HELPING HANDS: Reaching Out to the Future - A Teen Summit.

September 12, 2009 from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

 

Biographical Sketches of the Guest Speakers at the Summit

  (In order by last name)

Dr. Stacy Dehal

 Dr Stacy Dehal is a board certified obstetrician/gynecologist with Capital Women's Care, Manassas division, which was the former Manassas OB/GYN.  She has been with the practice since 1998.  She is the former OB/GYN department chairwoman at Prince William Hospital where she is  still an active staff member,   and she  is also on staff at the Inova fair Oaks Hospital. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology,  a member of the American Medical association, Medical Society of Virginia, and the Prince William Medical Society.  She serves on the clinical teaching faculty at George Mason University. She is married, lives in Manassas, and is the mother of two young children.

   

Mr. Thomas B. Epps

 Mr. Thomas B. Epps is a native of Petersburg, Virginia and a 2005 graduate of the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology where he studied vocal music.  Thomas is a May 2009 graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and received numerous awards for excellence in leadership.  Thomas has also had the privilege of studying and sharing gospel music with the choral department of Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia.  Currently, Thomas is employed with the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry in Falls Church as an Outreach Specialist for their Health Education Alternatives for Teens (HEAT) program.  HEAT is a teen and young adult program whose purpose is to be a liaison to medical care and counseling for HIV positive youth.  Thomas regards community health and citizen health to be a vital part of community development and sustainability.  Thomas is currently pursuing his Master’s in City and Regional Planning with an emphasis in Community and Economic Development from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. 

 

Mr. Mike Grant

Mr. Mike Grant is the founder of the Life Design Personal Training Center which was established over twenty years ago.  Mr. Grant’s objective is to assist people in reaching their fitness goals whatever they are.  He enjoys training all people from teens to seniors. He is a master trainer and cancer exercise specialist and is a dedicated athlete. He motivates and helps people reach their highest potential.

   

Raleigh M. Harris, Jr.

 

 Mr. Harris is married to Shirley Harris and they have 3 boys: Micah, Samuel and Eran. He is an Associate Minister at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Triangle VA where he works diligently with the Youth Ministry. He is also a police officer for Prince William County where he has served for over 6 years.

 

Ms. Heather Martinsen-Hill

Ms. Heather Martinsen-Hill, a Certified Prevention Specialist, has worked in the field of prevention for almost ten years. She formerly worked for the PWC Office On Youth as the Youth Program Specialist. In this capacity, she coordinated the teen volunteer program and the Youth Advisory Council and planned, promoted, and staffed youth-driven community programs that educated the community and raised awareness of issues of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Currently, Heather is one of two Prevention Specialists with Prince William County Community Services. She facilitates after-school and community-based social skills programs and engages a great deal with the community through outreach events and presentations. She has presented at state-wide conferences about prevention efforts in our community and how young people can be empowered to prevent underage drinking and drug use by their peers. After four long years of part-time class work, Heather earned her Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2009. An enthusiastic football fan, she is looking forward to watching entire football games this season with her husband and her dog without a textbook or laptop in her hands.

 

Detective Mark Thomas McCoy

 

 Detective McCoy was born in Washington, DC.  During his youth, he served as Altar Boy at Saint Margaret’s Catholic School located in Capital Heights, MD.  After graduating from high school, Detective McCoy served in the US Army for nearly 11 years.  During his Army career, Detective McCoy was recognized on a number of occasions for his outstanding service.  He received a US Army Commendation medal for Exceptional Meritorious Service while serving in Stuttgart, Germany.  In 1991, Detective McCoy was reassigned to the Pentagon where he performed flawlessly earning a promotion to Sergeant and receiving his second US Army Commendation Medal for Outstanding Meritorious Service.  Detective McCoy was later promoted to Staff Sergeant and received  the US Army Meritorious Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious service.

 Detective McCoy left the Army in 1999 to pursue a career in law enforcement.  He was certified in the State of Virginia in 2001.  He received letters of commendation and awards in the year 2003 and 2004 from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and VASAP.  He was selected as a detective to the Special Problems Unit and deputized to support the US Marshal’s Task Force. In 2005, Detective McCoy transferred his employment to the Dumfries Police Department where he is currently employed.  He continues to receive commendations in recognition of his high level of professionalism, service and restraint in community support.

 

Mrs. Heidi K. Simpson

Mrs. Heidi K. Simpson graduated in 1989 from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She held various nursing positions after graduation prior to returning to school and receiving her Masters in Nursing from the University of Hawaii’ at Manoa. Upon completing her Masters she has worked in various practice settings as a Nurse Practitioner, specializing in family practice. Currently, she is a Nurse Practitioner with the Virginia Department of Health and works in Prince William County. Her clinical areas of focus are: Communicable Diseases (Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Tuberculosis), Women’s Health, and Teen Clinic.

   

Angela L. Tillman

Probation and Parole Officer

 

 Ms. Tillman began her career with the Justice System in 1996 at the Prince William County Juvenile Emergency Shelter Home. The shelter was designed to service an At-Risk-Population of youth in Prince William County that were either court ordered to the program or placed there through the Department of Social Services.

 After a year-and-a-half of full-time service with the Emergency Shelter, Ms. Tillman secured employment with the Virginia Department of Corrections. She began working at Fairfax County Adult Probation and Parole Office, in 1998; supervising a youthful offender population. Specifically, she worked with the Recidivist Prevention Program at Fairfax Adult Probation and Parole. The program's objective is to deter youthful offenders from repeat-offending. Officer Tillman continues to help manage this program, currently. She facilitates group meetings bi-weekly, acts as a liaison in the community, prepares and represents sentencing and violation reports in Court on a monthly basis, as well as serves as an Adjunct Instructor for the Department of Corrections at their Academy for Staff Development.

 As an agent of the Criminal Justice System, Officer Tillman is adamant about young people encountering our System of Justice in a positive manner rather than adversely. Her belief is that education, knowledge, and accountability are most critical in determining how one perceives our Criminal Justice System.

 

Dr. Astril Webb

Dr. Astril Webb is the Founder and Chair of Healthy Kinder, Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote healthy lifestyles for children.  She also chairs the Childhood Obesity Initiative Committee for Division One of the Capital District Kiwanis.  As an advocate for healthy children, she serves on numerous committees to increase awareness of obesity prevention and build healthier communities.  Dr. Webb is a graduate of Howard University and completed her medical program in Germany.