About Nexus We work toward a healthy, substance free environment for youth.

Here is a little bit about us and what we do.

The Coalition is grant funded and headed by a full-time Executive Director – Vicky Solomon; Program Coordinators – Cheyenne Layton, Stacey Heath and Destiney Hall, Prevention Specialist – Becky Belnap,  Executive Administrator/Outreach – Julee Sherwood, overseen by non-profit Friends of Navajo County Anti-Drug Coalition, Inc. Board of Directors. Activities are decided and driven through monthly Steering Committee meetings involving members of the Board, the Director, representatives from the 12 sectors and other community members comprising a “Steering Committee”. Strategies and programs are developed in these meetings and feed into the annual objectives and strategies to be carried out by the staff, committee members and other  volunteers.

Among the coalition’s accomplishments to date:

• Cooperated with local law enforcement to pass new Social Hosting ordinance for the City of Show Low in 2009
• Since 2011, quarterly community prescription Drug Take-Back programs garner an average of 500 pounds of returned drugs per year
• 2013 & 2014, MedReturn prescription drug takeback units placed at police stations in Show Low & Pinetop-Lakeside available 24/7/365
• Mpowrd/Mpact Teen Leadership program in the Junior High Schools
• Annual participation in the White Mountain Safety Village, educating over 2,000 youth in the month of October.
• For twelve consecutive summers, conducted 2-week summer day camps for youth, dedicated to goal setting, improving self-confidence, making good choices, drug prevention, community service and having caring adults in their lives.
• Junior Leadership Academy has grown from one school district with 18 participants, to up to three school districts with up to 90 annual youth participants.
• Working with the AZ Department of Liquor educating youth about the laws of under-age drinking
• Partnering with High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) for staff, law officers, schools training

The Organizations Under the Non-Profit Umbrella

Friends of Navajo County Anti-Drug Coalition, Inc., is the non-profit umbrella for projects including Nexus, Junior Leadership Academy (JLA), White Mountain Youth Alliance, student-led Mpowrd Teen AA group, Mpact Youth Leadership program and other pro-youth education activities clustered around youth substance abuse prevention in the White Mountain area.

The overarching goal is to engage the community to respond to substance abuse issues by implementing strategies that transform community attitudes, perceptions and policies. Organizing environmental change helps to create a substance-free environment for youth. We are dedicated to focus prevention efforts on under-age drinking, prescription drugs and marijuana.

Our non-profit is a recipient of the 719 Federal Drug-Free Community Coalition grants in the US. We welcome community members, parents, youth and local business organizations to get involved with our community environment changes based off of the Strategic Prevention Framework, for a healthier drug-free community. Please attend our monthly Steering Committee Meeting.

Nexus Steering Committee

Youth (persons <= 18 years of age): Naomi Jordan

Parents: Jill Stidham, Beth Schimmel, Heather Lucas

Business: Robert Pico (Insurance) 

Media: White Mountain Independent – Wiley Acheson

Schools: NC Superintendent Jalyan Gerlich

Youth-serving organizations: Young Life-Sherri Kerr

Law enforcement agencies: Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse

Religious or fraternal organizations: Pastor Ron Everingham 

Civic and volunteer groups: Mary Doane -Emblem

Healthcare professionals:
Dr. Tom Barela 
Avis Davis-Brown – Summit Healthcare Pharmacy Director

State, local or tribal agencies with expertise in the field of substance abuse: PL Town Manager Keith Johnson

Other organizations: Blue Vase Recovery - Brock Bevell , Navajo County Juvenile Probation – Lynda Wilson

Board Members

Staff

FRIENDS SEEK BOARD CANDIDATES

The non-profit Friends of Navajo County Anti-Drug Coalition, Inc., seeks expressions of interest for candidates to sit on the Board of Directors. Interested individuals should email the organizations Executive Director with letter of interest and resume. vsncdp@gmail.com

The Board meets quarterly to oversee the operation of Nexus Coalition for Drug Prevention, a grant-funded Drug Free Community Coalition. Previous meeting minutes and financial statements are available upon email request to vsncdp@gmail.com, if they are not listed in "Finances".