Meet the APEX Team
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Lisa Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, is a former healthcare executive who has over 20 years of management and public health policy experience. She has also owned and operated a regional technology company, as well as the founder of APEX Community Advancement, Inc. She also currently serves as Director of Emerging Ministries at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church as a Supply Pastor.
In addition to her management technology experience, Mrs. Fitzpatrick has extensive experience in the arts. Dancing and singing since age 3, Lisa’s resume includes stage and television appearances throughout the U.S. and Mexico, in top venues in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New York and more. She has toured the United States with a professional stage group, as well as appearing on stage, film and television.
After an injury ended her professional entertainment career, Lisa founded The Early Parenting Center in Southern California. The Center offered education and ancillary support services for women and their families as well as physician and staff training at major hospitals and medical facilities throughout Southern California, to improve outcomes for pregnancy and early childhood, lower healthcare costs, and increase accessibility. The board of advisors for The Early Parenting Center included some of the most well-known names in Women/Infant/Children care including Dr. William Sears. Her credentials include Certified Perinatal Educator, Certified Parenting Instructor, Certified CPR Instructor (expired), Certified Adult Educator, Certified Exercise and Fitness Instructor and others.Sr. Mary Lou Specha, PBVM, a Sister of the Presentation for over 25 years is an experienced Non-profit Executive. Sr. Specha most recently served as the Executive Director of Café Reconcile. Sr. Specha has a decade of nonprofit leadership and administration and a career devoted to programming for youth and young adults. Sr. Specha has experience in strategic planning, nonprofit board development, and fiscal reporting. Sr. Specha also served as Director of Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Her commitment to working with young adults was developed through years of overseeing leadership development and peer ministry programs for college students. Organizing service trips for those students to New Orleans post-Katrina ignited her passion for the city and its people and inspired her move to New Orleans to serve the Central City neighborhood.
Sr. Mary Lou Specha, PBVM, Program Director, a Sister of the Presentation for over 25 years is an experienced Non-profit Executive. Sr. Specha most recently served as the Executive Director of Café Reconcile. Sr. Specha has a decade of nonprofit leadership and administration and a career devoted to programming for youth and young adults. Sr. Specha has experience in strategic planning, nonprofit board development, and fiscal reporting. Sr. Specha also served as Director of Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Her commitment to working with young adults was developed through years of overseeing leadership development and peer ministry programs for college students. Organizing service trips for those students to New Orleans post-Katrina ignited her passion for the city and its people and inspired her move to New Orleans to serve the Central City neighborhood.
Olivia Brown, Education and Volunteer Coordinator, is a native of the South Carolina Lowcountry and received her B.S. in Biology and Sociology from the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. Miss Brown is driven by her belief that no matter where a child is born, his/her socioeconomic status, or family situation that if given qualityhealthcare/health education, a great formal education and a supportive environment that the rifts and divides that separate us will lessen. She believes that every child should be given a chance to make their dreams a reality. After graduating from the College of Charleston she worked at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital as clinical associate in the Infant and Toddler unit and later for the Hospital’s Medically Fragile Children’s Program working with medically complex foster children. Her passion for children’s health along with a belief in health equity led Miss Brown to pursue an MPH focusing in Global Maternal and Child Health. As a master’s candidate at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Miss Brown worked on issues that affect mothers and children, health equity and health disparities through her work as a research assistant for Dr. MarkDal Corso in the area of cultural competence and also as an intern with both World Vision’s Maternal Newborn and Child Health division, the Tulane-Rand Community Health worker Institute and the APECX Community Center. At Tulane University Miss Brown also enjoyed the privilege of being a maternal and child health leadership scholar. Following graduation Miss Brown worked with The Learning Place in South Carolina to enrich the educational experience of Children in the Bluffton area. Believing that every child deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy and full life, Olivia Brown plans to continue to work on issues that address disparities within child and adolescent health by joining the APEX Community Center.
Danny Fitzpatrick, "Mr. D", Facilities Manager, formerly served on the Board of Directors of Webster Habitat For Humanity and a former Vice-President of that organization.
Mr. Fitzpatrick’s background is in Corporate Finance, Mortgage Banking, and Major Project Funding. His extensive sales background includes advertising, real-estate, retail chains and major purchases. His high-level Executive Management experience with such firms as Mariani-Buss (owners of the Lakers Sports Franchise as well as major sports venues and office properties) A.G. Spanos (Major developer and owner of mega-apartment complexes, retail space and office buildings) and Pacific-Ocean Finance give APEX Community Advancement, Inc. the benefit of having sound management, backed with decades of experience. Mr. Fitzpatrick specialized in Finance as well as Major Property Management, overseeing as many as 10,000 units. His previous experience leaves him well qualified to manage a large facility and to oversee staff and maintenance.
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