Two new staff members have joined the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York team in its Syracuse office, Foundation President Nora OBrien-Suric announced Tuesday, February 6, 2018.
Marnie Annese was named as a program officer for the Foundation, and brings with her more than 15 years of experience working with organizations serving youth.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Annese worked as program coordinator for State University of New York Upstate Medical University where she recruited and retained students from the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Health Professions and Graduate Studies at Upstate Medical University.
Her work in the area of youth development has been focused across Central New York where she served as project coordinator for the Syracuse/Onondaga Youth Bureau. While there, Annese directed a variety of projects including Say Yes to Education Program Assessment Collaboration, the Youth Development Training Institute and the Onondaga County Runaway and Homeless Youth Advisory Committee. She participated as an appointed member with voting privileges on the New York State Runaway and Homeless Youth Advisory Committee and represented the Syracuse/Onondaga County Youth Bureau in all aspects of its work including committee participation, community presentations and legislative education.
She has a Master of Public Health from SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Jessy Minney came to the Foundation in the newly created role of research associate. She will be responsible for assisting the Foundation in developing a comprehensive understanding of community needs, understanding relevant public policy that impacts the Foundation’s work and understanding challenges and opportunities in the communities the Foundation serves.
She is a prevention scientist, with much of her research focusing on social influences, bullying and cyber-bullying, theories of behavior change, prevention of mental illness in children and intervention design and implementation.
Minney earned an undergraduate degree in psychology and English from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a Master of Arts in clinical child psychology and a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Alabama.
Following her doctorate, she was awarded a postdoctoral position at Arizona State University’s Research and Education Advancing Children’s Health Institute where she studied innovative approaches to prevention science and advanced research methods.
“With the addition of our new staff, we hope to build on our existing work and community ties within the region, while also deepening our commitment to the people of Central New York. We look forward to working with all communities to better plan for and address the health needs of children impacted by poverty and older adults, and continuing our work with our community partners”, OBrien-Suric said.
Annese is a resident of Syracuse, NY and Minney resides in Liverpool, NY.
