HSC Staff

Rochelle Davis

President and CEO

Rochelle Davis is the President and CEO of the Healthy Schools Campaign, a national not-for-profit organization she founded in 2002 to advocate for healthy school environments. Davis also served as the Principal Investigator for Healthy Schools Campaign’s NIEHS-funded Partnership to Reduce Disparities in Asthma and Obesity in Latino Schools, where she worked closely with community organizing for environmental justice around children’s health disparities. She was the founding director of Generation Green, a national membership organization that works on children’s environmental health issues, and has more than 20 years of experience in not-for-profit management and finance. Davis is a member of the EPA’s Committee for the Protection of Children’s Health and a founding member of the Green Cleaning Network. She served as a judge for Health magazine's Healthiest Schools Contest and American School & University magazine's Green Clean Award. She is co-author of Fresh Choices, a cookbook published by Rodale Press, and is the recipient of the Chicago Tribune’s 2007 Good Eating Award. | E-mail



Mark Bishop

Vice President of Policy and Communications

Mark Bishop’s career has focused on advocacy and communication for wellness, environmental health and justice, particularly in the school environment. Mark began working on school environmental health issues in 1995 at the American Lung Association of Eastern Missouri as director of Environmental Programs, where he directed state-wide environmental health education campaigns and policy initiatives. At HSC, Mark focuses on state and national advocacy for  school food reform and environmental health issues including green cleaning, healthy and energy-efficient schools and equitable school building funding. He was instrumental in bringing the Green Clean Schools Act to Illinois, the second state in the nation to require green cleaning in schools, and in national efforts to advocate for state-level policies that support health and sustainability. Mark’s work has been key in building coalitions for successful advocacy on a range of policy issues, from school siting to energy efficiency and nutrition standards. He has worked closely on the development of guidance documents such as HSC’s Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools and Resource Guide for Healthy, High-Performing Schools. Mark serves on the US Green Building Council Green Schools Advocacy Committee, the Illinois State Wellness Policy Taskforce, and other advisory groups dedicated to health, wellness and sustainability. He frequently speaks on school health issues and contributes to publications focused on environmental health. Mark is also the father of three-year-old Henry, a regular star in the Recipes and Healthy Snacks section of HSC’s blog. Mark has a bachelor's degree in political science and environmental studies from the University of Michigan and a MBA from the University of Missouri. | E-Mail

 

Kristi Cox

Special Events and Training Coordinator

Kristi started her journey into the realm of healthy food by conducting research about her son's ADHD. Much of the information she found linked food as a contributor to this condition which increased her interest in food-related issues. As a parent and working mom, her need to implement change went further than making changes at home; she began working to change careers to be directly involved in helping others understand the importance of healthy eating. After nine years as a professional make-up artist and corporate trainer, she began volunteering for Healthy Schools Campaign. Kristi now works for HSC and is excited to grow, learn and develop abilities in the non-profit community. | E-Mail

 

Anayency Elizondo

Administrative Coordinator

Anayency is a sophomore at Harold Washington College studying child development and early childhood education. At HSC, she works on data management, event logistics and distribution of HSC’s publications. | E-Mail

 

Donna Fishman

Director of Training

Donna Fishman directs HSC's school nurse leadership and teacher training programs. Donna joined HSC in 2006 and provides training on leadership, indoor air quality, and wellness. Donna has over 20 years of experience in non-profit management in such areas as grant writing, program evaluation, publication development, professional training and conference planning. Donna earned her bachelor's degree in sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her master's in public health at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. | E-Mail

 

Jovita Flores

Manager, Parents United for Healthy Schools

Jovita Flores is a well known and widely respected community organizer in Chicago’s Latino communities. She has successfully brought school health into focus as a social justice issue to motivate parents and community leaders to take action supporting wellness at school. At HSC, Jovita is continuing to work with parents in forming school wellness teams and organizing change for healthy schools. | E-mail

 

Guillermo Gomez

Vice President of Urban Affairs

Guillermo Gomez, M.S., is currently the Vice President of Urban Affairs of the Healthy Schools Campaign and is a social justice activist with more than 30 years experience in not-for-profit advocacy organizations focusing on underserved minority communities. He recently completed a four year NIEHS-funded research project, the Partnership to Reduce Disparities in Asthma and Obesity in Latino Schools, with the goal of developing effective strategies for motivating and empowering parents in minority urban communities to create changes for wellness and environmental health in schools. Guillermo is nationally recognized for his advocacy in combating childhood obesity in the Latino community and for building strategies with parents to around the creation of school wellness teams. He serves as a liaison with community organizations and was instrumental in the creation of HSC’s Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables coalition. Guillermo earned a bachelor's degree in social welfare and a master's degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. | E-mail


