Our Team

“Whatever gifts you are believed to have, are not yours. They were gifted to you for a finite amount of time, to be passed on and used in service of others.” These words are a daily affirmation for Marcus A. Brooks, and he takes them to heart in his role as Executive Director at the Center for Health Equity.  

In this role, Marcus leads a diverse team of equity advocates who are all deeply invested in St. Petersburg, both personally and professionally. Together, they work to create a space and experience that fosters cross-community collaboration to advance racial equity and improve the overall health of Pinellas County. 

Marcus is a fourth-generation St. Pete resident who split his youth between Clearwater and South St. Petersburg. His upbringing was a contrasting racial experience that ultimately gave him the perspective and insight that shapes who he is today. 

A passionate advocate for this work, Marcus brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit world to this position, along with a wide range of experience—from racial equity facilitation and partnership cultivation to fundraising and board development.

Marcus is a graduate of Florida State University and resides in St. Petersburg with his family.

Harold “Scamp” Bryant Jr. brings more than 15 years of community programming and events management experience to his role as Community Experience Coordinator at the Center for Health Equity. His background in political campaign marketing and grassroots organizing, coupled with his long-standing community relationships, makes Harold an asset to the daily operations and strategic mission of the Center. 

Harold is a third-generation St. Petersburg resident from a family with deep community ties. He’s been helping co-create bold ideas here for more than 20 years—as a business owner and consultant, as well as on behalf of other organizations. Prior to his role at the Center, he was the Florida Statewide and Southeast Regional Director of Community Grassroots for H. Strategies, and the Facilities Manager and Event Coordinator for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. Harold is a graduate of St. Petersburg College, the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. 

When he’s not making moves in our community, Harold enjoys cooking, spending time with his kids, and taking in his part of paradise in our city. #cantbeatstpete

Belinda Childs is the Controller at the Foundation where she serves in the leading staff role for financial operations, financial reporting, and HR operations. She also supports the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer in financial analysis, contract execution, and administrative functions.

Belinda has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and nonprofit organizations. Previously, she was the Accounting Manager at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Assistant Controller at Largo Medical Center, Financial Analyst at St. Anthony’s Healthcare, and Financial Analyst and Senior Financial Analyst at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg. She also worked at the Foundation for 5 years—from its inception in 2013 through 2018—in the roles of Lead Accountant, Director of Finance, and Consultant before returning in 2021 as the Controller.

Belinda holds a Bachelor of Science and Fifth Year in Accounting from the University of South Florida.

Kyandra Darling was born into a family of community servants. As a third-generation St. Petersburg resident, she carries on her family’s legacy of service in her role as Innovation Officer for the Center for Health Equity. 

In this role, Kyandra builds relationships across the community, helping to connect organizations, projects, and resources. She acts as a strategic partner, guiding idea development and innovation, identifying and deploying necessary support, and pushing initiatives into action. Through her work with the Center, Kyandra engages new audiences in equity work while deepening the connection between local leaders and the people they serve. 

She brings policy and political experience from her previous positions in the Office of City Council and Florida’s 13th District Congressional Office, and a marketing background from Red Bull North America. 

Kyandra is a graduate of the University of South Florida, a proud Gibbs High School alumna, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, and a graduate of Leadership St. Pete Class of 2022. Outside of work, she can be found enjoying St. Pete’s green spaces with her young son and their dog.

Gaylynn has been with the Foundation since 2012 in various administrative roles and loves the challenges of learning and growing with the team.

Nathan Gil is responsible for grant administration and compliance as well as data management and maintenance across platforms for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. He also assists in streamlining processes and maximizing the potential for technology solutions which is imperative in advancing the mission of the Foundation.

In addition to his core responsibilities, Nathan assists with planning events at the Center for Health Equity and advancing the Latinx Engagement Strategy. He has been trained in the Courageous Conversation About Race Protocol 1 and 2 and attended the Pacific Education Group LatinX Summit in 2019. Nate also attended the 2019 Foundation staff tour of civil rights museums and historical sites to advance his understanding of the history of race equity and social change.

He has been a member of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee of Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), a philanthropy sector support organization.

