Amplify Good

Special Message from Aria: When we started this podcast adventure I wasn’t sure where it would take us. One season or many? A few episodes or hundreds? I still don’t know what the future holds for this explosion of creativity but I do know how proud I am to release our 50th episode. We got this far because our team, our guests and our listeners heard something that resonated with them and kept coming back for more.

No project is the purview or effort of just one person- this podcast is the work of a dedicated team: a marvelous content creator: Melissa Pletscher-Nizinsky, and an incredible producer and manager: Rayna Booth, our generous guests, and the people who encourage me to build the world I want to live and work in.

This episode is special to me because I’m able to share my first cheerleader, my day one, the person who literally helped me become who I want to be: my mom. In a season where we are spending a lot of time talking about mentors and understanding the role of mentors in my life, I wanted to share my first mentor with all of you.

I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as my mom and I enjoyed recording it. She’s a pretty spectacular person and I’m so pleased to be able to share her with you for an hour.

Leslie Camaione is retired from a career working with nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing Special Education, Independent Living, and therapy services to children and adults, and their families. She has worked closely with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, New York State Department of Education, and New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities aiding educators, therapists, and practitioners in collaborative community-based, site-based, and home-based settings. Leslie supported various evaluation teams in providing identification, evaluation, and treatment recommendation services for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, transitioning school-age students, and adults.  She has participated in state and county initiatives to improve adult literacy among migrant populations, explore palliative care resources for Child Life Specialists, and develop first-year mentoring strategies for infant and preschool Special Education teachers in home and community-based settings. Leslie has acted as an on-site guest mentor to enhance person-centered planning in residential settings. She provided support group facilitation for mandated and volunteer parents at risk. 

As a young mother and military spouse, Leslie pursued a non-traditional education resulting in two undergraduate degrees, graduate studies in counseling, education, and social policy, and a management certificate.   

In retirement, Leslie's primary focus is on recreation, leisure, and travel activities that are enjoyed in the company of her husband, family, and friends. 

Mentor: 

  I have enjoyed the good judgement and guidance of many individuals over the years. However, someone in particular stands out as a consistent role model and inspiration to me. Karen is a colleague from mid-career, who has become a dear friend. Her personal and professional experience provided sound mentoring support in my work life and continues to significantly empower me in retirement. 

Links: 

New York State Office of Children and Family Services

New York State Department of Education

New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, mother, parenting, people with disabilities, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, time, joy, reflection, health, abundance, gratitude, protective factors, creativity, physical activity, grandmother

Dr. Cynthia Falk is Professor of Material Culture at the Cooperstown Graduate Program, a two-year master’s program in museum studies at SUNY Oneonta. Falk is the author of the books Barns of New York: Rural Architecture of the Empire State (Cornell, 2012) and Architecture and Artifacts of the Pennsylvania Germans: Constructing Identity in Early America (Penn State, 2008) as well as several articles and book chapters. Falk served as the co-editor of Buildings & Landscapes: The Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum from 2012-2017 and is currently on the National Historic Landmarks Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board. In the local community, Falk serves as deputy mayor of the Village of Cooperstown. In that capacity, she has worked to secure funding to benefit Cooperstown’s infrastructure, historic resources, and natural environment. Globally, Falk is a Special Assistant with International Ministries, an affiliate of American Baptist Churches USA. In this capacity, Falk has led trips to Israel and the West Bank, Haiti, and Honduras, and is currently working to be certified as a lay pastor.

Mentor: I have been fortunate to be mentored by various individuals, from a variety of walks of life, from my childhood until today.

Links: 

Otsego County

Barns of New York

US Army Reserve Civil Affairs

The Birth Center

Winterthur

American Baptist Churches

Village of Cooperstown

SUNY Oneonta

Cooperstown Graduate Program

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, season 3, academic, agricultural labor, American Baptist Churches, architecture, archives, Barns of New York, beer, children, Delaware, elected, family, farm labor, government, Henry Glassie, history, hops, intention, material culture, mentee, mentoring, mentors, Micah 6:8, midwife, migrant, motherhood, museum, new year, nonprofit, slavery, solutions, spouse, SUNY Oneonta, The Birth Center, US Army Reserve Civil Affairs, Village of Cooperstown, Winterthur

Mother of three, President of Generational Engagement Matters.

