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Board of Directors
CTC's Board of Directors consists of seven volunteer leaders who collectively bring to the table a wealth of knowledge that is applicable to the substance abuse prevention and education efforts of the coalition. They each are key volunteer leaders in (and for) the coalition. A summary of their relevant experience is as follows:
Michele Baranaskas (Treasurer) holds a Master of Social Work degree from West Virginia University. She has worked in the area of collaborative community organization for over nine years, focusing on promoting positive health outcomes and the prevention of substance abuse and child abuse and neglect.
Jessica Hudson is the Program Director for the Salvation Army's Boys and Girls Club of Charleston. Jessica brings over 10 years of experience working in the non-profit sector in the areas of program and development. She is a certified NASA educator which provides further opportunities for the CTC to work with and educate young people throughout the county.
Patty Deutsch (Board Chair) is the Tobacco Policy Director for the Wellness Council of West Virginia. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in both West Virginia and North Carolina. She currently holds specialty certifications in Addictions and Tobacco Treatment and offers private therapy sessions on a part-time basis in the Charleston area. She currently leads the "Parents, Families, and Work" imitative for CTC. Patty delivers the program Kanawha County businesses and employees to identify, address, and support substance abuse programs for all employees. It is through this program that Patty addresses the importance of not serving alcohol to teens/hosting drinking parties for youth.
Judy Crabtree is a seasoned non-profit manager with over 22 years of professional experience. Her areas of expertise include public relations and marketing, volunteer management, health promotion, program development, and fund-raising. Judy has served as the Executive Director for the Kanawha Coalition for Community Health Improvement since 2002. Judy serves on the West Virginia Governor's Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being. Judy is the previous Chair of CTC's Board of Directors and played a vital role in the steering committee which began the CTC process in 2004.
Valerie Taylor has served as the Project Director of the Combating Underage Drinking grant program for the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office since 2001. Valerie is an integral component of CTC's prevention initiatives and strategies. She takes a leading role in planning, implementing, and assessing Compliance Checks, Shoulder Taps, and Cops in Shops. She is a certified Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) instructor. Additionally, she implements a 6-week underage drinking program for 5th Grade students, and has done so for 5 years. She conducts monthly presentations to groups at the Sojourner's Women's Shelter and the Kanawha County Youth Day Reporting Center.
Michelle Foster has served as the Treasurer for Kanawha Communities That Care and has been active with the group from its inception. Ms. Foster completed her doctorate in Community Economic Development in May, 2010 and has master's degrees in community economic development and engineering management. She has undergone training from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Training Institute and is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional and Housing Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council. A former chemical engineer, Michelle is currently the CEO of the Kanawha Institute for Social Research and Action, Inc. (KISRA) and has served in this capacity since 1998. Over the years, she has managed to obtain over $10 million dollars in grants. Michelle has presented a number of conferences, including some on a national level such as the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services -- Community Economic Development Grantee Conference in Washington, DC.
Patty McGrew (Vice-Chair) is the Director of the Adolescent Health Initiative for West Virginia, housed through the Office of Child, Maternal, and Family Health. Patty has 14 years of experience in public health, focusing on youth programs -- including risk reduction and curriculum implementation. She oversees an annual budget of $1.2 million dollars and serves on numerous boards and advisory groups.
