Serves as the director and founder of the Blessings in a Backpack programs in Jacksonville, FL and also the the first Blessings program in New Jersey. He works to raise funds and promote the Blessings program on both a local and national level. He is also a partner in a large Radiology group in Florida.
Sara joined the Board of Directors for Blessings in a Backpack Jacksonville in 2010 after working with Blessings programs in Hawaii and Phoenix. Sara is the Executive Director of the PGA TOUR Wives Association, a not for profit that supports children and their families through charitable events and has been a part of the organization since it formed in 1988. Employed by PGA TOUR in the Player Relations department as Director of Special Programs, she handles a myriad of responsibilities in addition to her role with the PTWA. Sara is married to Greg and they have four children. She serves on local non-profit boards in her own community, and is passionate about volunteerism and helping others. Serving on the Board of Directors with Blessings in a Backpack - Jacksonville provides her the opportunity to help raise awareness about the plight of hungry children in our community. Her goal is to assist in the expansion of the program around the First Coast of Florida through strategic planning, communications and fundraising efforts.
Beth Spreitzer left her position in the corporate world 5 years ago to concentrate on her family. As her daughter entered kindergarten it was her wish to be active in the classroom and school for her. She was not aware that her volunteering would lead to so many avenues at Seabreeze Elementary and in the community. Beth now serves on the PTA board at Seabreeze Elementary, as well as participates in many volunteer opportunities in and out of the classroom. One of the opportunities Beth was able to be very instrumental in was the Blessings in a Backpack program, which serves approximately 200 children at Seabreeze Elementary school. With her involvement, Beth now serves on the Blessings in a Backpack Board of Jacksonville and continues to strive towards the effort of not only bringing awareness to this program locally, but the addition of other schools to serve the children in our county that have this need.
Steve DiMattia is a Jacksonville, Florida based freelance and copy writer specializing in education, science and business. He also served as a principal, special education teacher and science coach for 15 years with Duval County Public Schools.
Tabitha was born in Torrence, California and raised in Columbus , Ohio. She graduated from Beechcroft high school and The Ohio State University with a degree in Elementary Education, earning teaching certification for grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Tabitha is currently serving the following charitable foundations -Active Member of the PGA TOUR Wives Association, The Monique Burr Children's Foundation and The Mal Washington Kids Foundation, Honarary and working Chair for The 2010 Pink Ribbon Golf Classic, Honorary Co-chair person for The PLAYERS Benefit for The Arts, Member of the Board for Community Hospice and Chair of Leading Fundraiser for Community Hospice Pedscare event, spokesperson for the 2010-2011 Capital campaign for Wolfson's Children Hospital in Jacksonville, FL and proud mother of two children, Cali (7 1/2) , Tanner (6) and wife to Jim Furyk.
Lauren is a graduate from the University of Florida with a Masters of Science in Nursing. She is currently employed as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner specializing in pulmonary medicine in Jacksonville. Previously, Lauren served as the Executive Director of a local non-profit, the CHILD Cancer Fund, for over four years raising funds for children battling childhood cancer. Her goal is to use her experience in fundraising to continue to expand the programs of Blessings in a Backpack.
Gregory, who is a graduate from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts and who has worked on such movies as Days of Thunder, Prince of Tides and Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken moved to New York City to pursue his passion for modeling and acting after receiving a modeling contract with the then famous mens agency, ZOLI. While he started acting and modeling, Greg went on to sign with eight (8) agencies across the United States including ones in Atlanta, Chicago, Milwaukee, Greensboro, Washington DC and Los Angeles. While living in New York, Greg begun working for the industry recognized publishing company, Peter Glenn Publications and by age of 27, bought the industry giant and still runs the publishing division today. Peter Glenn Publications can be found at www.pgdirect.com
In 2001, Gregory moved to Florida and launched his first production company. Gregory has worked for such clients as CosmoGIRL, ELLEgirl, Rampage, Simon Malls, Miss Sixty, MasterCard and Universal Studios. ESB Productions is a production company that focuses it's energies in all aspects of Film, TV, Photo and Fashion Show production. Gregory created the well known modeling contest "So You Want To Be A Model," which has been featured on E! News with Ryan Seacrest and discovered some of today's rising stars including megastar actress Amber Heard (North County, Pineapple Express, The Stepfather, The Joneses). Amber is currently filming Drive Angry opposite Nicholas Cage and just finished filming her 26th project opposite Johnny Depp in the upcoming 2010 feature film The Rum Diary.
