Board of Directors

Dr. Sue Bryant is principal at St. Stanislaus School in Michigan City, Indiana. This PhD has been in education for over 40 years having taught college - Florida State and St. Mary's at Notre Dame, middle school, grammar school and educational laboratory schools. She has been a school principal for 17 years.

Dr. Sammie Dortch, M.A., M.S. is a licensed Clinical Social Worker who works with children, adolescents, families, faith and community-based organizations. She is the chairperson of the Applied Science Department of Harold Washington College, a professor of Social Work, national lecturer, consultant and curriculum developer. She has received three outstanding educator awards: Harold Washington College Distinguished Professor, Kathy Osterman and the National Organization for Staff Development.

Terese Fabbri, M.A., M.S. in Counseling, MA in Theology and MA in Religious Studies is an experienced educator, counselor and dream therapist in private practices. She has taught at the elementary level for 26 years. She has facilitated many workshops focusing on dreams, personal insights, inner work, issues regarding adult children of dysfunctional families, as well as Inner Child healing.

Melissa Kuczmanski, M.A., M.S. is a school counselor at Rolling Prairie Elementary in Rolling Prairie Indiana. She earned a BA in Sociology from Morehead State University and a Masters of Science in Education and Counseling from Indiana University. She has served as a counselor for New Prairie United School Corporation since 2002. Her current focus is encouraging youth to spread kindness while developing an interest in advocating for social justice. She is the mother of three.

Betty Hoeffner nearly lost a teen to suicide and knows how tough it can be for kids to hold on to their self-esteem especially when faced with bullying and self-bullying. She co-founded Hey U.G.L.Y. to help not only the bullied but also the bullies because both are suffering from low self-esteem. She is the author of "Hue-Man Kind - A Book to End Racism" and "Stop Bullying Handbook-A Guide for Students & Their Friends " which is a step-by-step resource to help youth understand and protect themselves and others from bullying. To-date the book has reached over 2,500 students and has millions more to go. She created the Stop Bullying Task Force Program which enables schools to set up a student-run stop bullying committee to deal with bullying situations. She created Bullying Bystanders Unite, Project Apologize, Cyberbullied Unite, Laughtercising(tm), SEEIT and the Stop Self-Bullying & Love Yourself Enough Campaign. She hosts a twice weekly radio show on WRHC-FM called CHOOSE TO CHANGE. Together with teen guest DJ's, the show features songs with lyrics that inspire positive self-esteem, diversity, a healthy planet, peace and never giving up. After the song is played the teen guest DJs and Hoeffner discuss the lyrics and how the messages can help teens in the listening audience. This former public relations expert, whose advice is featured in the book 303 Marketing Tips, developed a teen grooming program for Supercuts; a teen safe driving program for Precision Tune Auto Care; and a social studies project to educate students about our electoral process for Willy Wonka Brands. While serving as partner at FTF, she helped develop a program teaching students the importance of exercise to counter the obesity epidemic. She is also executive producer of the award-winning film, "Things You Should Know Before Entering the Hospital."

Dalia Vitkus, M.A. is a troup leader for the Lithuanian Sea Scouts. She has led her troup and others in some of Hey U.G.L.Y.'s programs. She has a Masters in Criminal Justice and is a Tai Kwan Do black belt.

Board of Advisors