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Our October 2022 Guests

October 2, 2022

Congrats 2022 Woman With Heart, Pat Gillum Sams…
“A Healthy Community Is A Whole Community!”

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Jennifer Gornto Ryan, MPH

Chief Executive Officer
Volunteers in Medicine, Jacksonville

Jennifer Ryan is the CEO of Volunteers in Medicine, a non profit clinic that serves the working uninsured. Jennifer is a fifth generation North Floridian with a proven reputation in building and sustaining community partnerships with experience in health care at the national, county and hospital levels. She is recognized for being innovative, creative, outgoing, team oriented, adaptable, and professional with expertise in:Fundraising,Public Health, Marketing Digital and Social Media, Program Evaluation, Community Health and Data Analysis.

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In the role of Chief Executive Officer, Ryan is responsible for providing leadership of the organization’s medical operations, program development, staff and volunteer management, as well as fundraising. Ryan most recently served as the Executive Director of the Ponte Vedra YMCA a branch of the First Coast YMCA where she directed strategic planning efforts, fundraising campaigns, and built and strengthened relationships for community development and collaboration. Prior to that, she held positions with the Centers for Disease Control, Duval County Health Department, Brooks Rehabilitation and Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition.

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Barbara Darby, Ed.D

Retired Florida State College
Campus President & Community Trustee

A member of Woodlawn Presbyterian Church since relocating to Jacksonville from New York in 1972, Dr. Barbara Ann Darby retired as president of the North Campus and the Nassau Center of Florida State College at Jacksonville in July 2015.  She held this position since 1998.  Dr. Darby received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Hunter College in New York,  a Master of Education degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida.  She received her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida.  She gives God, the Center of her life, all praise and glory for whatever she has accomplished

October 2, 2022

Triumph Over Tragedy:
The Breast Cancer Survivors’ Journey 

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Barbara Darby, Ed.D

Retired Florida State College
Campus President & Community Trustee

A member of Woodlawn Presbyterian Church since relocating to Jacksonville from New York in 1972, Dr. Barbara Ann Darby retired as president of the North Campus and the Nassau Center of Florida State College at Jacksonville in July 2015.  She held this position since 1998.  Dr. Darby received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Hunter College in New York,  a Master of Education degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida.  She received her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida.  She gives God, the Center of her life, all praise and glory for whatever she has accomplished

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April Shows

Eight-Year Breast Cancer Survivor
”Pink Box” Ministry 
Senior Manager
General Motors, Oakland County, Michigan 

April is an eight-year Breast Cancer Survivor herself and has served
on the American Cancer Society’s Event Leadership Team (ELT) for
Oakland County over the last 7 years. She leads a team and has
raised over $10K to support the cause. She takes joy in her “Pink
Box” ministry – a “God Idea” where she blesses ladies, sometimes
strangers, through their journey. The Pink Box is filled with goodies,
with the hope to encourage and brighten their day.
Her passion for helping and serving others extends into her church,
Word of Faith International Christian Center. She has served as a
team leader on the Operation Blessing Auxiliary for over 15 years.
This team is responsible for providing food and clothing to those in
need and leading their annual Turkey & Toy Distribution programs.

October 30, 2022

Triumph Over Tragedy:
Sickle Cell Disease Warriors

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Selena Webster-Bass,
MPH, DMin

Founder/CEO
Voices Institute, LLC
Executive Director
Richard Webster-Bass Health Institute, Inc.

Selena Webster-Bass, M.P.H., is a Jacksonville, Florida native with more than 20 years of experience in cultural and linguistic competence, health equity and community health. Selena has an undergraduate B.S. degree in Biology from University of North Florida and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Florida. She has worked in a variety of professional settings as Community Medicine Director with the pediatrics and family medicine residency programs at University of Florida (UF) Health Jacksonville, Manager of the Pediatric Sickle Cell Clinic at Shands Jacksonville/Nemours Children’s Clinic and developing national disease education campaigns for pharmaceutical companies focusing on multicultural populations. From 2011 – 2016, Selena Webster-Bass served with the Jacksonville System of Care Initiative as the Mental Health and Cultural Competence Educator.   From 2015 - 2016, Selena Webster-Bass developed four cultural humility and health equity modules training health and human service professionals in cultural responsiveness. She led The Mirror Project, an opportunity for agencies to assess their infusion of cultural and linguistic competence throughout their organization using the National Culturally Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards as a framework. She also worked with behavioral health professionals in implementing Wraparound Care Coordination Services and supporting caregivers and youth with systems involvement.

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Fredrianna Copeland-Webster

Sickle Cell Warrior & Advocate
Childhood Cancer Survivor of Neuroblastoma
Full-time College Student & Merit Honors Scholar

Florida State College at Jacksonville
  • Raising awareness, funding, and care for the Sickle Cell community

  • Become a research doctor to seek new knowledge of health, disease, and overall patient care through research  

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Lakeitha Copeland-Webster

Sickle Cell Disease Advocate
Wife, Caregiver,  Mother of 6 (Birthed 3) 
Salon Owner/Hair Stylist
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Kim Barbel Johnson, D.O. MPA

Family Medicine Senior Physician, Investigator, and Medical Director 
​Care Partners Clinical Research

Dr. Kim Barbel Johnson is a Mayo Clinic Jacksonville residency trained Family Physician. She has served in various leadership roles in community organization and academic medicine over the past 25 years of her Medical career. She  currently serves as the Senior Physician Investigator and Medical Trials Director for Clinical at CARE PARTERS CLINICAL RESEARCH, a division of Family Care Partners. She has been the Principal Investigator for more than 70 Clinical trials, including vaccine trials. She has been a consultant to the Bio Pharma industry on matters of  Sickle Cell Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease education, Diversity in Clinical Trials and Community engagement. She currently leads the occupational health and COVID-19 workplace exposure risk mitigation efforts for nearly 300 employees at Family Care Partners.  

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