Nathan holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Florida with a focus in Cultural and Public Health and earned an MBA of Healthcare Management from St. Leo University in 2021.

Dean Hendrix brings more than 38 years of experience in hospitality, events management, and audio-visual technologies to his role as Operations Manager at the Center for Health Equity. He is responsible for managing the Center’s facilities, technology, and logistics, helping to ensure events and meetings at the Center are well-supported with appropriate and timely resources.

In his previous positions, Dean served as the Operations Manager for Blumberg Communications and Total Audio Visual Services, and Regional Director for Audio Visual Headquarters, Caribiner International, PSAV, and Video Light & Sound.

Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Dean is a graduate of the University of South Carolina at Aiken. He has been in St. Petersburg since 1997 and considers the ‘Burg his home.

In this role, Carl R. Lavender, Jr. guides community investments including grants, partnerships and program design, in alignment with the Foundation’s mission of racial and health equity. Lavender works with interim co-CEO Carol Martin Brown to plan, assess, and direct Foundation strategy and resources to advance race equity to achieve health equity in Pinellas County. He will serve as a resource and sounding board for staff and community partners seeking the most effective and impactful ways to build a race equity movement in the region.

Lavender’s previous roles with the Foundation include Senior Director of Programs and Chief Engagement Advocate Officer. He has made a notable career leading nonprofit organizations in Pinellas County for the past 20 years and served in high level community advancement and fundraising positions in Chicago and Cleveland nonprofits prior to that.

Lavender holds a bachelor’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from The Ohio State University and a master’s in Human Services – Non-Profit Organizational Management (cum laude) from Springfield College in Massachusetts.

Carol Martin Brown will serve in the leading finance staff role at the Foundation, handling all day-to-day revenue and expenses related to operations. Carol is a senior financial leader with experience in both the financial services industry and the social sector. She previously served in Chief Financial Officer (CFO) roles at the following organizations: Transamerica Fund Advisors, Inc., in St. Petersburg, Innovation Education at the University of South Florida, and The New Teacher Project, a national nonprofit based in Brooklyn, New York. Early in her career, Carol worked in New York at Ernst & Young as a senior auditor and in financial management roles at Morgan Stanley Trust Company and J.P. Morgan Chase Investor Services.

She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration – Accounting and Finance from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Dr. Susie Paterson (she/her) is the Research and Evaluation Manager at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. In this role, Dr. Paterson is responsible for research and evaluation efforts in partnership with community groups and organizations, as well as those led by the Foundation. In addition, she will drive the learning strategy of the Foundation through a race equity lens.

Dr. Paterson is a trained community psychologist with over a decade of experience conducting community-based research and program evaluations. She approaches her work through a participatory, justice-centered lens, believing that community members most impacted by social and economic problems, programs, and policies should be leading and designing community solutions. Dr. Paterson has expertise in a variety of methods including mixed-methods research, community-based participatory research, and social network analysis. She has worked with organizations and community groups on a variety of topics including homelessness, arts and music equity, youth leadership, community and civic engagement, and has given presentations both locally and nationally on her work.

Prior to joining the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, Dr. Paterson worked as a Senior Program Evaluator for the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County and cofounded and operated a research and evaluation consulting firm, Collaborators Consulting Group.

Dr. Paterson earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Smith College, her Master’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Community Social Psychology, and her PhD in Community Well-Being from the University of Miami.

Julie A. Rocco is engaged in a portfolio of initiatives that includes food systems, housing and homelessness, behavioral health, microtargeted LGBTQAA efforts, environmental quality, economic development, and the arts. Julie helps to facilitate projects, connects funded partners to resources, and identifies opportunities and partners. She describes her work as a balance of community engagement and challenging the traditional status quo.

Julie is trained in Courageous Conversation About Race Protocol (sessions 1 and 2) and Facilitation for Social Change Masterclass. She also attended the 2019 Foundation staff tour of civil rights museums and historical sites to advance his understanding of the history of race equity and social change.