Gregory is also the creator of the performing arts Talent Camp at Universal Studios in Los Angeles (www.TalentCampatUniversal.com), which is a 4-day motivational interactive workshop series for aspiring talent and their parents about the business of the entertainment industry taught by top industry VIP's, talent agents and casting directors. In January 2009, Gregory created an acting workshop program titled "A Day with the President" with Disney TV star John D'Aquino, who plays President Martinez on Cory in the House and Hannah Montana and Camp Hollywood, a six (6) day acting camp held in Los Angeles with top Disney stars and casting directors.
Today as part of Safe Schools and Character Education, Gregory is a cleared business partner with the Palm Beach School District and often speaks at schools across the country sharing his philosophy of being a positive thinker and role model with the hopes of empowering kids and teens to explore their passion and entrepreneurial spirit.
Jill Johnson is currently the Director of Communications and Media Relations for Duval County Public Schools (DCPS). In this role, she leads all of the district's proactive, reactive and crisis communications efforts; plans and executes public information programs and strategies that promote school district policies, programs, events and priorities; and interfaces with media outlets on a daily basis. Prior to her employment at DCPS, she worked for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a Public Relations Manager and in the Communications office of former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney.
Nikki Kimbleton is an Anchor and Consumer Reporter for the morning show on WJXT Channel 4. An award winning journalist, Nikki has worked in several TV markets throughout the southeast covering all kinds of uplifting and heartbreaking stories. What she's most proud of in her career is helping to make animal cruelty a felony in the state of Alabama. Nikki is a proud graduate of Troy State University. She loves to volunteer and is active in several charities including; Blessings In A Backpack, The Jacksonville Humane Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation, American Cancer Society, ElderSource and CHILD Cancer Fund. In her spare time, Nikki loves traveling with her husband, surfing facebook and paying lots of attention to her two dogs; Wookie, a four-pound Pomeranian and Booger, an overweight Border Collie who's terrified of thunder.
Scott Kimbleton has a very personal connection to Blessings in a Backpack. His mother, Martha Lewis, started a branch of the charity in a small town in North Carolina where she was a pastor. After helping her handout bags to the kids one Friday, he knew he wanted to be involved in the program where he lived. After his mother passed away, Scott and his wife created "Martha's Mix" in honor of her. The profits from the sale of the seasoning go to the Blessings in a Backpack program.
Scott graduated from North Carolina State University and is a Senior Managing Consultant for IBM. He and his wife, Nikki, live in Jacksonville Beach.
Christine Reitz was drawn to Blessings in a Backpack because of her love for children. She is the mother of two, Rina 16 and Tommy 17. Christine currently works as Consumer Sales Manager, Vice President for Regions Bank where she has worked for 11 years, and as Sales Manager for the past 6 years. She manages 15 out of the 27 branches of their Retail bank. Prior to that, Christine was Branch Manager for various locations at Regions/AmSouth, and prior to that, Barnett Bank. She attended Barnett's Management Training Program in 1996 and attributes much of her success in banking to that opportunity. Christine has also served on several boards over the years, and even made her rounds through the Chamber of Commerce for the Arlington Council. For the past three years, she was an Age Group Director for the Greater Arlington Soccer Club. She was also recently the Co-Chair for the United Way Campaign at the Regions Bank, and she continues to do anything and everything that is asked of her.
Krista was born and raised in Louisville, KY and worked for Stan Curtis 24 years ago at J.C. Bradford. When she met Stan, he had just started Kentucky Harvest and asked her to coordinate the volunteers who picked up the food and delivered to the local missions. Krista did that for a year before she moved to Jacksonville, and she and Stan have kept in touch ever since.
