Our Staff
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Melissa Safford
PROGRAM DIRECTOR/ SPECIAL POPULATIONS PROJECT COORDINATOR
Melissa Safford grew up in Greece, New York. Melissa spends time hiking in the summer or inside baking and reading through the cold Rochester winters. Melissa attended SUNY Cortland, graduating in the Spring of 2022 with a degree in Community Health. She has also become a Certified Health Education Specialist to help her provide high quality health education to the community, an effort she has pursued for a number of years. Melissa is passionate about prevention and believes that working for Uplift Irondequoit will allow her to make a tangible difference in the lives and futures of community members. She is especially excited to support the LGBTQ+ community of Irondequoit and Rochester in culturally responsive prevention efforts.
Connect with Melissa: director@upliftirondequoit.org
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Christina Bartusek
DFC PROJECT COORDINATOR
Christina is a Fairport native. After graduating from Fairport High School, she stayed in Rochester to continue her education. Most recently, she is a 2024 graduate of St. John Fisher University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, family and her dog named Bear. She also loves to travel, especially to Boston, to watch the Red Sox play. She has a strong passion for health promotion and education and enjoys collaborating with members of communities. In her position at Uplift Irondequoit, she is determined to engage Irondequoit’s youth through various community events and programs. In addition, she aims to focus on the importance of substance-use prevention and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Connect with Christina: dfc@upliftirondequoit.org
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Finn Cohen
DATA ANALYST/COORDINATOR
Finn Cohen grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, but came to the Rochester area to study Psychology at RIT and fell in love with the community, moving permanently after graduating. Outside of work, Finn spends his time playing board games, watching Netflix, and cuddling with his cat. He is also a huge Bills fan! In his studies, he focused on the clinical and biological areas of psychology and was involved in research throughout his academic career, focusing in part on the intersection of substance use, addiction, and health in youth. Finn is passionate about mental health and sees prevention as a key part of supporting a healthy lifestyle, both mentally and physically. He is excited to be a part of such meaningful work.
Connect with Finn: analyst@upliftirodequoit.org
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Whitley Matthews
YOUTH & EVENTS COORDINATOR
Whitley Matthews, a Rochester native and East High alum, decided to continue her education 18 years later at Monroe Community College and received an associate’s degree in applied science and wellness in Spring 2024. She is also a certified Health and Wellness Coach and is now set to continue her studies this Fall 2024 at SUNY Brockport, working towards a bachelor’s degree in social work.
Beyond her academic achievements, Whitley is a wife and mother of three, ages 16, 12 and 5. She enjoys the outdoors, traveling and visiting new restaurants. Wellness, both physical and mental, is a cornerstone of her life, driving her commitment to supporting and uplifting others. She is thrilled to join Uplift’s team, whose goal is to serve and educate our community.
Connect with Whitley: yec@upliftirondequoit.org
Board of Directors
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Virginia (Ginny) Nacy
As an affected family member, after the loss of her son Patrick to an overdose, Ginny brings a strong belief in prevention strategies for youth at the earliest stages. As a founding member of Uplift Irondequoit, she has been thrilled to be part of the initial formation of the group and to have been part of the process for receiving funding with a federal and state grant. Ginny brings nearly 30 years of running a business and a number of experiences as a board member in leadership positions. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the Board.
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Jim Kozlowski
Jim has lived in Irondequoit since 1991; he is married and has one daughter. Jim is a longtime member of Irondequoit Rotary where he is a Past President and two-time Paul Harris Fellow. Jim retired from Eastman Kodak after a 34 year career in Market Research and Product Planning management positions. He is a graduate of Penn State University and the Simon Business School at University of Rochester (MBA, Marketing). He currently serves on the Board of Directors as Vice-President.
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Dave Seeley
Dave Seeley serves as the Executive Director of RochesterWorks, the region’s most comprehensive workforce development organization. In this capacity, he leads the Monroe County/Rochester Workforce Development Board and oversees the operation of three federally funded one-stop career centers. Since joining RochesterWorks in 2021, he has worked to magnify the organization’s role as a convener of the local workforce system, instituted a more robust community engagement strategy and has spearheaded new initiatives to connect historically marginalized populations with career pathways.
Dave also serves as the Co-Chair of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council’s Workforce & Talent Workgroup, and Co-Chair of the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative’s Employment Working group. Prior to coming to RochesterWorks, Dave served in various government roles, including working in the Governor’s Office, the NYS Assembly, and most recently, the elected Town Supervisor of his hometown, Irondequoit from 2016 to 2021.