Mentor: My mother because of her ability and strength in holding our family together after my father left her with ten children. Because she gives me a sense of what a woman can do and it has been an invaluable lesson. But knowing a Living God is my rock.

To make a donation to the Essay Contest, please call 585-749-3494.

Links: 

UCLMNews article about JR  Violence dataBoys & Girls Club of Rochester

"I'm Every Woman" song

City of Rochester

Rochester Office of Neighborhood Safety

RPD Open Portal

Louise Slaughter

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, season 3, “I’m every woman”, boys and girls club Rochester, children, city of Rochester, counseling, Dr. Lewis Steward, essay, grandmother, gun culture, gun violence, healing, Johnny Ray Johnson, legislation, loss, Louise Slaughter, mentee, mentored, mentoring, mentors, mother, Rochester office of neighborhood safety, rpd open portal, solutions, trauma, uclm, violence data- us, violence prevention, youth, self-care

Sarah Fitzgibbons, LMHC, MT-BC, IMH-E®, spends most of her time thinking about how humans develop and connect, being an imperfect parent, feeling multiple feelings at one time, trying to eradicate shame and build connections, belly laughing, and striving for balance. Professionally, she has spent more than 20 years practicing, researching, supervising, teaching, and developing programs in the field of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, with specific expertise in infants and young children impacted by trauma, loss, attachment disruptions, child welfare, and parent-child relationship assessments. Sarah currently works as the Vice President of Programs and Practices at The Society for the Protection and Care of Children (SPCC) in Rochester, NY where she oversees multiple IECMH-embedded, multidisciplinary programs.

With Sarah's leadership, SPCC has been strategically working to advance Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health competencies and increase cross-sector policies and practices locally and state-wide since 2012. SPCC has been a leading trainer in Western New York in the field of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Reflective Supervision and Consultation. Sarah is an instructor of Infant Mental Health and Reflective Practice/Supervision coursework at The Warner School of Education (University of Rochester). In 2015, Sarah participated in the inaugural cohort of IECMH experts across New York State to become Endorsed®. 

She is Co-Chair for the NYS-AIMH board and serves as the Endorsement Committee Chairperson. Sarah actively works with local, state, and national IECMH leaders to advance the field, ensure fidelity, change policy, and increase capacity through initiatives and collaborative efforts. Sarah is deeply committed to cultivating and nurturing IECMH expertise across our community and state through relationship-based, culturally sensitive practice, teaching, reflective supervision, and consultation. Sarah holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy, a master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Naropa University and completed post-master's training in Infant Mental Health through the University of Colorado (The Kempe Center). 

She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation on the associations between reflective supervision quality and practitioner reflective capacity at the University of Rochester. Above all other training, education, experience, and license, Sarah has been most deeply challenged, enriched, and inspired in her work through her role as a mother and daughter.

Mentor:

In this current season, it's Eva Marie Shivers and the amazing group of folks at the Indigo Cultural Center.

Links: 

SPCC

NYSAIMH

University of Rochester

GRHF

CCSI, Inc.

Irving Harris

Diversity Informed Tenets

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, season 3, adaptability, authentic, baby, balance, CCSI, connections, curiosity, Denver, discernment, dissertation, diversity informed tenets, doctoral student, early childhood, family, finger lakes, grhf, health, infant, Irving Harris, justice, language, laughter, liberation, mental health, mentee, mentored, mentoring, mentors, mother, music therapy, NYSAIMH, parenting, parents, partner, privilege, psychotherapist, relationship, Rochester, SPCC, systems change, teach, University of Rochester, vulnerable, well-being, spouse.