Tara Kennon

Senior Communications Manager

Tara’s work has given her experience in writing, design and marketing communication for a variety of organizations. Most recently, she served as director of communication and marketing for Chicago Metro Association for the Education of Young Children and as a writer for the Community Technical Assistance Center. Prior to her work in written communication, she taught English in Nagoya, Japan. Tara holds a bachelor’s degree in English and international relations from George Mason University and a master’s degree in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University. | E-mail

 

Sara Klinzing

Director of External Affairs

Sara Klinzing brings more than five years of experience in management, event coordinating, operations, training and development to the Healthy Schools Campaign. Sara joined the HSC team in July of 2008 to assist in the planning and execution of the Cooking up Change Healthy Cooking Contest. In her new role as the Manager of External Affairs, Sara turns her focus to fostering relationships with partner organizations. Sara earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from DePaul University and previously held positions with Starbucks Coffee Company and Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge. | E-mail

 

Claire Marcy

Vice President of Strategy and Development

Claire Marcy joined the Healthy Schools Campaign in 2004. Before coming to HSC, Claire spent five years as co-executive director of Blocks Together, a grassroots community organization based in Chicago’s West Humboldt Park community. Prior to that she coordinated policy and organizing for a national education campaign and worked as a community organizer in several Chicago communities. Claire is committed to efforts that lead to a more just society, and has significant experience in the fields of development, public policy and advocacy. Claire has a bachelor's degree in political science from DePaul University and a master's degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University. | E-mail

 

Alicea Miller

Manager of Special Events and Development

Alicea’s experience lies primarily with executing educational and fundraising events with Chicago nonprofits. Alicea joined Healthy Schools Campaign in January of 2008 to work on fundraising and organizing efforts for Cooking up Change and the marathon program. She holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Previously, Alicea worked with organizations including the Donors Forum, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the United States Department of State. | E-mail

 

Anne Moertel

Communications and Design Specialist

Anne Moertel is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she earned a BFA in Visual Communications. At the Art Institute, Anne studied design and research as an intern with Remedy, a brand development agency that works with clients exclusively in the health space. At Remedy she confirmed her desire to practice design for health and wellness and expanded her knowledge of ethnographic research. Prior to joining Healthy Schools Campaign, Anne designed materials for children and families faced with cancer, hemophilia, and other medical and health-related issues. | E-mail

 

Rosa Ramirez

Go for the Gold Campaign Manager

As campaign manager for the Chicago school wellness initiative Go for the Gold, Rosa works with a wide range of school leaders, community members, non-profits, public agencies, elected officials, foundations and community and faith-based organizations. Through these collaborations, she helps schools create healthy environments where wellness, healthy eating, physical activity and nutrition education are priorities. Prior to working at Healthy Schools Campaign, Rosa provided technical assistance to community groups and promoted best practices around social justice issues for the national research and action institute PolicyLink. During her time working as a youth organizer in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, she successfully strengthened multi-generational coalitions and managed projects in Chicago’s Latino communities. She is passionate about environmental justice issues related to health, transportation, land use, and the overall impacts of those issues on historically disenfranchised communities. Rosa holds a master’s of science degree in Community Development from the University of California at Davis and a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Sociology from DePaul University. | E-mail

 

Susan Samek

Vice President of Finance and Operations

Susan has worked in museums and educational nonprofits for more than 20 years. She served as a curator at the Chicago Historical Society and as their first Director of Exhibitions. Over the past six years, Susan has managed small nonprofits and historic house museums, including the Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle-Peru and the Evanston Historical Society at the Charles Gates Dawes House. | E-mail

 

Alex Schaible

Writer and Policy Analyst

Alex comes to HSC with a background in policy, advocacy and research from her experience working with national health advocacy organizations. She has a strong commitment to children’s health and previously worked on projects addressing health disparities, childhood obesity and access to health coverage. Alex holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Pomona College and a master’s of health science degree in child and adolescent health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. | E-mail

 

Brittany Wright

Media and Outreach Specialist

Brittany Wright is a graduate of Roosevelt University, where she earned her Masters of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned her bachelor’s in advertising. She brings a well-rounded background in public relations, working for both boutique and global public relations agencies, but credits her work with Providing U Motivation to Pursue Success (P.U.M.P.S.) as the most rewarding experience of her professional life. There, she worked with teen girls through self-esteem workshops and career and college preparatory resources. Wright also considers herself an avid crafter, budding chef, and movie lover. | E-mail