Open Forum Strategy Founder
Mattie Velasco joins Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence L.E.A.D Program Advisory Board

L.E.A.D is a national non-profit organization implementing evidence-based curriculum in grades K-12 across the nation through life skills & resiliency courses. Board members come from the law enforcement, education and behavioral health backgrounds and represent 13 different counties across the state. Leaders joined together in Orlando to strategize ways to train law enforcement officers in prevention curriculum & work with education systems to bring lessons into Florida classrooms, taking the charge to keep students safe from drugs and violence in the Sunshine State.

Pinellas Recovery Round Table welcomes Florida Director of Office for Drug Policy & Control, Doug Simon

Doug Simon, who was recently appointed to the Office of Policy and Budget within the Executive Office of the Governor, & previously served in the Department of Transportation & Office of Drug Control Policy at the White House, joined the Pinellas Recovery Round Table as a distinguished guest alongside St. Petersburg Police Department Chief of Police Anthony Holloway and St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Deborah Figgs-Sanders where he spent time with over 60 attendees conducting focus groups to develop strategies for allocation of 1.7 Billion dollars of Opioid Settlement money being dispersed in the state of Florida.

Open Forum Strategy partners with Career Source Pinellas & St. Petersburg College to enhance workforce development efforts

Open Forum Strategy has partnered with CareerSource Pinellas CEO, Steven Meier, to build strategic partnerships for the newly created CareerSource Recovery Program focusing on workforce development opportunities for individuals re-entering the community following treatment, incarceration, or homelessness. As part of this initiative, Open Forum Strategy has partnered with St. Petersburg College to organize The Recovery Awareness Expo & Job Fair with over 50 second chance employers, behavioral health vendors, on-site healthcare & social service resources, and a Proclamation by St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch declaring September as Recovery Awareness Month. This event serves as a fundraiser for the St. Petersburg College Foundation to establish a general scholarship for students in recovery from substance use or mental health disorders in an effort to increase sustainable recovery through education and employment.

Open Forum Strategy Founder Receives Dress for Success Award for Service & Leadership

Mattie Velasco, pictured here with Dress for Success Exec. Director Katie McGill, House Representative Dianne Hart, & Berkshire Hathaway's Diane Howard, recently received the "You Go, Girl!" Award with recognition by Mayor Jane Castor & County Commissioner Harry Cohen for service to the community assisting women re-entering the workforce following domestic violence, exploitation, & homelessness with critical resources & mentorship. 

Open Forum Strategy tours Capitol for Advocacy Day with NAATP

Open Forum Strategy founder, Mattie Velasco pictured here with Dr. Evelyn Higgins & Jacqueline Hall of Wired BioHealth, alongside Nikki Soda, Director of State Advocacy at the NAATP, recently toured the State Capitol to meet with legislators and advocate for health equity across the state of Florida.

Open Forum Strategy Founder delivers speech, helps to raise funds for 95th Anniversary of SPC

OFS Founder Mattie Velasco delivered the "History of SPC" speech for the 95th Anniversary of St. Petersburg College during a Proclamation by Mayor Ken Welch declaring September 12th "SPC Day" alongside SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams, St. Petersburg City Council, and Senator Darryl Rouson (District 16) to celebrate 95 years of academic excellence and economic mobility at St. Petersburg College. Velasco assisted in fundraising efforts which garnered over $250,000 for SPC.