Julie is a seasoned grants writer, special project manager and administrator with an extensive record of service in the Tampa Bay area. Her prior roles include grant writer and STEAM Manager for the Tampa Housing Authority and Vice President of Resource Development and Special Projects at the Corporation to Develop Communities (CDC) of Tampa, Inc. She also worked for the sheriff’s office for ten years.

Julie holds a B.A. in Criminology from the University of South Florida and a Master’s in Public Administration from Hodges University in Fort Myers.

Julie’s service to the community also includes membership on the Homeless Funders Council and the Pinellas County Health and Human Services Grant Review Committee. Julie is a 2019 graduate of Leadership St. Pete.

Esteban Vidal is a Community Engagement Advocate for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, specializing in LatinX outreach and engagement.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Esteban started his professional career connecting local and international audiences for advertising agencies such as Young & Rubicam and BBDO. He produced communications and branding strategies for fields like banking, automotive, spirits, non-profit organizations, and retail.

After more than eight years developing markets and positioning brands, he shifted his efforts to the non-profit sector accepting the role of Regional Developing Director, Bilingual for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – ALSAC. In 2018, Esteban transferred to Tampa, FL where he led the creation and strategy implementation to involve the Hispanic/LatinX community with the hospital’s life-saving mission. He oversaw the production of yearly fundraising events such as walk/runs, radiothons (English & Spanish), galas and golf tournaments collaborations, to name a few. Esteban also worked alongside the marketing and media teams to execute brand plans for Central/North Florida and Puerto Rico.

He has expertise in marketing, advertising, communications, strategy , events, community development and non-profit fundraising.

Esteban enjoys spending time with his wife Gabriela and son Esteban Daniel.

In her role as Senior Administrator for both the Center for Health Equity and the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, Kewa Wright provides high level executive support to the Executive Director and interim co-CEOs. Kewa ensures smooth operation and communication between leadership teams, staff, the board, and the community. She also serves as secretary/parliamentarian to the Board of Trustees. Kewa brings 20+ years of experience as a Legislative Aide for the City of St. Petersburg City Council’s Office, where she served more than 30 council members during her time there. 

Kewa comes from a family active in the community and passionate about social change. She is a third-generation St. Petersburg resident with a lifetime of local volunteer work with organizations that include Advantage Village Academy, Matters of the Heart Radio Ministry, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Feeding Tampa Bay. Kewa is a graduate of the University of South Florida and an alumna of Gibbs High School.

In her role as Senior Project Manager, Lisa Yacso plans and executes the Foundation’s primary strategic initiatives effectively and ensures their alignment with strategic goals. She coordinates with critical partners and stakeholders and plans communication and outreach to broaden our reach and amplify our messaging. Lisa works directly with the President and CEP Randall H. Russell, Chief Equity Officer Carl R. Lavender, Jr., and Strategic Director of Engagement Carrie Y. Hepburn-Brown. Together, we work to ensure our projects center the voice of the community we serve and promote our mission of race equity to health equity.

Lisa is a seasoned administrator, project manager, and grant manager. She previously served as Online MBA Program Administrator for the USF Muma College of Business. Lisa curated innovative co-curricular programming, developed and implemented strategic initiatives, advised students, and provided academic administration. While at Muma, she also served as Director of the Women and Leadership Initiative Mentorship program for graduate (primarily female) business students. After the events of 2020, she redesigned the program into the Mentorship Forward program, which supported graduate business female students of color and their allies. She was also an adjunct instructor there.

Before that, she served as federal grant manager and budget supervisor for $6 million in the Carl Perkins IV grant at St. Petersburg College. This grant supported academic workforce education and focused in part on expanding access to diverse populations. She also administered an innovative workforce education program at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Her academic experience is complemented by nine years in leadership roles in energy management, working closely with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and public housing authorities. She served as chief operating officer and vice president at two small businesses she co-owned and was a director at Constellation Energy, then a Fortune 125 company.

As a former officer of the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area, advocacy, activism, and civic engagement are part of her core values. She also served on the Women United advisory committee and the Investments committee for United Way Suncoast for several years. She is a 2022 graduate of Leadership St. Pete.

Lisa holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of South Florida. She also has a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance, specializing in College Student Affairs/Higher Education Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in English – both from Texas State University.