LEADERSHIP & STAFF
Our leadership and staff are dedicated professionals from a wide range of backgrounds including education, healthcare and business management.
Meet Our Lead Team
Dale Cain, Visionary
Founder & Executive Director
Dale M. Cain is a Professional Nutrition Specialist, Certified Plant-based Nutrition Cooking Coach with over 20 years of work experience in the health promotion industry. Dale Cain has worked with community nutrition education programs for more than 16 years. She is a graduate from Professional Career Development Institute and Roosevelt University where she received her bachelor's in Business Management with a concentration in Sales and Marketing. Dale Cain is dedicated to promoting health literacy education, wellness and fitness through nutrition education and hands on cooking classes for individuals, families, children, and seniors.
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Regina Hopkins, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Director of Health Education & Program Manager
Regina Hopkins is a Family Nurse Practitioner with a Masters of Science in Nursing from Saint Xavier University. Regina has worked in the medical field for over 16 years. Her areas of experience include family medicine, cancer awareness education, diabetes education, heart disease and chronic disease management. She is an international researcher having completed research in Bangkok, Thailand focusing on body image, self-concept, and personal health behaviors for adolescent females. Regina is also a published author of two books. She works diligently to promote health education and disease management for families in underserved communities.
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Marcia Smith
Community Outreach Assistant
Marcia Smith is a U.S Veteran who served in the military as a 71L Administrative specialist. She completed several tours including FRG Germany, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Presidio of San Francisco and Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. After retiring from the military she started working at the Chicago SunTimes as a customer service/data entry clerk. From there she moved to work at C.H. Robinson Worldwide as a receptionist for the centralized billing department. Marcia is also a graduate and program ambassador for A4CW's Along the Journey:Breast Cancer Survivorship Support Program. Her hobbies include cooking, making jewelry, traveling and spending time with family.
Shirley Mims
Community Engagement & Outreach Advocate
Shirley Mims has more than 10 years of extensive experience in working with senior level personnel across multiple industries. Her background includes events coordination, marketing, and administration. She was the administrative assistant to the Vice-President of Hilton Hotel Corporations for which she was in charge of coordinating events for various regional affairs. For nearly 10 years, she worked as a legal assistant providing administrative support to more than 15 attorneys along with managing and coordinating special events. In addition, Mrs. Mims worked as a manager assistant for the National Safety Council, which is a nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States.
Karinna Wesley
Community Wellness Educator
Karinna is a wellness Professional with over 9 years of work experience in the health industry. She is a 2-time graduate of Eastern Illinois University, holding a Masters in Exercise Science and is pursing her doctorate in Physical Therapy. Though initially starting her health career as an Athletic Trainer, she realized her true passion, is helping EVERYONE reach optimal health and wellness. Karinna wants to make sure her community has the tools they need to be successful within their wellness goals. She is dedicated to not only making a difference in our neighborhoods, but changing the likelihood of wellness in our society.
Jasmine Brown
Program & Outreach Coordinator
Jasmine Brown is a Community Health Worker with just under 10 years in the health service industry. She has experience as a Pharmacy Technician and Health Educator working with urban populations managing chronic conditions such as HIV and Hepatitis C. She is most passionate about helping people navigate community resources and services. Jasmine is currently studying to become a Certified Herbalist. She hopes to bring greater awareness to her community of how they can use herbs, plants and seeds for their medicinal properties to manage their overall health.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dale Cain, BA
Board President
Executive Director/ Founder
Advocates for Community Wellness
Regina Hopkins, MSN, ARPN, FNP-C
Board Vice-President
Director of Health Education
Advocates for Community Wellness
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Addie Brooks, MBA
Advisory Board Chair
Learning Operations Analyst
College of American Pathologists (CAP)
Coretta J Pruitt
Treasurer
Case Manager
UIC Office of Community Engagement & Neighborhood Health Partnerships
(OCEAN-HP)
Allyene Lacey, RN, MSN
Secretary
Integrated Veteran Care Manager
Veterans Health Administration
(VHA)
Shirley Mims
Sergeant-at-Arms
Community Engagement
Advocates for Community Wellness