Meet the LEadership TEAMS!
What a team! A big thinker, a community collaborator and connector, a detailed planner, a lift-off strategist, an experienced mentor, a licensed mental health counselor, several generous donors, and community collaborators!
the Founders of LOM!
Amy Falk Weinberger, MSEd
Amy Falk Weinberger, MSEd
Amy Falk Weinberger, MSEd
Amy is a community change agent bridging education and mental health wellness. She creates relationships with students and promotes creative supportive problem solving to students. She has taught or mentored 5000+ students in her 35+ year career. Her passion is to heal education in our local communities and beyond through relationship bui
Amy is a community change agent bridging education and mental health wellness. She creates relationships with students and promotes creative supportive problem solving to students. She has taught or mentored 5000+ students in her 35+ year career. Her passion is to heal education in our local communities and beyond through relationship building, creative conversations, and intentional listening. Amy has had enjoyed a full career as an educational entrepreneur, mentor, and community builder. She and her husband hail from St. Thomas, USVI after Hurricane Hugo and have been married 32 years. They have three grown children and 2 adopted dogs!
Jordan Stonecypher
Amy Falk Weinberger, MSEd
Amy Falk Weinberger, MSEd
Jordan has been a student/mentee of Amy's since she was 8 years old while she was a student in the Sarasota County Public Schools system. She has earned her B.S. in psychology from Lynn University, and she is currently completing her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Her passions are art, connecting wit
Jordan has been a student/mentee of Amy's since she was 8 years old while she was a student in the Sarasota County Public Schools system. She has earned her B.S. in psychology from Lynn University, and she is currently completing her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Her passions are art, connecting with nature, and helping students find their voices so they can feel inspired and hopeful. Jordan resides in Asheville, North Carolina.
Bob Cohn
Amy Falk Weinberger, MSEd
Bob Cohn
Amy met Bob, our funder, at the community mental health event (One Thing I Wish You Knew) at the Jewish Federation in 2018. During their conversation, Bob asked Amy if she could create a mentor program in the school setting. Amy enthusiastically responded, "Yes, I can do that." Because of Bob, The Lean on Me Project has grown exponentiall
Amy met Bob, our funder, at the community mental health event (One Thing I Wish You Knew) at the Jewish Federation in 2018. During their conversation, Bob asked Amy if she could create a mentor program in the school setting. Amy enthusiastically responded, "Yes, I can do that." Because of Bob, The Lean on Me Project has grown exponentially to take the lead in bridging the gap between education and mental health. You never know who you will meet!
the LOM & NAMI Connection!
Colleen Thayer, Taylor Walker & Amy Weinberger
Colleen Thayer, Taylor Walker & Amy Weinberger
Colleen Thayer, Taylor Walker & Amy Weinberger
Because of Colleen Thayer, MA, APR, CPRC, the Executive Director of NAMI Sarasota/Manatee Counties and her Board of Directors, the LOM Project has a not-for-profit home. We share resources, programs, talent, and creativity to elevate each organization. It's a Dream Team for Mental Health Wellness and Academic Hope!
Sarah Miller, CRPS – Family Peer Navigator
Colleen Thayer, Taylor Walker & Amy Weinberger
Colleen Thayer, Taylor Walker & Amy Weinberger
Because the Barancik Foundation believes in supporting a Family Navigator for Sarasota County, we have the remarkable opportunity to assist her with families that need academic support during mental health non-crisis and crisis moments.
Laura Granack – Administrative Assistant
Colleen Thayer, Taylor Walker & Amy Weinberger
Laura Granack – Administrative Assistant
Every organization needs a Laura to glue the administrative components together! Because of Laura, The LOM Project moves forward without worry regarding day to day administrative tasks.
Our Growing Team!
Taylor Walker, MA (Social Work)!
We are thrilled to be partnered with NAMI of Sarasota/Manatee so that Taylor Walker can continue to lead the Lean on Me Student Café Initiative while fulfilling her NAMI role as Youth Program Coordinator. She brings her innovation in youth programming, human services collaborations, mental health community connections, and originality to the LOM Project.
Sara Knouse, AP!
Sara Knouse is Outreach Ambassador for the Parent Café Initiative! In addition, she serves as an administrator at Tatum Ridge Elementary School in Sarasota. She brings her passion for leadership, trauma-awareness, life experiences, productive transformation in school services, and relationship building skills to the LOM Team and Community.
Dr. Maria Clapp (LMHC)!
Dr. Maria Clapp is the LOM Cultural/Diversity Ambassador. She is the lead collaborator for the LatinX Parent Cafe Initiatives and other online Focus Conversations for the Parent & Teacher Cafes. She brings her innate abilities as an innovator, community connector, content translator, mental health professional, and grant writing skills to the LOM Team.
Amy Diamond, MSEd
We are so fortunate to have Amy join our team. Amy is the Director of Parent and Teacher Initiatives. Amy is entrenched in listening and creating opportunities for parents and teachers which lead to create the WATCH Café that benefits the wellbeing of our teachers. Amy is a natural healer and a Licensed Acupuncturist & Physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She brings her creativity and patience as an entrepreneur and mom of two boys. She is an advocate of balancing career and mental health. We are honored to have Amy on our LOM team.
Marci Vitkus, Volunteer
Finding people with the time and commitment who are able to volunteer with the LOM Project is invigorating. Marci joins Co-Founder, Amy F. Weinberger for the Student Lunch Cafés at Woodland Middle School. Marci is a teacher, a musician, and a mentor to students. We are honored that Marci has chosen the LOM Team to as her passion project.
Vanessa Miller (Youth Support -NAMI Connection)
Vanessa is an integral leader of the Brookside Student Café and she teaches Mindful Movement . Because of our collaboration with NAMI Sarasota-Manatee, the LOM Team partners with peer specialists trained in mental health services. We are fortunate to have Vanessa on our team as a motivator, leader, and inspiration to the middle school students at Brookside.
Emma Armstrong (Youth Support -NAMI Connection)
Youth Peer Specialist, Emma Armstrong builds relationships with students through her training and her lived experience. She is a Youth Move member and is elated to help young people find the help that she never had. She is very passionate about mental health and human rights advocacy. After a few months on the job, she is currently completing her certification as a peer support specialist. She is also trilingual and committed to bridging the gap in available resources for all people.
