Staff Biographies
The Children's Futures staff members who work to achieve the mission and vision of the initiative include the following individuals:
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Floyd K. Morris, Jr.
President
Mr. Morris leads the initiative's efforts to strengthen parenting, increase access to primary quality health care and child care systems and increase social supports for families, so that every child in Trenton enters preschool healthy and ready to learn.
Prior to becoming CF's president in May 2006, Mr. Morris was a senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), where he had responsibility for some of the foundation's largest community-based initiatives, including Fighting Back, the Urban Health Initiative, the After School Project, Join Together, and several other programs. He has also served on the Foundation's Vulnerable Populations and Childhood Obesity program management teams.
He joined the RWJF in 1989 as a financial officer, having worked previously as an assistant administrator for United Medical Center in Newark. In 1996 he became a program officer at RWJF and was promoted to the senior program officer position in 2000.
Mr. Morris earned a master of health administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.S. from Salem College in West Virginia.
Contact: fmorris@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 101)
Melinda W. Green
Vice President
As vice president of Children's Futures (CF), Ms. Green leads the development of the early care and education initiatives, including the improving child care systems programs, child and family literacy, leadership and capacity building efforts for Trenton nonprofit organizations; and coordinating the CF grant making process. Prior to joining CF, she served as the director for the African American Early Childhood Resource Center at the Washington, D.C.-based National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI).
Before coming to NBCDI, Ms. Green spent a decade as executive director of the Child Care Connection (CCC), a regional child care resource and referral agency located in Mercer County. Prior to leading CCC, she held positions in the early care and education field including work as a therapeutic teacher of preschool neurologically impaired and disabled children. Ms. Green is past president of the board of directors of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Princeton Area Community Foundation.
Ms. Green earned a master's degree in Educational Psychology and Early Childhood Education at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and a B.A. degree in Sociology at Tougaloo College in Mississippi.Contact: mgreen@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 102)
Tonya Bellamy
Data Management Specialist
Ms. Bellamy is responsible for the database system for Children's Futures (CF). In addition to collecting and entering data, Ms. Bellamy provides reports to assist in the measurement and evaluation of the initiative's objectives. In her role, she works closely with CF's staff and collaborating partners to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the data.
Before joining CF, Ms. Bellamy served as the program coordinator for the Trenton Municipal Alliance Committee at the City of Trenton's Division of Health. In that role, she oversaw fiscal accountability and programmatic activities of City of Trenton-funded grassroots substance abuse prevention and education activities. Ms. Bellamy has also served as a Planned Parenthood of the Mercer Area health educator where she provided HIV education and health risk reduction methods for community-based agencies, schools and residents.
Ms. Bellamy attended the Cittone Institute, Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pennsylvania and Lincoln University in Philadelphia.
Contact: tbellamy@trentonnj.org (609) 989-3306
June Gray
Healthy Start Grant Project Director and Nurse Family
Partnership Supervisor
As project director for the Children's Futures' Healthy Start program, Ms. Gray works to reduce and eliminate disparities in perinatal outcomes for at-risk women, infants and families in Trenton. In addition, she supervises the Trenton Nurse Family Partnership which provides intensive nurse home visiting, health and parent education, and case management for 1st time, low income at-risk mothers. Prior to joining CF, Ms. Gray served as a public health nurse consultant for the City of Trenton's Children's Health Services. Before that, she was director of professional services for Visiting Homemaker and Health Services, Inc. of Mount Holly, New Jersey.
June has also served as: a nurse educator for the Children's Home Society in Trenton; the home health aide director for the Mercer Street Friends Center in Trenton; a staff nurse for the Visiting Nurses Association of Trenton; and a registered nurse in the Pediatrics Department of Cooper Hospital in Camden.
Contact: jgray@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 106)
Ms. Kersey is responsible for site review and program monitoring and compliance for CF's center-based and home visiting programs. She also leads CF's Trenton Community Collaborative initiative. Prior to joining CF, Ms. Kersey served as the director of referral and reimbursement programs for the Child Care Connection (CCC), a regional child care resource and referral agency in Mercer County.
Before coming to CCC, she was the executive director for A+ For Kids Teacher Network, a statewide educational nonprofit funded by WWOR-TV.
Ms. Kersey also held several positions with the New Jersey Department of Human Services and owned her own public relations consulting company.
