Our Team

She also serves as an assistant youth minister at Good Shepherd Catholic Church for LifeTeen.

A native of Jasper, Florida, Susan graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A.E. degree in 1969. She taught for the Head Start Program in Jacksonville, Florida, and taught elementary school for five years. Susan served as the Food Editor of Tallahassee Magazine and managed her own catering business before opening Food Glorious Food in 1982. The restaurant has won many “Best of Tallahassee” awards, was named Best Outdoor Café in Florida, and won several Florida Trend Golden Spoon Awards, including Best Taste of the South. Susan’s recipes have been featured in Tallahassee Magazine, The New York Times, and Gourmet magazine.

Her civic leadership has included the president of the Tallahassee Junior Museum Guild, president of the National Council of Jewish Women, a member of the Junior League of Tallahassee, and board member of the Telephone Counseling and Referral Service, Refuge House, Big Bend Hospice Foundation, Producer’s Guild – Florida State University Film School, and Women for FSU. Susan was chairman of Big Bend Hospice’s largest annual fundraiser, Spring Fling, for 10 years and was the first recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Holocaust Educational Resource Council.

In addition to the STAC Board, Susan serves as vice president of Reunion, Community Revitalization Project and Baking and Southern Hospitality School, on the Advisory Board for the Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Family, and Children at FSU, and on the board of the Tallahassee Symphony.
Susan and her husband, Stephen Turner, a Tallahassee attorney, have been married since 1971. Their children are Shawn and wife Sally, Serrin and wife Sharon, and Marisa and husband Jason Harkavy. They have three grandchildren: Oscar Turner and Reese and Oliver Harkavy.

Most recently, she served as the Ethics and Compliance Officer for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. An A-V rated lawyer, Debby is a 1981 graduate of the Florida State University College of Law and was the 2001 recipient of the Florida Bar’s Claude Pepper Outstanding Government Lawyer Award and the FSU Law School’s 2019 Exemplary Public Service Career award. Her volunteer work includes leadership positions in the Florida Bar’s Administrative Law Section, the FSU Law School Alumni Association, and the Tallahassee Film Festival.

Melissa strives to educate and guide individuals, families and small businesses by taking a holistic view of their finances. She is a graduate of the College of Business at Florida State University and in 2010 graduated from the College of Financial Planning with the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA® ). Melissa is a Leadership Tallahassee Class 29 Graduate, and a committed community volunteer. She is an expert on the importance of the financial sector being informed about human trafficking, and led an internal effort to train associates of Capital City Bank on how to recognize and respond to potential human trafficking in the banking world. She has 2 beautiful daughters, 10 and 14, and a step-son who is 24.

She has delivered over 1200 babies and cared for women from diverse backgrounds. She has always been an advocate for women’s health, particularly in the African American community which has a high rate of maternal-infant morbidity and mortality and chronic diseases. She is also an advocate for women’s social justice issues such as violence against women, chemical dependency, poverty, homelessness, and human sex trafficking. Although she is no longer in  clinical practice, she still strives to give voice to the voiceless. She is currently pursuing her PhD in psychology and is interested in trauma-related events and the relationship to psychological and social dysfunction. 

She is also a social justice advocate who offers trainings in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in addition to being a licensed psychotherapist specializing in culturally-informed counseling/therapy and psychoeducation for women, couples, families, and members of marginalized groups. 

As a graduate of both FAMU and FSU, Cicely has been living, working and serving in Tallahassee for more than 25 years. In addition to being a member of the STAC Board, Cicely also serves on the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and is a charter member of the Greater Tallahassee section of the National Council of Negro Women. Her commitment to the community is evident in how she engages with others to empower the people – especially women, girls and other historically disadvantaged groups. 

He graduated from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he received his bachelor’s degree in biology. After his enrollment in Jacksonville Theological Seminary, he achieved his master’s degree and is now pursuing his doctorate in theology.  Retired as regional specialist with the Florida Education Association for 25 years, he was president of the Gadsden Education Foundation in Quincy, Florida, where he would oversee and guide decision-making efforts to award educational assistance grants to teachers. He is the founder of Revive to Rebuild Ministries, serves on the Gadsden Pregnancy Center Board, the Executive Committee Gadsden County Baptist Association, and the Nomination Committee Florida Baptist.