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Maya Rodriguez Beltran
Mayra Rodriguez Beltran is a physician assistant with over 10 years of experience specializing in family medicine and addiction medicine. She is a 2010 graduate from Rochester Institute of Technology physician assistant program. Currently holds employment at both Huther Doyle and Rochester Regional Health: Clinton Family Health Center. Her career interest is to continue to educate primary care providers on how to recognize and adequately treat substance use disorders in the primary care setting. She became interested in Uplift Irondequoit because she wanted to get involved with the community to help develop programs to encourage our youth to make safe decisions related to their health and have an impact in breaking the cycle of addiction within family units. Mayra was born in Puerto Rico and her family moved to the Rochester area in 2000. She has been an Irondequoit resident since 2016. She enjoys spending time with family.
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Ann Cunningham
Ann Cunningham is a longtime resident of Irondequoit, NY. She holds a BS in Speech and Language Pathology from Ithaca College and an MS in Audiology from Syracuse University. She worked as an Audiologist with the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center for 11 years, specializing in diagnostics, hearing aid fittings and aural rehabilitation with older adults. After spending time at home raising two daughters, Ann worked in the Audiology department of Monroe #1 BOCES, supporting children in their school settings in the Rochester area. Ann is currently the Executive Director of Oasis Rochester, a non-profit organization which provides opportunities in lifelong learning, health, wellness and community engagement for older adults. She is a committed community volunteer, which has included service on the board of Sunset House, the Executive Committee of the West Irondequoit PTSA and the West Irondequoit Central School District’s Board of Education.
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James S. Hinman
James is a sole practitioner, practicing in Rochester, New York, whose general practice includes an extensive amount of cases in Family Court, both as Attorney For the Child and as counsel to adult parties, together with criminal cases at the misdemeanor and felony level in all courts, as well as appeals. He is a 1976 graduate of Gettysburg College and a 1980 graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law.
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Charles "Chuck" Thompson
Chuck Thompson is an accomplished professional with nearly two decades of experience in corporate human resources, specializing in technology and innovation, healthcare, business development, and marketing. Currently serving as the Associate Vice President of Corporate Human Resources at Sutherland, Chuck brings a wealth of expertise in fostering organizational growth, talent development, and strategic planning.
Driven by a personal mission to make a positive impact in the community, Chuck is inspired by personal experiences overcoming addiction and homelessness in his adolescence. Chuck resides in Irondequoit with his wife and children which inspired him to obtain Safe Zone Train the Trainer certification and to actively contribute to initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being and prosperity of the local community.
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Richard Turner
Rich Turner joined the Uplift Irondequoit Board of Directors in the fall of 2024 after attending the CADCA Summer Conference with his daughter, who is involved with the organization through student government at Eastridge High School.
Rich is Irondequoit born and raised, graduating from Eastridge before attending St. John Fisher University. After college, Rich worked in local media for 10 years, then went into government for more than a dozen years with the last several being in workforce development. Rich currently works as the Director of Workforce Development at the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association.
Rich also serves as on the Board of Commissioners for the Irondequoit Fire District and is a Past President of the Laurelton Volunteer Fire Association. He is also the in-game announcer for Eastridge Athletics and resides in the Laurelton Neighborhood of East Irondequoit.
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Jen Cathy, LMSW
Jen is a community-driven leader with decades of progressive experience in high-profile, not-for-profit roles across the Greater Rochester area. She is passionate about contemporary issues in community engagement; social justice; diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; as well as addressing the social determinants of health underpinning a thriving community.
In October 2022, Jen joined Delphi Rise as the President and CEO. In this capacity, she oversees a 5 million dollar behavioral health organization that serves both Monroe and Wayne Counties. Delphi Rise offers a continuum of support for people struggling with substance use addiction and homelessness, including outpatient treatment, 24/7 Open Access, housing services, and an on-site, peer-led food pantry. In addition, Delphi offers wraparound Prison Reentry as well as Health Homes Care Management services.
Before coming to Delphi Rise, Jen was the Chief Impact Officer for the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. Jen led the Community Impact Team and the volunteer Community Impact Cabinet, and was responsible for implementation of the organization’s strategic community investment plan including community investments, community partnerships, and program grants of more than $14 million across six counties
Prior to United Way, Jen served as the Executive Director of the Hillside Children’s Center’s Monroe Region where she supported children and families for two decades in a variety of direct care and administrative roles. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker, and began her career with Child Protective Services. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from Arizona State University, and degrees in English and Spanish from SUNY Geneseo.
Jen serves in a volunteer capacity as Board Chair for The Children’s Agenda.