Executive Director

Ann Davis has been Executive Director of Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition since its founding in 1992.  Starting with an initial agency budget of $113,000/year, Ms. Davis guided the agency to an annual budget of  $1.2 million.  Prior to her current position, she was the Assistant Director of Elder Care Services in Leon County and ran their Meals on Wheels program.  She tells people, "I went from the old people business to the new people business…and most of the issues are the same."  A frail homebound elderly person has many of the same needs for an advocate as the neonatal intensive care unit infant.  Ms. Davis has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Florida State University and did her Post-Graduate work at the University of South Florida College of Public Health Leadership Institute.  She was named a 2004 Distinguished Leadership Finalist by Leadership Tallahassee; in 2003 she was named an Outstanding Community Woman by the American Association of University Women Tallahassee Branch; and in 1998 she was named Florida's Finest by the Executive Office of the Governor for her work to lower infant mortality.  She is married and has one son, Scott who is a C130 navigator in the Air Force.

> Contact Ann

Community Relations Director

Christine Dreps serves as the Community Relations Director for Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition.

Chris joined the Healthy Start team in February of 2003 after moving to Tallahassee from Tucson with her husband Bill, their daughter Madison and three dogs, Molly, Margie and Mack.   

After graduating with BA in Human Resources Management, Chris worked for the Federal Courts for 13 years before making a career move into marketing and public relations field.  Chris spent two years as the Community Relations / Marketing Coordinator for a large pizza franchise and in January of 2000, became the first Executive Director for the Nation’s first Diaper Bank, housed in Tucson, Arizona.   

Chris is a member of the Junior League of Tallahassee, Tallahassee Junior Woman’s Club and sits on the Mach of Dimes Advisory Board.

Chris loves to travel, white water raft, have parties and go to the beach.

> Contact Chris  

Smart Start Coordinator

Kristy was born in High Springs, Fl July 25, 1980. Kristy Graduated from Santa Fe High School in Alachua, Fl and moved to Tallahassee in 1999 to attend Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University (FAMU). While a student at (FAMU) Kristy worked fulltime and spent most of her free time volunteering at Emergency Care and Help Organization (ECHO), helping the homeless and being a faithful member of the Social Work Association of Graduate Students (SWAGS). Kristy graduated from (FAMU) in 2004 with a masters Degree in Social Work Administration. Kristy has been a member of the Smart Start Team for two years and enjoys working with the families.

> Contact Kristy  

Nurisng Advisor, Healthy Pregnancy Network

Mary Shannahan serves as nursing advisor for the Healthy Pregnancy Network's Infant Mortality Review. She's served Capital Area Healthy Start in this capacity since 1995 but has been employed year-round only since 1999. Prior to then, Mary was an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at Florida State University for 18 years.   

After earning a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing degree from D'Youville College in Buffalo, NY (1964), Mary received a Master's in Nursing degree in Women's & Infants' Health from the University of Florida (1972) & a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University (1980). She's worked as a Navy nurse, a public health nurse, a parent educator, and a nursing faculty member at both Florida Community College at Jacksonville (1969-1981) & Florida State University (1981-1999). While at FSU she received a University Teaching Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.

Mary is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the American Nurses' Association, the American Holistic Nurses' Association, & The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, & Neonatal Nurses. She is also a volunteer at LeMoyne Art Foundation. She's visited China, Peru, Costa Rica, & the Navajo Nation (twice) on various study tours related to higher education and/or health care.

Mary has one daughter, Eileen, an honorary granddaughter, Sarah, and her cat Amelia. She likes to read, go to the movies, attend symphony, listen to many types of music, and is especially fond of classic "southern" rock. A New Jersey native, who's lived in Florida for 45 years, she is still thankful every day for the opportunity to live in this beautiful state.

 > Contact Mary  

QA/QI Director

Tomica Archie Smith is the Program Coordinator for the Smart Start Program, an innovative school readiness program in Tallahassee, Florida.  Mrs. Smith holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Counseling from Florida A&M University.  Mrs. Smith has also worked in the fields of youth prevention and youth development.  Mrs. Smith is a graduate of College Leadership Florida, a State Leadership Development Program.  She has presented to academics, church groups, parents, friends, and colleagues about the importance of parents being their children’s best first teacher!   Tomica is particularly concerned with issues that disproportionately impact the African American community such as poverty, fatherlessness, infant mortality and works to eradicate barriers to education and promote family wellbeing.  Mrs. Smith admittedly has an awesome husband, Fredrick, and an amazing one year old son, Fredrick III, also know as Baby Trey.