She is also a small business owner. Through Rebeccah Lutz Content Strategy, LLC, she helps businesses and nonprofits grow their audiences and accomplish their strategic goals through the power of their authentic story. Prior to 2015, Rebeccah was a journalist for 15 years with Gannett and the USATODAY Network. She worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers in West Virginia, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina and Florida. Her reporting included coverage of the December 2004 tsunami from Meulaboh, Indonesia, and coverage of the civil war between Sudan and South Sudan in 2005. She is the former managing editor of the Tallahassee Democrat, where she led news operations and digital/social strategy. In addition to storytelling, Rebeccah is passionate about singing. She is a classically trained singer and performs as a member of the Tallahassee Community Chorus. Rebeccah and her husband, Matthew, have one son, Richie, who is the light of their lives.

She understands the dilemmas of families trying to survive and the importance of pursuing an education as a means to a productive and meaningful future. Although born in the state of Texas she has called Florida her home for the past 36 years. Dr. Pouncey is a recipient of district, state, national, and international awards for her work with farmworker students and families including the State of Florida “Champion of Service Award”. A firm believer in being involved in her community and supporting programs that “give a hand up rather than a hand out”, she strongly supports organizations such as the Oasis Center for Women and Girls, Catholic Charities, Girl Scouts, and programs providing enhanced quality of life.

Prior to joining HDO in October 2019, Shoshana gained experience in administrative, contract, and public records law by holding associate general counsel positions in Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and Department of Health. She became interested in immigrants’ rights and human trafficking during her time at FSU College of Law, and practiced immigration law in Los Angeles for almost three years before returning to Tallahassee in June 2014. Shoshana has attended and volunteered at various STAC events since that time, and is honored to serve on the board of such an amazing organization.

She is an avid blogger of “The Professional Project.” Khia is currently the Public Relations Manager for Fasig Brooks Law Office.

Prior to establishing ASA, Ms. Smith was a founding partner at EPP health care consulting and, prior to that, served as the Director for the Human Resources Group at the National Governor’s Association (NGA) for a decade.  During her time at the NGA, Ms. Smith represented the nation’s Governors before various Administrations and the Congress on issues related to health care, education, workforce development and welfare programs.  Towards the end of her career at NGA, Ms. Smith developed significant expertise in the financing and policy of Medicaid; on behalf of the states, she wrote the law on Disproportionate Share Hospital and Provider Taxes, the only piece of free-standing Medicaid legislation in the program’s history.

Prior to her tenure with the NGA, Ms. Smith served in a variety of positions with the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, including Medicaid Director, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary for Program Planning and Development.

Ms. Smith is a lawyer by training and received her J.D. from The Florida State University. She did her undergraduate and graduate work in English Literature.

Ms. Smith is now living in Tallahassee, Florida. While living in New Mexico, she chaired the Board of Futures for Children, an organization devoted to increasing school success and graduation for Native American children.  She also served on the Board of Healing Voices/Personal Stories, a group dedicated to making documentary films about women who have survived domestic abuse.  Ms. Smith was also Vice President of the Board of Creativity for Peace, a NGO serving young Israeli and Palestinian woman determined to make peace within and across their communities.  

Since returning to Tallahassee, Ms. Smith has become a Guardian Ad Litem volunteer and has worked with two children who became successfully adopted.  She also services on the Board of Temple Israel where she chairs the Security Committee and on the Board of The Village Square where she co-chairs the God Squad.

Carrie Boyd is a proud Tallahasseean who became exposed to and interested in people, politics, and real estate from a young age. She has worked with people from all walks of life as a lobbyist, lawyer, business leader, political campaigns director, elected official, and nonprofit executive. She has co-directed campaigns for local, senate, and gubernatorial races, as well as led regional efforts for presidential races. One of her most challenging and beloved roles was serving as the Director of Policy for a statewide domestic violence coalition where Carrie joined her coalition members and allies to lead the lobbying efforts of over 50 domestic violence agencies to successfully secure over $18.635M in crucial funds during a time of political gridlock and no state budget. Carrie formerly served as the Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Chair for the Violence & Safety Committee of the Tallahassee-Leon County Commission on the Status of Women & Girls.

