Our Staff
Youth Program Cincinnati, OH
Ellen White – Teaching Assistant
Ellen White is in her second year at Healthy Visions as a Teacher’s Assistant and Administrative Staff. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, she moved to Northern Kentucky where she spent most of her life. She graduated from Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in English/Creative Writing and met her husband there, who is Landrá’ (Dra’) White, Program Manager, at Healthy Visions. Ellen is a strong advocate for personal development and helping others achieve their highest potential. She combines this passion with her attention to detail, the ability to see and understand people, and uses her observation and writing skills to contribute ideas on how to better serve today’s youth and to help with the organization’s Continuous Quality Improvement.
Ellen enjoys browsing bookstores, supporting small local businesses, finding local treats and restaurants, deep conversations, thinking about life, and traveling. She also serves alongside her husband in their local church, councils others, and educates people on how to live a holistic, organic lifestyle. She’s been married to her husband, Dra’, for eight years and they currently live in Northern Kentucky with their sweet Maltichon named Yuki. They are also expecting their first child in May 2020.
Tessa Nelson
Tessa has been with Healthy visions since 2019 working as a Classroom Facilitator Assistant. She graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Interdisciplinary studies with a dual focus in Business and Communications. She has 6 years of volunteer experience working with at risk and underprivileged youth. She is enthusiastic and engaged in the classroom desiring that every student should know their worth. Outside of the classroom she loves going to local coffee shops and trying out new restaurants. She enjoys intentional and meaningful friendships, deep conversations over a cup of coffee are her thing. She loves to be active, go hiking, kayak, and travel whenever possible. Tessa believes that the key to reaching success in school, relationships, career or anything else in life, is first the belief in one’s own value and the knowledge and skills needed to get you there. This is why she is so passionate about educating students on social emotional topics that provide them with these key understandings. Her desire is to see every student equipped to walk through life confident, healthy, and empowered to reach their version of success.
Justus Stroud
Justus has been working with youth for over 7 years. His passion for education led him to teaching the youth choir at his church, and now he is the middle school leader. He is a creative mind that uses his innovations in every classroom that he impacts. Each class and each child is different, and because of these facts, Justus has the capabilities and freedoms to approach each moment with a fresh mindset and fresh ideas. Justus aspires to reach as many as he can with the Healthy Visions message: You are lovable, you are valuable, and you matter.
Orlando Hale
Orlando is a Cincinnati native and graduate of St. Xavier High School. Since starting in ministry in 2013 Orlando’s passion for youth continues to grow. Orlando’s service to youth ranges from experience in the juvenile detention system to ministry and the classroom. Orlando started with healthy visions in October of 2018. Since working with Healthy Visions Orlando finds joy in impacting the lives of young people in the Greater Cincinnati Area. He especially enjoys working at the Hamilton County Juvenile Courts Youth Center, where he holds week long small group sessions monthly. Orlando uses his involvement in schools as an opportunity to spread the mission of Healthy Visions, where every youth learns they are valuable, lovable and that they matter!
Jonelle Zachary
Jonelle Zachary has been with the Healthy Visions team for a little over three years and currently serves as a Youth Serving Professional. A Cincinnati native, Jonelle graduated from Mount Notre Dame High School before attending Morgan State University in Baltimore, transferring to and graduating from Xavier University with dual Liberal Arts degrees in Philosophy and Economics. She recently received her Executive MBA from Xavier University.
Before working with Healthy Visions, Jonelle worked in the retail industry for over 15 years, serving many roles from sales to management, including executive directing. Her increasing areas of responsibility, being the latest, a corporate executive with a major retailer. Jonelle has a passion for speaking and people, particularly empowering others. She drives engagement with her audiences through presence, content, and delivery, often resulting in individual follow-ups from audience members. With an innate ability to make anyone feel like an old friend after only a few minutes, Jonelle’s strengths consist of connecting with audiences by bringing her own experiences and continued learning perspectives, allowing for audiences to experience the message through real-world connections. Alongside her Master’s, Jonelle, holds certifications in Trauma Competent Care, Mental Health First Aid, Risk Avoidance Education, amongst many others.
Due to her ability to apply design thinking and innovative approaches to strategies and materials, Jonelle is also serving national and international audiences as the content creator, host, and executor of her podcast. Her brand and podcast are nationally recognized, reaching hundreds of listeners/followers weekly over the internet and social media platforms with messages of perspective and positivity. Jonelle attends Crossroads Oakley and St. John’s the Evangelist Church in Deer Park, Ohio. While not engaging audiences at work or creating material for her podcast, you can find Jonelle spending time devoted to her family, in the gym, salsa dancing, or spending time with her friends. Jonelle’s vision is to equip audiences with confidence and knowledge to become empowered in their many endeavors.
LaTonia Hanley
LaTonia Hanley has been with Healthy Visions since November 2016 as a Classroom Facilitator and Training Coordinator. LaTonia graduated from Middletown High School and Miami University. She is a compassionate and outgoing professional with over ten years of extensive experience as a Licensed Social Worker, Therapist, Case Manager, and Advocate. LaTonia is committed to working with culturally and underserved populations and has practice working with youth who have experienced various forms of trauma. Other certifications LaTonia holds include; Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist Assistant, Mental Health First Aid, evidence-based TYRO Right of Passage, SRAE, CPR, and First Aid. As of May 21, 2017, LaTonia is a newlywed to her husband Brandon Hanley. When not speaking to the youth you may find LaTonia spending quality time with her husband and daughter, excursions with her identical twin sister LaTania Jackson, partaking in fine dining, intense exercise in the gym with husband Brandon or creating a painting. LaTonia has due diligence to impart wisdom and care to our youth. She is a person who desires to empower, equip, and edify so that youth can live vibrant lives while thriving on their own terms.
Nathan Miller
Nathan Miller has been a youth serving professional at Healthy Visions for over 3 years. A native Cincinnatian, Nathan attended Lebanon High School and has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Justice Studies from Miami University. He lives in Clifton with his amazing wife Flore, having just been newly married over the holidays in 2019! He is passionate about equipping youth to be thriving young adults who are happier, healthier and more confident! Nathan believes that every student is lovable, valuable and matters, and that everyone can make a difference to create a better world not just for themselves, but for others too!
Adam Simmons
Adam Simmons, is currently in his fifth year with Healthy Visions as a Youth Serving Professional (which encompasses various tasks and projects to serve youth). Currently, Adam is a part of the “Tier 2 Team” which serves urban and suburban schools with a Sexual Risk Avoidance Curriculum. Adam loves to produce videos and music for Healthy Visions and for personal hobbies. He is a local to Cincinnati having graduated from Northwest High school and furthered his education at Cincinnati State Technical Community College. Focusing in Early Childhood Education, Adam found his passion for teaching increased and also continued in that direction as he lead in church youth groups throughout the Cincinnati Area. Adam is very driven to bring joy into every classroom and encounter. He adapts to the needs of the students and presents with passion and authenticity. Adam has certifications to teach 6 SRAE (Sexual Risk Avoidance Education) curriculums and over 100 hours of CEUs including Ohio Chemical Prevention Specialist Assistant Certification, Trauma Competent Care Giving, and Mental Health First Aid. At home, Adam and his wife Olivia enjoy time with their dog Juniper, listening to vintage records, and playing board games. Adam loves playing music with friends and family and all outdoor activities.