Mercedes is the National Policy Organizer at UPLAN. She is a radical Black feminist who is fighting for Liberation, with a focus on breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. She came into organizing in 2017 as an Organizer at Citizen Action for New York. After founding Citizen Action’s first Rochester Chapter in 2018, the chapter went on to win its first campaign, the removal of SROs from the Rochester City School District. She was also a part of campaigns such as the Safe and Supportive Schools Act, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, and the Campaign for Universal Childcare.

She does this work with a deep commitment to prioritizing the voices of those that are directly impacted. She is a mom of 2 and spends her free time wandering in the woods, reading socially relevant nonfiction, and trying new things, such as her latest obsessions, roller skating, and succulent gardening.

Mentor: I have had so many wonderful people who I have considered mentors. I don't think I could just pick one I want to give recognition to. But I will share some of the most important lessons I have learned from them.

1. Never dive into a campaign without a strategy.

2. Take care of yourself. There is always going to be a fire to put out. But if you are not taking care of yourself, how will you take care of your community?

3. Do not be afraid to have meetings with people in power. They are in those seats because they were chosen by the community they represent. They were put in that seat by the community and they can be removed by the community.

4. Don't be afraid to start.

5. The answer is not always yes or no. Sometimes it is both and.

Links: 

Keuka College

NOW

Citizen Action

Action for A Better Community

RCSD

GRHF

Untangled

UPLAN

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, season 3, action for a better community, adhd, balance, children, citizen action, education, family, grandparents, grhf, immigration, intersectionality, Keuka college, mental health, mentee, mentored, mentoring, mentors, microaggressions, motherhood, national organization of women, organizer, parenting, peace corps, Penfield, politics, racism, rally, rcsd, representation, Rochester, roller skating, self-care, , social work, untangled, vote, young mothers, feminism

Sean Smith is Rochester’s foremost female fitness instructor and the owner of Baddass Bodies by Sean, the only black-female-owned gym in the City of Rochester. Baddass Bodies by Sean is an exclusive, members-only gym & personal training facility for women, children, and their families.

Sean personally instructs group fitness classes appropriate for all ages & fitness levels five days a week, in-gym at varying times of day and at 6 am live via Zoom twice a week. Sean is available for in-gym personal training for one or more people by appointment. Find the schedule and other information on our website.

Mentor: Babe/My Person/My Husband David he constantly Nurtures My Soul So I Can Grow and Shine. He’s an Amazing teacher always learning new things - I can never ask him a dumb question

Links: 

BaddAss Bodies by Sean

East High

Swurfer

The Beat

Yoga 4 A Good Hood

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, season 3, activism, acupuncture, balance, calm, children, Chinese medicine, core, courage, family, fashion design, fitness, food, friends, gym, health, kids, life coach, love, mentee, mentored, mentoring, mentors, outdoors, parenting, radio, reading, relationships, roller derby, roller skate, run, self-care, smoothies, sneakers, social justice, sports, strength, trainer, vibration, women, work/life balance, yoga

Sometimes, Aria fangirls about the people in her community who are doing exceptional work to make all of our lives better. And then, she introduces herself to those people and tries to learn everything she can from them. Beatriz LeBron is one of those people and we are so grateful she joined us for a podcast conversation! 

Beatriz LeBron executes Healthi Kids’ Play ROCs campaign, developing strategies and tactics that advance play as a cornerstone of whole child health in schools and in neighborhoods. Key responsibilities include managing projects, convening the Play ROCs advocacy committee and key stakeholders, and engaging youth, families and residents.

LeBron has served more than 19 years in the human services sector and has extensive experience as a supervisor, educator, trainer and community health worker. With more than a decade of experience in policy creation, implementation and oversight in health care and education, she also has extensive knowledge of New York State Department of Health regulations. 

Prior to joining Common Ground, LeBron served as a social worker/bi-lingual at Eldersource, Community Place and Lifespan. Earlier, LeBron was a community health worker at Rochester Regional Health, where she worked with individuals facing social, economic and other barriers to maintaining their health. She also was a long-time substitute teacher in the Rochester City School District. LeBron currently serves as a commissioner of the RCSD Board of Education. 

