Beth Thomas
Beth loves the energy of working with people to positively impact their communities. She has the pleasure of serving HC3 (Healthy Choices Caring Communities) as the Program Director while working with Fulton County communities to reduce underage substance use. She earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The Ohio State University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Bowling Green State University.
Beth developed the youth-led prevention initiative, Youth Advisory Council (YAC), in her county which has grown to over 40 high school youth county-wide. Through YAC, young people are empowered to become community change agents. Serving as the Northwest Ohio Regional Coordinator for Adult Allies provides an opportunity to learn and share with other Adult Allies to empower young people across our region to build collective impact. Beth also serves on the Advisory Board for Statewide Prevention Coalition Association, Northwest Ohio Alliance for Substance Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Steering Committee, Fulton County JFS Advisory Board, and as a member of our Fulton County Partners for Health.
Beth and husband Kevin are the parents of 3 mostly “grown and flown” young adults still discovering what to do with their empty nest.
Robin Willson
Robin Willson is the Project Coordinator for Healthy Choices Caring Communities (HC3). Robin has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing from the University of Northwestern Ohio. She has worked with HC3 for over three years actively participating in both the adult coalition and serving as an adult advisor for the Youth Advisory Council (YAC).
Robin has been working with youth groups and kids in various ways for the majority of her life, but despite all those interactions, her job as the Project Coordinator opened up the first real opportunity to work with a youth-led group. Watching the development of the youth in that group and seeing the impact they can have on their peers and the community as a whole is so inspiring to her.
The Regional Learning Collaborative meetings offer a great opportunity to collaborate with other adults that work with youth, not only on the benefits of youth-led organizations, but also on how they can get started and develop the youth-led aspect with their own youth. This group offer excellent opportunities for you to connect with people in your region that are also working with youth, providing “real world” examples of how the process works and helping attending members work through issues together.
