A Cohort of Change Champions
This February, the Foundation will launch our inaugural Systems Change Leadership Cohort for 19 local organizations who champion change in St. Petersburg. The Cohort is designed to support the creation of a community in which good health helps all people thrive.
Through workshops and personalized coaching led by FSG, a non-profit social impact firm and recognized global thought leader in systems change and cross-sector collaboration, the Cohort builds on the strengths of local nonprofit and community leaders by equipping them with the skills, mindsets, and relationships they need to mobilize collective action and drive lasting systemic change.
How it Works
Each participating organization has identified one team member to take part in the Cohort; this person is an established and committed leader on an upward trajectory to executive leadership who is passionate about transformational and equity-advancing change.
Cohort members meet for roughly three hours each month for in-person workshops led by systems change and collective actions experts from FSG. They also receive personalized group coaching and participate in pre- and post-workshop assignments tailored to our community’s unique history and needs. By the Cohort’s end, participants will have grown their skills and knowledge in the following key areas:
- Systems change concepts and systems thinking frameworks,
- Histories of structural inequity and their impact on current health outcomes,
- Multi-sector collaboration to increase impact,
- Personal and organizational barriers to collaboration and systems change, and
- Multi-sector strategies to drive systemic change in St. Pete.
Details
The Cohort will begin in February 2026 and run through June of 2026. Monthly workshops will be held from roughly 12 PM – 3 PM on varying days of the week. Readings will be available online once ready so that community members can follow along and learn independently.
Cohort Members
Zoe Blair-Andrews, Chief Community Impact Officer, St. Petersburg Free Clinic
Rebecca Brown, Chief of Staff, St. Petersburg College
Courtney Burt, Vice President – Community Impact, American Heart Association
Nikki Gaskin-Capehart, Chief Executive Officer, Pinellas County Urban League
Charlie Colquitt, PharmD, President, Minority Health Coalition of Pinellas
John Paul Comas, Senior Director of BrigAIDe Outreach, Metropolitan Ministries
Anne Core, Vice President – Marketing and Communications, St. Pete Economic Development Corporation
Deirdre Crudup, Vice President, Campbell Park Neighborhood Association
LaToya Edwards, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Stetson University College of Law
Kalen Graham, Community Health Program Director, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
Rob Hawthorne, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital
Camy Hayes, Family Justice Center Director, CASA Pinellas
Christine LeMoult, Associate Dean of Students, Eckerd College
Rev. Linda McLeod, Board Member, Collective Empowerment Group of the Tampa Bay Area
Amarela Peqini, Chief Financial Officer, Nonprofit Leadership Center
Jess Riedel, Senior Operations Analyst, City of St. Petersburg
David Shields, Director of Operations, St. Anthony’s Hospital
Pamela Williams, Chief Operations Manager, Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation
Pye Young, Managing Attorney – Pinellas County, Bay Area Legal Services
Dates
While dates are tentative and subject to change, sessions are planned for the following dates and times:
- Kick-Off Celebration: January 21, 8:30 AM – 10 AM
- Session 1, Welcome and Orientation: February 4, 12 PM – 3 PM,
- Session 2, Introduction to Systems Thinking: March 11, 12 PM – 5 PM
- Session 3, Introduction to Collective Impact: April 8, 12 PM – 1 PM, plus online sessions
- Session 4, Building the Mindset for Systems Leadership: May 13, 12 PM – 3 PM
- Session 5, Identifying Multi-Sector Strategies to Advance Systems Change: June 17, 12 PM- 3 PM
Please note that organization participation in the cohort is by invitation at this time. Questions? Please reach out to Foundation Chief Operations Office Lisa Brody, Esq. at lbrody@healthystpetefoundation.