our mission with their time, talents and expertise. Thank you!

Bev Johnson, President/CEO presented Attorney Channing Coolidge, the Excellence in Advocacy Award at our annual meeting at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach. 

​"Channing is an advocate for Easterseals Northeast Central Florida in so many ways. I count on him to ask hard questions and talk through various situations that impact our operations. I know I can always pick up the phone and call him and he will thoughtfully and intentionally provide his thoughts. His insight is so very valuable and his passion for Easterseals' success is unparalleled."

Easterseals Northeast Central Florida held our annual meeting at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach this week to honor and recognize some of the best, hardest working staff, volunteers and clients in the world!  We have one of the best volunteer boards in our area with a healthy make up of seasoned, long term Easterseals supporters and a new class of diverse volunteers with a fresh set of ideas and experiences to help drive us into the future. Lifetime Honorary Director Sheryl Cook  had the privilege to introduce our Officers, Dr. Steve Sevigny, Chairman of the Board, Radiology Associates, Melissa Burt DeVriese, Chair-Elect, Security First Insurance, Paul Schandel, Vice Chair, Reames Employee Benefit Solutions, Ed Dimayuga, Vice Chair, Legacy Law, Holly Zitza, Treasurer, Cobb Cole. Nancy-Ellen Otte, Secretary, Century 21 Sundance Realty and Lauren Burkhalter, Immediate Past Chair, Morgan Stanley.

We welcomed our New Board Members, Stephanie Benedict, Legislative Aide for Representative Tom Leek (District 25), Dr. Angie Gianini, pediatrician, Halifax Children’s Medical Center Clinics, Ormond and Palm Coast, Steve Mach, Director of Patient Services, Halifax Health and Ashley Leonhardt Lee, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, ‎Tom Cook Jeweler, and celebrated our active and honorary board members in attendance.  It is due to the officers’ excellent leadership and the commitment of the entire board that Easterseals is a thriving, growing and dynamic organization.

My name is Kimberly Jackson. I have 4 children. After working as a physical education teacher for 12 years, I went back to school to get my Masters in Occupational Therapy (OT). I have been an OT with Easterseals for 2 years.


My primary responsibilities are completing evaluations and treatments for children to help them access their daily activities. I help clients and their families learn about self-care skills, classroom work, social interactions with peers, and play.  It is our goal to increase their ability to accomplish these daily life skills.   


I enjoy the opportunity to  develop creative and progressive treatment strategies, centered on a child's interests, to motivate them toward their goals.  Every child has a variety of goals, challenges, fears and have various ways of being motivated.

The team-focused environment at Easterseals provides the opportunity to share ideas and facilitate growth with our kiddos. The advantage to our clients is the ability to treat each child in a more cohesive manner to generalize skills from one discipline to another.  

 Working with the team at Easterseals I have grown personally and professionally. My work environment has increased my observational skills during my evaluations. I am able to better analyze each child’s strengths and weaknesses. I also have become a better supervisor thanks to my tremendous COTA staff here at Easterseals. 

When people think about Easterseals, I hope they think of us as a caring community with a child centered mindset. Also, a place where their children feel safe and are excited to visit each week.  

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Easterseals is proud to introduce a NEW resource for local families in our Pediatric Navigator, Terriyon Kendrick, MSW.  Through a partnership with the Early Learning Coalition, the lead agency for a County of Volusia CFAB grant for Family Supports and Services, Easterseals Pediatric Navigator provides Case Management services for children ages 1-22 years of age with a complex mental, emotional, developmental and behavioral disability. Pediatric Navigators assist patients and their family with identifying services for these disabilities.

Terriyon is excited about his new role and career at Easterseals along with the opportunity of building relationships and helping families identify their strengths. He mentioned his excitement in "..the interaction with families and the patients. I love helping people in general but I get satisfaction out of supporting at risk patients and families that need assistance. I love the feeling of being there for our families and their smiles after help is provided."

"An advantage I see" says Terriyon, "is building relationships. Being a part of this team-focused environment, I knowthe families I serve will get the help and services they need . 

"Terriyon worked for Easterseals when he was interning in college, and understands how important help from our community partners is to identify clients who may otherwise fall through the cracks, "I believe people don’t understand all that I can do and provide for them. I not only connect families with service providers, I also do the research to ensure our families receive all of the supportive services available.

"Terriyon encourages families to reach out to him, "I’d like to be known for being a strong advocate for children and families who feel helpless. I’d like to also be known for caring for children and families for who they are, being limitless with the help I provide, and building lasting relationships with all of my clients."

​For more information about Pediatric Navigator services, contact Terriyon Kendrick, MSW, Pediatric Navigator at Tkendrick@esnecfl.org or by phone at 386-255-4568 ext. 308