About Us

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County is a coalition of community members actively working to change the perception among local youth that tobacco use is a normal activity. The group consists of a wide array of adults from both the public and private sector, local youth leaders, and members of the general public.

 

The Tobacco Free Partnership has a four-member Executive Committee, which consists of two adults and two youth:

  • Lola Butler (Executive Committee Chair)
  • Amanda NesSmith (Executive Committee Co-Chair)
  • Pending (Youth Representative)
  • Pending (Youth Representative)

The Partnership conducts its business under a set of bylaws updated at the start of each fiscal year.

The Partnership Facilitator is Melanie Anderson, the Tobacco Prevention Specialist for Dixie County. Questions regarding the Partnership can be directed to her at MAnderson@QuitDoc.com.

   

The work of the Partnership is supported by a Community-Based Tobacco Prevention Grant through the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Tobacco Prevention Programs.

The local fiscal agent for the Partnership is the QuitDoc Foundation.


From L to R: Amy Jones, DCHS SWAT Advisor; Lindsey Whittington, DCHS Vice-Principal; Christy Roberts, Dixie County Sheriff's Administrative Assistant;
Melanie Anderson, Tobacco Prevention Specialist; Lola Butler, TFP Chair;
Amanda NesSmith, TFP Co-Chair; Lisa McNeal, Hanley Foundation


The Partnership meetings are crrently held at Dixie County High School to allow for a dynamic youth-adult partnership to flourish and create a model of youth empowerment.


What we offer:

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County coordinates tobacco prevention efforts throughout Dixie County. The primary goal of the group is to create local tobacco-free policies.

Such policy change does not occur overnight. There is a huge educational component that is required to foster policy change. The Tobacco Free Partnership conducts a wide variety of community outreach and educational programs designed to explain the importance... and the need... for new, stricter tobacco free policies.

The Partnership also fosters youth involvement. Using tobacco control as the model, the Partnership raises youth leaders from local schools and youth organizations. These leaders help to drive the policy change by providing some of the community outreach and educational programs.