Active in the community, she currently serves as the vice president of the Trenton Board of Education and is a member of the Trenton Public Education Foundation.
Ms. Kersey earned an M.A. degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations from Rutgers University. She also has a M.A. and a B.A. in Elementary and Secondary Education and certification in Student and Personnel Services from The College of New Jersey.
Contact: jkersey@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 105)
Spencer Lester
Financial Officer
As financial officer for Children's Futures (CF), Mr. Lester has responsibility for the financial, information technology and human resource components of the initiative. Prior to joining CF, Mr. Lester worked for eight years as a financial analyst for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), where he made important contributions to RWJF's Financial Monitoring Office. Before coming to RWJF, Mr. Lester served as a business and tax consultant and held financial positions with the Greater Trenton Community Mental Health Center (now Greater Trenton Behavioral HealthCare).
A Trenton native, Mr. Lester has also been the driving force behind a number of CF's successful programs for the community that have helped build financial capacity to improve the operations of Trenton nonprofit organizations; provided books and toys for children and families annually during the Christmas holiday season; and, honored outstanding Trenton fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers and foster fathers through the "Platinum Dad" recognition program.
Mr. Lester earned a bachelor's degree from Upsala College in East Orange, N.J. and has been a guest lecturer at Kean College of New Jersey and Mercer County Community College.
Contact: slester@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 104)
T. Sonya Pritchett
Administrative Assistant
Ms. Pritchett is the first voice callers hear and the first person visitors seen when they arrive at Children's Futures. In addition to receiving guests and ensuring calls are routed efficiently, she also is involved in supporting her Children's Futures' colleagues with special event planning; meeting space coordination; securing parking, event/meeting catering, hotel accommodations and arrangements; reviewing and logging all incoming grants; arranging grant review meetings, receiving incoming checks, logging information in the computer; and, researching data and reports. Prior to joining CF, she was an administrative assistant and counselor for Life Counseling Services, a behavioral health center.
Before joining Life Counseling Services, Ms. Pritchett spent 10 years working as project manager and health coordinator on her Indian Reservation, the Powhatan Renape Nation.
Contact: spritchett@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 100)
Iris Rawls
Executive Assistant
As executive assistant at Children's Futures (CF), Ms. Rawls is responsible for all administrative support for CF's president and vice president. In addition, she coordinates communications and logistics for the board of directors, including board meeting preparation and travel logistics; oversees vendors, office supplies and equipment; and, supports a host of other activities ranging from maintenance of the office filing system to preparing PowerPoint presentations. Prior to joining CF, she was a human resources and MIS administrator with Coin Depot Corporation of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Before coming to Coin Depot Corporation, Mr. Rawls was office administrator/manager for Executive Career Resource Group in Princeton, New Jersey. Ms. Rawls received her office administration training from the Cittone Institute.
Contact: irawls@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 107)
Bill Rovner
Communications Director
As communications director for Children's Futures (CF), Mr. Rovner is responsible for managing all internal and external communications activities for the initiative including publications, web site, media relations, community relations and special events. Prior to joining Children's Futures, he was vice president of communications for the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), a national association of nonprofit managed care plans based in Washington, D.C. and New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Before coming to ACHP, Mr. Rovner directed the communications program for a statewide nonprofit health maintenance organization, HIP Health Plan of New Jersey and its predecessor organization, Rutgers Community Health Plan. He previously served as communications officer for the Central Jersey Health Planning Council, a federally-created health systems agency. In that position, he also edited The Trenton Report on Health and Human Services.
Mr. Rovner earned an M.A. in Information Services from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and a B.A. in Mass Communications from the same institution.
Contact: brovner@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 103)
Renee Sullivan
Financial Associate
As financial associate at Children's Futures (CF), Ms. Sullivan has responsibilities in areas that include: accounts payable; accounts receivable; account reconciliation; petty cash; general ledger management; employee time benefit reconciliation; and, grant monitoring. Prior to joining CF, she served as the accounts payable supervisor for Benetton Sport System, a manufacturer of Prince, Nordica and Rollerblade sporting goods located in Bordentown, New Jersey.
Before coming to Benetton, Ms. Sullivan held positions with Horizon National Bank where she served private customers and Corestates National Bank where she was responsible for business customers. She also worked with the Force One Agency for an international business company.
Contact: rsullivan@childrensfutures.org (609) 695-1977 (ext. 108)