Vicki is a Prevention Program Coordinator at FCPR and the coordinator of the Calhoun/Liberty Prevention Partnership Grant sponsored by the Florida Department of Children and Families, in sponsorship with Chemical Addictions Recovery Effort (CARE). Vicki formerly coordinated and implemented the Green Dot Bystander Intervention project in Calhoun and Liberty counties.  Vicki was previously the Drug Epidemiology Network representative for Washington County where she collected surveillance data on opioid deaths and local drug patterns and trends for the State Outcomes Epidemiological Workgroup. She continues to work with local community coalitions to increase community connectedness and awareness of the prevention projects. Prior to her work with prevention projects, she taught at Blountstown Elementary School and Blountstown High School and brings with her 35 years of teaching experience and expertise. She holds a BA and MS from Florida State University in elementary education and reading. Her work with FCPR provides her the opportunity to continue to offer school-based prevention programs, including in her hometown community of Blountstown and to the students of Calhoun and Liberty counties.

Katie Burtoft brings her wealth of experience and expertise to The Florida Center for Prevention Research, having joined our team in 2024. With a background in Higher Education and over six years of dedicated service within non-profit, community-based organizations, Katie is deeply committed to supporting families and individuals in need. Holding both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University, Katie's academic foundation complements her practical experience, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addressing community needs. At FCPR, Katie is the coordinator for all of our Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention evaluation projects.

Bonnie Wertenberger joined The Florida Center for Prevention Research as Prevention Program Director in January 2021. She has managed state and federally funded prevention programs including grants in the areas of sexual violence prevention, alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse prevention, juvenile delinquency prevention, and participated in the drug epidemiology network. She has also managed a multi-district virtual education program and has over 20 years experience as a classroom and virtual instructor. Ms. Wertenberger has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Education and an M.S. in Vocational Education with a technology specialty from University of Central Florida. Ms. Wertenberger holds a Florida Teaching Certification in Business Education, as well as training certifications in the following prevention strategies: Green Dot, LifeSkills, Too Good for Drugs, Guiding Good Choices, Active Parenting of Teens, Motivational Interviewing, and TOPS.

Karen Zak is a Prevention Program Coordinator at The Florida Center for Prevention Research. Karen's primary role is the coordination of the Wakulla Drug-Free Communities program, a federal grant sponsored by the CDC, in partnership with the Wakulla County Coalition for Youth (WCCY, https://wccy.org/). Karen is a Tallahassee native as well as a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She currently resides in Wakulla County where she is deeply involved in the community and is passionate about strengthening the work of the WCCY and bringing additional prevention services to the community.