the difference
Guiding the Future of Youth and Family
Hope + Leadership + Legacy
Meet Our dedicated Team - Board of directors
Mission‑Aligned Leadership - Accountable Governance for Youth and Families - Stewarding Jack’s Legacy with Integrity
Sheldon duncan
Director of Pastoral Services & President
Sheldon Duncan serves as the Director of Pastoral Services and President for Operation Jack’s Village, bringing principled leadership, cultural insight, and a deep commitment to youth and family well‑being. Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, and later naturalized as a United States citizen, Sheldon’s lived experience informs his understanding of belonging, resilience, and the essential role of community support systems. These perspectives strengthen OJV’s capacity to serve adolescents with dignity, compassion, and clarity of purpose.
In his governance role, Sheldon provides steady oversight of OJV’s pastoral care framework, ensuring that the organization’s youth‑facing practices reflect ethical standards, prevention‑informed principles, and the mission‑aligned values that guide OJV’s prevention‑first model. His leadership is grounded in integrity, responsible stewardship, and a commitment to creating safe, supportive environments where young people can thrive.
Sheldon’s longstanding relationship with the Martin family and his connection to Jack’s story shape his dedication to this work. As Director of Pastoral Services, he carries forward Jack’s legacy by supporting initiatives that strengthen youth resilience, elevate protective factors, and foster a culture of hope and belonging.
A skilled and compelling speaker, Sheldon has represented OJV in numerous presentations, articulating the organization’s mission and impact to community partners, families, and civic stakeholders. His ability to communicate vision and inspire collective action reinforces OJV’s role as a trusted, city‑aligned partner.
As a father of two sons and a daughter, Sheldon approaches his leadership with a personal commitment to equipping the next generation with confidence, purpose, and the tools to navigate adolescence with strength. His governance contributions reflect a consistent dedication to ethical leadership, community responsibility, and the long‑term sustainability of OJV’s mission.
Dawn hunt
Director of Finance & Compliance — Treasurer
Dawn Hunt serves as the Director of Finance & Compliance and Treasurer for Operation Jack’s Village, providing disciplined financial stewardship and rigorous oversight of the organization’s regulatory obligations. She holds an MBA and brings extensive experience from highly regulated industries, where she developed deep expertise in compliance management, internal controls, and risk‑aligned operational practices.
In her governance role, Dawn ensures that OJV’s financial systems, reporting structures, and compliance processes meet the standards expected of a transparent, accountable, and city‑aligned nonprofit partner. She supports the Board by maintaining audit‑ready documentation, strengthening fiscal policies, and upholding the organization’s commitment to ethical and responsible management of resources.
Dawn is a longtime family friend of the Martins and has known Jack since early childhood. Her personal connection to the family, combined with her commitment to youth development, led her to volunteer with OJV over the past two years. She has contributed significantly to adolescent engagement initiatives, including serving as the volunteer lead for OJV’s tie‑dyeing activities and coordinating a large youth tie‑dye event in 2021.
Outside of her governance and volunteer work, Dawn sings with Toast of Tampa, a local Sweet Adelines chorus, and practices a variety of textile arts, including quilting and tie‑dyeing. Her blend of financial acumen, regulatory discipline, and community‑centered service strengthens OJV’s operational integrity and long‑term sustainability.
renE treece
Director of Veterans Organization Partnerships — Secretary
Rene Treece brings extensive experience in military‑family leadership, regulatory compliance, and volunteer coordination to her role as Director of Veterans Organization Partnerships and Secretary for Operation Jack’s Village. She previously served as President of a Military Family Readiness nonprofit organization, where she oversaw governance functions, coordinated large‑scale volunteer initiatives, and supported mission‑critical services for military families.
Rene has been a committed OJV volunteer for the past four years, contributing significantly to the development of OJV’s military‑family support framework and strengthening partnerships with veteran‑serving organizations. Her background includes many years working in a regulated industry, providing her with a strong understanding of compliance expectations, documentation standards, and operational integrity—competencies that directly support OJV’s governance and city‑aligned accountability.
A long‑standing family friend of the Martins, Rene has known Jack since early childhood and remains deeply committed to advancing the mission built in his honor. Her service reflects a consistent dedication to youth development, family stability, and community stewardship.
Rene and her husband, whose work with the National Parks takes them across the country, enjoy exploring historic and natural sites together. In her personal time, she enjoys gardening, reading, and caring for her two dogs. She is also an active member of Toast of Tampa, a Sweet Adelines chorus, and practices a variety of textile arts, including quilting and tie‑dye.
Rene continues to bring disciplined governance, mission alignment, and a strong service ethic to OJV’s board and operational leadership.
Expert Driven
CLINICAL INSIGHT - DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE - CIVIC SYSTEMS DESIGN
Transforming Jack’s Story Into a Legacy of Hope
Their combined expertise powers OJV’s mission to build a durable, city‑aligned prevention infrastructure that protects youth, strengthens families, and prepares the next generation for a thriving future.
Well‑Being Through Integrated Prevention
Operation Jack’s Village is led by a multidisciplinary team whose combined expertise spans clinical psychiatry, developmental science, civic systems design, and youth‑family infrastructure. Together, they anchor OJV’s mission to build integrated developmental conditions that help every adolescent survive, thrive, and ultimately drive their own future.
Chief Clinical Advisor
Clinical Psychiatry, Performance Health & Emotional Resilience
With more than 35 years of clinical experience, Dr. Rahul Mehra provides the medical and developmental backbone of OJV’s prevention‑first approach. His work spans child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry, as well as performance‑health leadership for high‑stress professions including Major League Baseball.
Dr. Mehra’s Emotional Vaccines® framework—built from decades of clinical pattern recognition—provided the seamless efficacy in OJV’s mission to identify risks early, strengthen emotional health, and equip youth with lifelong resilience tools.
Youth Development & Learning Science Advisor
Dr. Leah B. Mazzola, PhD, PCC, NBC-HWC, BCC
Coaching Psychology, Adolescent Development & Equitable Program Design
Dr. Leah Mazzola brings more than 13 years of research‑driven expertise in adolescent development, coaching psychology, and learning science. As founder of the Youth Coaching Institute, she has trained practitioners nationwide in evidence‑based methods that support youth identity formation, motivation, and resilience.
Her work is the foundation of OJV’s commitment to developmentally aligned, personalized, and Oldsmar responsive support systems that meet adolescents where they are and help them build authentic readiness.
Founder & Executive Director
Elizabeth Martin, Systems Architect & Operational Finance Project Manager
Architect of Integrated Civic Infrastructure & Youth‑Family Systems
Liz Martin brings more than two decades of experience designing integrated systems, youth‑development frameworks, and operational models that strengthen families and communities. Her background spans aerospace program analysis, military leadership, early childhood education, curriculum design, and child advocacy—giving her a rare systems‑level perspective on how communities can prevent avoidable harm and accelerate readiness.
As the architect of OJV’s Integrated Prevention Model, Liz leads the development of transparent, self‑correcting, city‑aligned educational infrastructure that ensures every adolescent has access to stability, developmental support, and meaningful pathways to opportunity. Her work centers on transparency, responsibility, civic engagement, ethical conduct, collaboration, and personal accountability, shaping a model that is both human‑centered and operationally rigorous.
