Own the Upside was proud to present the Annual Prevention Summit on April 17, 2025 in partnership with InnerAct Alliance, StandUP Polk, and UthMpact. This informational event provided an outstanding opportunity to learn from dynamic guest speakers in enlightening presentations with a realistic view of youth culture, current drug trends, mental health and other issues facing our community.
Special thanks to prevention experts Jessica Napoleon and Taylor Freeman (Florida Dept. of Health, Polk County) for their informative presentation on the State of the County - Substance Abuse & Mental Health; to Joanna P. Tides (Drug Enforcement Administration) for sharing Updated Drug Trends & DEA Prevention Resources; to Kadian Parchment (Heartland for Children) for advocating for change in Trends in Human Trafficking; to Ellen Snelling (Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance & Tampa Alcohol Coalition, TAC) for her expert insights on how to protect children and teens from dangerous Gas Station Drugs; and to Morgan W. Smith (Peace River Center) and Angie Ellison (InnerAct Alliance) for guiding participants through a Strategic Planning Session that modeled ways we can all take a leadership role in contributing to the safety and betterment of our community.
During the lunch portion of the event, InnerAct Alliance hosted a special Cake Cutting ceremony to kick off our agency's 40th Anniversary Celebration commemorating four decades of service providing substance abuse prevention education programs and events in our community. We were honored to have special guests Bartow Mayor Trish Pfeiffer, Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz, Lakeland Commissioner Stephanie Madden, and InnerAct Alliance Board President Ryan Rogers of MIDFLORIDA Credit Union on hand to cut the cake.
Our sincere thanks to our guests, event participants, and to Patrick Grady (TNT Enterprises) for sharing his talents as the event emcee. We appreciate our generous vendor partners Lakeland Police Department, Heartland for Children, DEA, Teen Court, Youth & Family Alternatives, and coalition partners StandUP Polk and UthMpact. Stay tuned for information about the 2026 Prevention Summit once a date is confirmed.
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