Board of Directors
Marcie Biddleman
Executive Director
Heartland for Children, Inc.
Ms. Biddleman is currently the Executive Director of Heartland for Children, the lead agency for Community Based Care in a three county area providing services for protective services, foster care and adoption for over 3200 children.
She was with the Devereux Foundation during the inception of Heartland for Children and facilitated its transition to an independent nonprofit agency in 2006. During her time with the Devereux Foundation she provided agency leadership in community based care planning, the development of prevention services and resource capacity building. She designed and implemented Devereux Kids, Inc., a program that reflected her commitment to applying strength based perspectives for engaging all citizens in promoting safety and well being for children, families and communities.
She has 30 years of management experience in social services agencies in Florida, including Senior Management positions for the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and 10 years as Executive Director of the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, a community based provider of indigent medical care and emergency assistance. Ms. Biddleman was a consultant to the Department of Children and Families, mentoring local Community Facilitators in the implementation of Florida's Family Preservation and Support Services Program. She is the co-author of publications dealing with community building and engagement including an article on Devereux's experience in taking the Front Porch Project® to the community, published in the American Humane Association's, Protecting Children, Winter 2002.
Ms. Biddleman has a Master's Degree in Organizational Management and a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology and is currently working on a doctorate in Organizational Management Leadership.
Mischelle Anderson
Executive Director
Polk Arts Alliance, Inc.
Ms. Anderson is the Executive Director of the Polk Arts Alliance, Inc., an organization committed to creating an environment in which all the arts and artists flourish in Polk County. She holds a professional license in the state of Florida as a Real Estate Salesperson and is the Chair and President of Focus on Leadership's Alumni Association.
Ms. Anderson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Russell Sage College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. She also has a Master's degree in Regional Planning from the University at Albany, State University of NY and is currently a Doctoral Candidate for Organization Leadership at NOVA Southeastern University.
Timothy P. Brooks, DVM
Veterinarian
Bartow Animal Clinic
Dr. Brooks has practiced veterinary medicine at Bartow Animal Clinic for six years. He and his wife, Marcia, are involved in the community through the Kiwanis Club of Bartow, Bartow Community Healthcare Foundation, Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, Junior Service League, and the Board of First United Methodist Church in Bartow.
Dr. Brooks is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
MaryLee Hollis
Business Owner
Ms. Hollis is a newly appointed Board member from Babson Park, FL. Ms. Hollis has held board appointments for Children's Home Society, Explorations Children's Museum, VISTE and Lake Wales Charter School Foundation. She graduated from Sante Fe College of Nursing and owns her own business, M.L. Creations.
Teri Saunders
Mortgage Consultant
Home Banc Mortgage
Ms. Saunders, an Orlando Mortgage Consultant, has 13 years of experience with Community Based Care through work with USF's Florida Mental Health Institute and as Executive Director of Children's Home Society. As such she oversaw marketing and public relations for a nine county division of Children's Home Society. Ms. Saunders was owner of Saunders Research & Consulting for 5 years and has been a Board member of the PRIDE Partnership of Polk County.
Ms. Saunders has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma and a Master's degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. She is a resident of Polk County.
Cherie Simmers
Family court Coordinator
State of Florida Tenth Judicial Circuit
Ms. Simmers has been Family Court Coordinator for Florida's Tenth Judicial Circuit for four years. During the fourteen years prior to her accepting the family court coordinator position, she served as manager of the court's Domestic Violence Program and was instrumental in implementing the first court based domestic violence advocacy program in Florida, which led to her appointment in 2000 to the Governor's Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Ms. Simmers is co-founder of Lakeland based Drug Prevention Resource Center, a non-profit organization that offers drug prevention resource and referral information to citizens and schools in the Polk County area. She has been president of Pride of Lakeland, Drug Dependency Network, and Santa Fe High School Parent Teacher Organization. Ms. Simmers resides in Lakeland with her husband Terry.
Jamie Self
Director of Christian Education
Bartow ARP Church
Mr. Self has been involved with Circuit 10's children in care for 13 years. After earning a Master's degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Oral Roberts University in 1995, Jamie came to Bartow to work for Peace River as a Care 1 Supervisor. He was then hired as Administrator of the Central campus of the Florida Baptist Children's Homes where he remained for 9 years. He has recently accepted the position as the Director of Christian Education at the Bartow Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church where he met his wife, Kristi. They live with their two children in Bartow.