The Ohio Coalition Institute is facilitated by faculty and professional staff at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service in collaboration with research scientists at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).Together they have provided comprehensive services that resulted in the co-creation of innovative approaches to support community partners in over 278 community-based organizations serving 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Holly has collaborated to provide intensive leadership development, training, technical assistance, and evaluation services to 84 Ohio communities as they address critical needs and issues related to mental health and substance abuse. Dr. Raffle is a recipient of the Firefly Award from the Fairfield County Family, Adult, and Children First Council, and The OhioMHAS Prevention Champion Award recognizing her commitment to community and state-level prevention.
Jen oversees daily operations across several workforce capacity building initiatives. With a career dedicated to public service, her previous roles supported local public health initiatives, community health assessments, community health improvement planning, organization accreditation, injury and chronic disease prevention, quality improvement and employee wellness. Jen earned a BS in Community Health Education from the University of Toledo and a Master of Public Health from The Ohio State University. She is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) and a member of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), where she has served on the Board of Directors for the Ohio chapter in several roles since 2006.
Sara advances collaborative initiatives that strengthen Ohio's prevention infrastructure and expand community capacity. Her work spans statewide workforce development, strategic partnership building, and cross-sector alignment with public agencies, universities, and community organizations. Sara currently leads Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Project ECHO Hub and contributes to the Partnership for Community-Based Prevention. Her background is rooted in systems coordination across state and local government, communities, and families, with prior experience in child maltreatment prevention, pediatric behavioral health care management, wraparound services, and community-based research. Sara holds a Master of Social Work from Ohio University and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker Supervisor (LISW-S).
Zeyu Zhang holds a PhD in Mass Communication from Ohio University. During her tenure at Ohio University, she supported the Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion and Ohio Adult Allies initiatives to develop prevention-focused content, including newsletters, blogs, podcasts, playbooks, web content, and social media campaigns. Zeyu also brings extensive experience in website management, overseeing content strategy, design, and development across multiple platforms. Currently, she serves as the Senior Project Manager for Prevention Content at Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.
Leslie provides assistance and support to partners throughout Ohio including the Community Collective Impact Model for Change (CCIM4C), the Ohio Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative (CIP), and the Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion. Her previous experience includes program development and oversight, grants management, marketing and communication, and coalition work. She has also served as a Coaltion Coach of the Ohio Coalition Institute. Leslie is an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant (OCPC) and holds a degree in Interdepartmental Communication, PR and Advertising from Elmhurst College.
Christine supports efforts to advance Ohio’s prevention workforce and supporting individuals in creating community change. She has been committed to working with youth, their families, and other connected adults, both in urban and Appalachian communities. Her previous experience includes: the Upward Bound Math Science Program, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, school-based crisis intervention and prevention, community coalition work, youth-led prevention, and project management for the Ohio Adult Allies Initiative. She has always believed in the power of people to change history through connection and aspires to embolden others to live in their power. Christine, a first-generation college graduate, earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Kentucky and her BA in Sociology from Shawnee State University. She is a licensed social worker and an OCPSA. When not working as a project manager, Christine loves to get lost in books, create a dance floor wherever the mood strikes, and enjoy the sunshine with her family.
Nicole provides technical assistance, evaluation, and data supports for projects focused on behavioral health, substance use prevention, the environment, and education. She has over ten years of experience coordinating federal grant reporting with local community organizations. Nicole’s skills include quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, the design of paper and web-based surveys, and group interview research. Prior to joining the Voinovich School in 2007, she collected program evaluation data for a nonprofit providing mental and behavioral healthcare to children and youth. Nicole holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in Sociology from The Ohio State University.
Matthew has worked with Ohio communities since 2003 and focuses his work on advancing Ohio’s prevention infrastructure and workforce. He focuses on Appalachian and rural communities and on using community of practice approaches to build and sustain community capacity for evidence-based prevention strategies, practices, and programs. Dr. Courser also works with the State of Ohio on problem gambling initiatives and is supporting the State as it works to continue to develop and sustain the Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey.
Dr. Schweinhart’s work has focused on applying mixed methods to a variety of health-behavior-related research projects, including multiple efforts to evaluate and support use prevention, treatment, and recovery. This work includes assisting with Strategic Prevention Framework projects through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Alabama, New Mexico, Ohio, and Idaho. Through these and other efforts, she has collaborated with local leaders in Ohio to focus on increasing community capacity, especially in areas with a lack of access to resources. Dr. Schweinhart takes a community-based participatory research approach to examine ways to evaluate, intervene, and lessen negative outcomes for people with different experiences.
Nancy earned a BS in Public Health and a minor in Nutritional Sciences from Brigham Young University. Nancy has experience working in the public health field as a coalition coordinator, prevention specialist, and nutrition/health educator. In her current role, she supports projects related to problem gambling, suicide prevention, and substance use prevention.
Sophia supports the implementation and evaluation of Ohio-based prevention initiatives. She is passionate about community-based research, prevention science, and health equity. Sophia earned her BS in Public Health from Ohio University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®).
Elika earned a M.Ed. in School Counseling from the University of Dayton, a BS in Social Work from the Ohio State University. With twenty years of experience in the behavior health and nonprofit fields, she's been in roles including case manager, school counselor, and program manager. Her current areas of focus include the Ohio 988 lifeline, rural communities' opioid response support, statewide problem gambling initiatives, integrative wellness, and behavioral health sciences.