Krista has worked for San Jose Country Club for 18 years in membership services. She has three grown children who also live and work in Jacksonville.
Charlene Shirk joined the PGA TOUR headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida in 2007. She is the Director of Community Relations for THE PLAYERS Championship and TPC Sawgrass. Charlene’s role at the PGA TOUR is to communicate the positive impact that the tournament’s volunteers, sponsors and fans make on the First Coast. Millions of dollars are donated to the local community as the result of this world class event held in May.
Prior to joining the PGA TOUR, Charlene was best known as the friendly face of the weekend newscasts on First Coast News, the local NBC and ABC affiliate. During her ten years at First Coast News, Charlene spearheaded the ambitious “Operation Backpack.” Under her guidance, “Operation Backpack” provided thousands of foster children on the First Coast with necessary personal items, gifts and mentors during their time in foster care.
During her fifteen years of broadcasting, this national award-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist took pride in proving that people are at the heart of every great story. Charlene is the recipient of The Harold A. Maio Journalism Award for her news coverage of mental wellness, the Sigma Delta Chi Award for ‘Excellence in Journalism’ and the Gabrielle Award, sponsored by Catholic Communicators working in radio and television.
Charlene is a select member of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s “Up and Coming Professionals on the First Coast, a board member of The Cathedral Arts Project and The First Tee of Jacksonville.
On a lighter note, Florida Times-Union subscribers recognized Charlene as “The Most Crush-Worthy Female Celebrity,” in Jacksonville, she was voted the “Best Hairdo in Town” by Folio Magazine readers and in 2009 selected “Best Local Pitchman.” Charlene won the “Stars Dance for the Castle,” ball room dance competition in 2008, taking home the trophy and personally raising several thousand dollars for Pinecastle, a local non-profit that serves the developmentally disabled.
Charlene has an Associates degree in Sociology and a Bachelors of Science from Jacksonville University in Marketing.
Michelle Tesori, Vice President of Foundation Management for The Champions Fund & Prometheus Sports, has more than 15 years of experience in sports marketing, corporate sponsorship and relationship management. With a unique background in marketing at both the corporate and nonprofit levels, Tesori excels in building lifelong relationships with corporate partners and clients alike. Under the umbrella of The Champions Fund, Tesori is personally responsible for managing the Greg Jones' Lead Block Foundation (Jacksonville Jaguars), Donovin Darius Foundation (Jaguars), Drayton Florence Foundation (Detroit Lions), Mike Peterson Foundation (Atlanta Falcons), Will Allen Foundation (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Tara Costa's Inspire Change Foundation (The Biggest Loser season 7 media personality). In addition, she oversees the partnership management side of the Vincent Lecavalier Foundation (Tampa Bay Lightning).
A native of Burlington, Vermont and a graduate of the University of Vermont, Tesori's work in the professional sports industry began in college and has continued throughout her career. Moving to Florida in early 2000, Tesori enjoyed several successful years in the corporate sales and marketing department at MLB's Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. Growing up with a younger sister who is profoundly deaf, Tesori eventually left the Rays to accept the position of Vice President of Development for Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf in Clearwater, Florida where she was responsible for all fundraising, community and public relations activities.
Prior to joining The Champions Fund staff in early 2010, Tesori spent four years as the Senior Director of Partnership Services & Special Projects for Lulu.com and MRX Associates, a north American sports marketing company, where she and her staff were responsible for the overall satisfaction of key business partnerships. Tesori was responsible for developing and implementing a new customer service program and managed several professional sports relationships, including the PGA TOUR's Ford Championship at Doral.
Currently residing in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Tesori passionately enjoys an active lifestyle with her husband Paul, with whom she co-founded the Tesori Family Foundation whose mission is to lend a helping hand, provide hope and heal hearts for under-privileged children. In her spare time, she can be found teaching boot camp classes and volunteering at numerous community programs and initiatives.