John McCarthy
John McCarthy is the Executive Director of Historic Spanish Point. He previously served as Executive Director of SCOPE (Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence), a civic engagement organization that uses community data to explore local issues and opportunities. John is a native Floridian, and has a deep appreciation for the state’s communities, heritage and natural systems. In addition to his work with SCOPE, John shares his knowledge of Sarasota and Florida through writing, programs and tours. John has served as the President of the Historical Society of Sarasota County and the Florida Recreation and Parks Association Foundation. Prior to his work with SCOPE, John was employed by Sarasota County Government and during his 33 year career served as County Historian, Environmental Specialist and Director of Parks and Recreation. John’s interests include local history, cycling, kayaking, storytelling and woodworking.
Chippy C. Nalluri, M.D.
Dr. Nalluri is a Cardiology Specialist with Heart Specialists of Sarasota. She completed her cardiology fellowship at Case Western Reserve University and relocated to the Sarasota area with her husband and two daughters in June 2001. She is specifically trained in all aspects of non-invasive cardiology including three-dimensional echocardiography and CTA imaging. Dr. Nalluri is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases and Nuclear Cardiology. She manages all cardiovascular diseases, but has a passion for managing the unique problems of women with heart disease.
Jill Edwards, M.S., C.E.P
Jill Edwards received her BA in Education from the University of Michigan and MS in Exercise Science from Oakland University. She is a certified Clinical Exercise Specialist through the American College for Sports Medicine and is the Senior Program Manager for the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Jill has attended Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s Heart Disease Reversal Program at the Cleveland Clinic and has over 8 years of experience helping patients recover in Cardiopulmonary Rehab.
Deniese Kragel
Deniese Kragel is a Trainer at Health Fit, part of the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. She has received: B.A., University of Kentucky; Certified Wellness Coach – Nutritional Manager through the AASDN (American Academy of Sports Dietitians and Nutritionists); Certified HEED (Healthy Eating Every Day) Facilitator; Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Group Exercise Instructor through AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America); CPR and AED certified through American Heart Association.
Matthew Edlund M.D., MOH
Dr. Matthew Edlund is known as The Rest Doctor. Dr. Edlund directs the Center for Circadian Medicine, and is an internationally recognized expert on rest and sleep, biological clocks, performance, and regeneration health. His previous books include “The Body Clock Advantage”, “Designed to Last”, and “Psychological Time and Mental Illness.” He writes on and practices Regeneration Health, a new approach to medical care whose goal is complete health – physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. Dr. Edlund trained in internal medicine at University of California, San Diego and Massachusetts General Hospital; in occupational and public health at the Harvard School of Public Health; in sleep medicine at Brown; and in psychiatry at N.Y.U. – Bellevue. He is a graduate of Amherst College, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and from S.U.N.Y. Downstate, cum laude and Alpha Omega Alpha.
Nicci Kobritz
Nicci Kobritz is President, Center for Brain Health & Founder/President of Youthful Aging Home Health. Geriatric specialist and nurse practitioner, Nicci Kobritz has more than three decades of experience in developing and managing high quality health care services. Nicci founded Youthful Aging Home Health, a private duty home care practice limiting its census in order to customize services that will in fact enable clients to be the best they can be for as long as possible. In Maine, Nicci founded the Expanded Child Health Services, a rural pediatric clinic selected by the Academy of Pediatrics as a national model; she then developed a state model for hospital-based child neglect programs for the Maine Medical Association. She served in Maine Gov. John R. McKernan’s cabinet. In 2011, she formed a partnership with the internationally known Roskamp Institute to create and operate Sci-Brain, a research-driven organization dedicated to reducing peoples’ risk for Alzheimer’s disease. In 2016, she established the new entity Center for Brain Health to expand its capabilities.
Monica Bolbjerg, M.D.
Dr. Monica Bolbjerg co-founded Qure4u in Denmark 2001 and has since then built it to a leading, international Digital Health company with clients in Europe, US and South America. More than 2 million users and thousands of providers are using the Qure4u platform to interact, share data and improve health. Her big passion is to launch user-friendly solutions for providers, as well as patients, that enhance preventive care, engage and involve patients in their own health as well as giving the providers tools to manage health populations more efficiently. Monica graduated from the University of Copenhagen as a certified Doctor of Medicine. She has served as a general practitioner in both Denmark and Norway and also done research on the largest university hospital in Denmark. Today Monica is based in the US where she is the CEO of Qure4 Inc.
Ronald Aung-Din, M.D.
Dr. Aung-Din has practiced General Neurology and Neuro-Psychiatry in Sarasota for over 25 years. Dr. Aung-Din currently functions as Principal Investigator in a number of ongoing drug research studies. He is also active in treating varied neurological and psychiatric conditions using delivery of CNS-active drugs with Direct Effects topical delivery. After studies in Mechanical and Environmental Engineering at Bucknell (Lewisburg, PA) and Cornell (Ithaca, NY) Universities, Dr. Aung-Din worked for a period in industry as supervising engineer. He then attended Columbia University in New York City for Premedical studies, followed by Medical School at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX. Residencies in Neurology and Neurosurgery followed at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Renee LeGere
Renee Legere is the Senior Community Educator from Trulieve. Trulieve is Florida’s first licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Center offering the largest line of CBD and THC products statewide. Products are designed to alleviate seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms, pain, nausea, loss of appetite, and other symptoms associated with serious medical conditions such as cancer. Headquartered in Quincy, Florida, plants are hand-grown in an environment specially designed to reduce unwanted chemicals and pests, keeping the process natural at every turn.
In her role, Renee is responsible for hands on education of Trulieve’s Medical Cannabis products as well as ensuring Physicians have the most up to date information to provide the best patient experience possible. After experiencing a serious motor vehicle accident Renee was prescribed a long list of medications for neck and spine damage as well as PTSD – medications that none of her doctors could agree on as being the best protocol for treatment. That all changed when medical marijuana became an option for Florida residents, and Renee was able to ditch the pills and find the mental and physical relief that she hadn’t had since prior to her accident. She knew it was time to leave the corporate marketing world and help others navigate this new option of taking charge of their health too.
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