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Science from St. John Fisher College, her certificate in Finance from Georgetown University and her associate degree in Liberal Arts from Monroe Community College. In her spare time, LeBron enjoys art, reading and spending time with her grandson and children.

Links: 

Bell’s Palsy: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/bells-palsy#:~:text=Bell's%20palsy%20is%20an%20unexplained,of%20the%20face%20or%20head.

Common Ground Health: https://www.commongroundhealth.org/

Healthi Kids: https://www.healthikids.org/

Jamaican Curry Chicken: https://jamaicanfoodsandrecipes.com/jamaican-curry-chicken-recipe/

Protective Factors: https://health.ucdavis.edu/crhd/pdfs/resources/roadmap-for-resilience-ca-surgeon-generals-report-on-aces-toxic-stress-and-health-12092020.pdf

RCSD Board of Education: https://www.rcsdk12.org/boe

WDKX: https://www.wdkx.com/

Keywords: educator, social worker, mental health, social emotional health, children, family, social justice, civil rights, Bell’s palsy, public health, board of education, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Boricua, protective factors, radio

Aria walked into a foundation board room a few years ago and Ruth Turner stopped speaking to the person next to her, pointed at Aria, and said, “I have a dress in that same fabric.” And so began their friendship! What started as an enthusiastic conversation over Ghanaian fabrics and clothes designed by a mutual friend, turned into one of Aria’s most important relationships of her adulthood.

Ruth B. Turner graduated from Nazareth College of Rochester receiving a B.S. in Social Work and an MSW from University of Buffalo. She also holds an MS. Ed from SUNY Brockport. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker who has served the profession for over 24 years. 

Dr. Turner is known as a champion of children and families in Rochester, New York which she calls home. As an educator, she has committed herself to the principles of restorative practices, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Under her administrative leadership with Rochester City School District (RCSD), she worked to support the most vulnerable students and was an advocate for all students and families. In her tenure, she led the revision of the student code of conduct. She also led the district in adopting restorative justice initiatives in terms of student discipline, as was a key leader of anti-racism work for the district. 

For over 13 years she served the Rochester City School District as a social worker, Director, and Executive Director for student support services. Before her departure, she served as the Chief for Student Support and Social Emotional Learning. Before joining RCSD she led the foster care and adoption unit for the Urban League of Rochester. She also spent several years as a trainer for the Center for the Development of Human Services, where she focused on child welfare services. 

Ruth’s commitment to the intersection of social work, social welfare, and education began very early in life, rooted in her experience immigrating to the US as a political refugee from Eritrea. It was the kindness and diligence of a social worker who aided her successful transition during one of the most challenging periods in her life. Through the support and advocacy of individuals like this social worker, Ruth graduated from the RCSD and attended college as a 1st generation college student. She has never forgotten the power of support in mitigating the effects of adverse events in childhood, that can aid in helping individuals to reach their fullest potential.

Dr. Turner is married to Dr. William R. Turner Jr., Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies at SUNY Brockport. Together they have three children.

Links:

Black Mental Health: https://nami.org/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2020/NAMI-s-Statement-On-Recent-Racist-Incidents-and-Mental-Health-Resources-for-African-Americans?gclid=CjwKCAjwieuGBhAsEiwA1Ly_ne82WI56amGffdzBDOoCzPzwpg9t5RU0SQ3h7QKCc6fP5u7fYZih_RoC5UQQAvD_BwE

Eritrea War of Independence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrean_War_of_Independence

High Expectations:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/10/24/study-finds-high-school-teachers-have-differing-expectations-black-and-white

https://hub.jhu.edu/2016/03/30/racial-bias-teacher-expectations-black-white/

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/teachers-lower-expectations-for-black-students-may-become-self-fulfilling-prophecies-study-finds/2017/10

