Better from Birth
Supporting the well-being of babies not only changes individual lives but strengthens communities and economies, creating a brighter, more stable future for all. Together, we can create a Florida where every child has the opportunity for a bright beginning and a brighter future.
On October 22, in partnership with the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health, we will celebrate babies with a call to action - over five years in the making! Dr. Nadine Burke Harris will stream in live from California, with presentation and interactive conversation with key leaders from around the State!
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Our 2024 Celebrate Babies Featured Speaker
Nadine Burke Harris, M.D.
Our Celebrate Babies Speaker, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, is an award-winning physician, researcher, and public health leader who has spent her career on the front lines of some of our world’s most pressing public health challenges.
As California’s first-ever Surgeon General, she helped guide the state’s COVID response, co-chairing the committee to recommend vaccine allocation and helping California achieve the lowest cumulative mortality of any large state. Amid the throes of the COVID pandemic, Dr. Burke Harris successfully launched a first-in-the-nation statewide effort to train over 20,000 primary care providers on how to screen for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and respond with trauma-informed care.
Dr. Burke Harris is the recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Heinz Award for the Human Condition. She was named one of 2018’s Most Influential Women in Business by the San Francisco Business Times and one of Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 most influential people in 2020. CLICK HERE to read Dr. Burke Harris' full bio.
Ashley Glass, Emcee
Our Celebrate Babies Emcee, Ashley Glass, anchors "Today on 5" on weekdays and produces regular, in-depth reports across all WPTV platforms.
Ashley hit the ground running when she joined WPTV in 2022. She covered the destruction of Hurricane Ian in southwest Florida and the midterm elections focused on the pulse of voters. She reported live from the Treasure Coast in the very moments Hurricane Nicole made landfall. She covered the Florida execution of a man convicted of murder decades prior and shared compelling stories from family and friends of the victims in the WPTV true crime special "Bad Things Can Happen to Good People."
Throughout her two decades as a journalist, Ashley has covered many significant news events across Florida, including the Surfside condo collapse, the Gulf oil spill and recovery, the Casey Anthony trial, the final launch of Shuttle Discovery and the case against George Zimmerman. As a mother, Ashley is also an advocate for children in our community and beginning during the pandemic, Ashley has been the emcee for several of our Lead the Fight events, bringing attention to the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma. CLICK HERE to read Ashley's full bio.
Kathy Leone, Honorary Chair
Our Celebrate Babies Honorary Chair, Kathy Leone, Community Alliance Chair, is a fierce advocate for children in Palm Beach County.
Kathy began a career in the hotel resort industry after graduating from Cornell University in 1980. In 1985 she moved to Florida from Chicago to join The Breakers Palm Beach as Director of Incentive Sales. In 1988, she joined the Boca Raton Resort & Club as Vice President of Sales, where she worked until 1994 when she retired to raise a family.
Kathy is the proud mother of four sons with her husband, Paul, who is CEO of Flagler System, Inc. and The Breakers. Kathy has been actively involved in the local community for over 30 years; her passion is child welfare and advocating for reform in the foster care system. She currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Community Alliance of Palm Beach County and is active on numerous working subcommittees to evaluate and solve deficiencies in the dependency system.
Kathy has been very involved in Center for Child Counseling's Fighting ACEs Initiative to bring awareness and action to the impact of childhood trauma. In 2023, she was the recipient of our Jane Robinson Child Advocacy Award, named after our founder.
Corporate Partnership
About Dr. Burke Harris
Founder of the International ACEs Movement!
Nadine Burke Harris, M.D., MH, FAAP is a internationally renowned pediatrician, public health advocate, and author, best known for her pioneering work in the field of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress.
Dr. Burke Harris is the founder and former CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco, an organization dedicated to improving the health of children exposed to ACEs. Dr. Burke Harris served as California's first Surgeon General, where she focused on addressing the root causes of health disparities and promoting early interventions for childhood trauma. Her influential book, "The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity," has brought widespread attention to the impact of early adversity on long-term health and well-being.
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A special thank you to our Celebrate Babies donors and corporate partners.