Our Community

Community Solutions Teams 


Community Solutions Teams are United Way of North Central Florida’s primary mechanism for planning, priority setting, status assessment, distribution of resources and results measurement.  By developing community expertise in a particular focus area, creating a vision and identifying critical objectives, these teams will work in partnership with other community resources to achieve key results and improvements.

The community solutions teams will be related to the specific focus area of Income, Education or Health and will create a sustainable action plan leading to measurable results.

Team Responsibilities include:

  • Assess and develop a clear understanding of the focus area’s needs, issues, and opportunities in North Central Florida affecting the state of the human condition
  • Use research, experiences of other communities and best practices to identify “what works” 
  • Engage the community in crafting a plan containing goals, objectives, strategies, priorities and desired outcomes Identify and apply resources, including volunteerism,  public policy and advocacy opportunities, to support strategies and attain desired outcomes
  • Make recommendations for the distribution of resources according to appropriate and available means (i.e. special grants, initiatives) and assure program effectiveness through evaluation of funded programs
  • Establish and monitor collaborations and partnership initiatives that further stated goals
  • Monitor team and community progress in achieving desired community-level goals; re-evaluate the plan as learning occurs and outcomes are analyzed


Team Composition is listed below:

Education - Jennifer Tragash 



    Jeff Charbonnet, Chair - Eastside High School Principal
    Evan Pitts, Vice Chair - Alarion Bank

    Keith Blanchard - Boys and Girls Club Executive Director
    Ann Crowell - SBAC Headstart/VPK
    Joel Daunic - Generation Connection, Inc.
    Byers Hickmon - Reichert House Executive Director 
    Destani Shadrick - Girl Scouts
    Jenna White - Enterprise
    Ted Wilson - Individual
    Laurie Denny - Junior League of Gainesville
    Donna Dollinger - Parent Representative
    Larry Forthun- UF College of Agriculture, Family Youth and Community Sciences
    Ben Chapman- UF Student United Way
    


Income - Leisa Sergeant

 
    Nona Jones, Chair - GRU, United Way Board Member
    Mark Kalivoda, Vice Chair - UF Student and Community Activist
    Karen Slevin - Catholic Charities Executive Director
    Jose Gavarette - Florida Works Director of Workforce Operations
    Shaad Rehman - City of Gainesville, Director- East Gainesville Development Corporation 
    Catherine Bonthron & Ronnie Frasier - Publix Supermarket Managers
    Michael Moss - VITA; ProActive Tax Strategist
    Dr. Arnold Heggestad - UF Holloway Center Professor; Center for Entreprenuership and Innovation
    Mike Williams - M&S Bank Branch Manager
    Amy Howard - Venture Realty
    Jack Donovan - Faith based, City Commissioner 
    Shane Carkhuff- VyStar Credit Union Branch Manager

Health - Jennifer Tragash


    Nancy Hardt, Chair  - UF College of Medicine
    Diane Mauldin - ACORN Clinic Agency Representative
    Helen Strain - Planned Parenthood
    Micaela Gibbs - UF College of Dentistry
    Joyce LeBlanc - Healthy Families
    Laura Duke - Alachua County Health Department Healthy Start
    Christian Long - Avmed
    Jim Stringfellow - Individual
    Pam Schamel - WUFT-PBS
    Eileen Roy - School Board of Alachua County
    Giovanni Santi - UF Student United Way Representative