John Turner: https://theithacan.org/writer/john-turner/page/4/

https://www.regents.nysed.gov/

https://www2.naz.edu/

Keywords: Black, educator, social worker, mental health, social emotional health, children, family, Eritrea, refugee, doctor of Education, high expectations, political refugee, support, idea of self, self-determination, social justice, civil rights, NYS Board of Regents, DEI, Restorative Practice, Nazareth College

Tamara Leigh CEO of Blaque/OUT Consulting & Editor and Creator of Blaque/OUT Magazine 

Tamara and Aria met when they were both young moms at RCSD School #10, Dr. Walter Cooper Academy. This is where they practiced advocacy, empathetic listening, organizing, and planning. Their oldest kids are the same age and they navigated mothering kindergarteners at the same time. Since then, more kids have joined their families and they are still figuring out what it means to mother at each age and stage. The skills they developed as young mothers helped them both navigate the good work they do today. 

Advocate and Activist, Tamara Leigh has dedicated her life to championing for the BIPOC, QTPOC and LGBTQ+ Communities. Starting her career in Public Relations with the formation of Roc Candy Media, an urban PR firm specializing in media management, brand development and event coordination in Rochester, NY in 2010, Tamara coordinated events for thousands of people and was honored to do PR for The Avenue Blackbox Theatre, City of Rochester and Rochester Black Pride. Leigh went on to become the Director of Operations and Public Relations for Out Alliance and the Editor of Empty Closet Magazine (the longest continuously published LGBTQ* publication in the nation). Tamara has spoken and provided educational services around the topics of Black Lives Matter, Queer and Trans Rights and the Intesectionality of QTPOC at rallies, in Board Rooms, and for classes and companies nationwide. In 2020, Leigh launched Blaque/OUT Consulting and Blaque/OUT Magazine to further educate and create space for Black and Brown Queer Voices. Leigh is a proud mother of two young Black sons and all of her work is centered around creating a world where they will be seen, heard, respected, protected and judged by the content of their character.

Links:

Florida LGBTQ organizations

Blaque/Out magazine

Davon Davis case

Next Generation Men of Transition

Chanel Hines

Up Against the Wall exhibit, Memorial Art Gallery

Pose (TV Show)

The Matrix (movie)

Keywords: nonprofit, not-for-profit, consultant, business, magazine, Queer, BIPOC, QTPOC, LGBTQ+, public relations, publishing, Pride, Black Pride, Black Lives Matter, Trans Rights, Queer Rights, visibility, authentic, protest, trans, queer, also, Black, innovate, mentor, generational, protective factors, baby boomer, Gen X, Millennial, Gen Y, AIDS, HIV, incarceration, addiction, history, justice, reproductive rights, abortion, advocacy

Chiara Smith is a Program Officer at the Greater Rochester Health Foundation with more than 20 years of experience within the not-for-profit and Human Services Industry. Smith currently serves as Co-Chair for the Community Voices Network (United Way) and the Health Foundation’s “Change Team.”  Smith is a proud member of the African American Health Coalition (Common Ground). She completed the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate program from the University of Cornell and is a candidate for her master's in May of 2023. Smith is most proud of her work as the founder of 14621 food stands - 6 food stands strategically placed throughout the 14621 community to provide child-friendly food options to needy children.  

Links: 

Angela Davis 

The Handmaid’s Tale (TV Show)

The Handmaid's Tale (Book) 

School of the Arts (Rochester) 

Buffalo State (SUNY) 

University of Oklahoma 

Delusion of White Supremacy (Tiffany Jana, Medium) 

eCornell 

Grantmakers in Health 

Free the People (Rochester) 

Rochester Food Not Bombs 

Anthony Hall and Justin Morris

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, Family, Activist, Elders, Children, Inspire, Speak, Advocate, Access, Choice, Listen, Learn, Implement, BIPOC, DEI, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Workplace, Illusion of Inclusion, Minoritized, Marginalized, Universal approach, Directly, impacted, Dogs, Nipsy Hussle, 14621, Peace, Opportunity, Intentionality, Podcast, Radio, Suma Cum Laude