Carrie’s awareness of and commitment to ending human trafficking arose during childhood when she observed abuses of migrant workers by farming operations near her hometown. Carrie vowed to someday help remedy this human rights issue. And so, beginning in 2017, Carrie served as the lead lobbyist and worked with allies – including law enforcement, advocates, and survivors – to pass into law first of its kind legislation known as the IL Trust Act and later the IL Voices Act, which are survivor-informed laws that provide certain protections for survivors of human trafficking including U and T visas, among other remedies. Carrie’s work in human trafficking also includes helping secure funding for survivor programs during her board service with the Criminal Justice Information Authority, as well as fundraising and educational awareness within the business community. Carrie currently serves as the CEO of LiveGive850, a real estate company, and is the founder and CEO of The Network of Real Estate Investing Women, a financial education and practical training program for women who wish to be financially free and create legacies of giving within their communities through real estate investing.

COMMITTEE
Resource Development

In 2001, she traveled to Bangladesh as a part of a U.S. State Department mission that included a site visit to a trafficking rescue shelter in Dhaka. This trip inspired her work to take action to end human trafficking. From 2002 to the present, she has directed numerous local and statewide anti-trafficking projects, lectured extensively on the topics of violence against women and human trafficking and contributed to many national and international publications and curricula.

In addition to her anti-trafficking work, Robin’s areas of expertise include domestic and sexual violence law and policy. She has served on and held leadership positions on local, state, and national boards and commissions.

Robin served as the Executive Director for Florida’s first Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence and on the National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women. She holds both law and master’s degrees from Florida State University and a B.A. from American University in Washington, D.C. where she graduated summa cum laude.

She is a skilled researcher and interviewer, has expertise working in non-profit agencies, and provides training and education on human trafficking to communities around the state and the globe including both NGO’s and governmental agencies.

In addition to STAC, Renee devotes much of her time taking care of her 93-year-old mother, and supporting her church and a number of charitable causes and organizations. She is very passionate and dedicated to the important work of STAC.

He is responsible for analyzing and maximizing all digital media public relations campaigns, corporate marketing objectives and web-based organizational branding initiatives for our clients such as the National Association of Dental Laboratories, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Florida, Florida Redevelopment Association, Florida Dental Association, American Planning Association – Florida, Florida School Board Association, Florida Energy Pipeline Association, Florida Municipal Energy Association, Florida League of Cities and non-profit organizations like the United Way and the American Cancer Society. Michael has 21 years of experience in staff management, public relations, business development and integrated digital marketing.

Jamie Rosseland is a consultant in the field of anti-trafficking work with expertise in the program development and implementation for victims and survivors of sexual exploitation, trauma-competent and survivor-centered digital marketing and outreach strategies, and most recently, working on policy guides and research projects. She has been active in local government and statewide level policy advocacy. Through sharing her lived experiences and unique perspective, Jamie is committed to change the cultural view of the sex trade, addressing systems that drive demand, and confronting gender inequality.

Jamie has experience providing mentorship, court advocacy, and care coordination to youth impacted by sexual exploitation as part of the Open Doors Outreach Network with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center. She has presented at countless community events, statewide summits, and national conferences. Currently, Jamie serves on the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice’s State Advisory Group. She is a Social Science Scholar at Florida State University, where she is working on earning her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary social science.

In 2018, Jamie won the Survivor Advocate of the Year award presented by the Florida Attorney General for her outstanding work with exploited youth. In 2021, the United Nations published the Delta 8.7 Justice Policy Guide, which Jamie contributed to as a working group member. Additionally, Jamie recently guest appeared on the New York Times podcast, The Argument, addressing the intersection of anti-trafficking work and pro-sex work technologies.

Anna has a degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations from Florida State University. She is passionate about helping clients craft and amplify their voices through social media campaigns, email marketing and traditional advertising on a local, state and national level.