2025 FHPLA Fellows

Chris Hickman has served in our community for over 30 years in the field of EMS. During this time he has served as in mercy, service technician, paramedic, Firefighter, fire engine operator, Captain, and most recently coordinated the chronic illness division of Ocala Fire Rescue Community Paramedicine program and Coordinator for the Ocala-Marion Mentorship Program that helps aspiring first responders to gain both insight and employment opportunities. He has a passion to help as well as educate to ensure he leaves the workforce and our community better than I found it. Captain Hickman’s passion is to strengthen inner agency initiatives to create better outcomes for all despite socioeconomic barriers. He has also been blessed to be one of the founding members of our high utilization group which focuses on decreasing the numbers of those who utilize the 911 system. The program hosts over 20 community partners which allow both collaboration and accountability by all.

Daniel Engert began his career with the Niagara County (NY) Sheriff’s Office in 1990. He is a US DOJ PREA auditor, an AJA Certified Jail Manager, and an NCCHC Certified Correctional Health Professional. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Jail Association and is currently a Commissioner (Vice-Chair) on the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission. He served the New York State Sheriff’s Association Accreditation Program as an auditor and is a graduate and FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association member. In 2019, he received a Gold Key Award from the Western New York Chemical Dependency Consortium for his efforts to address addiction and mental health issues. He has provided testimony to the NYS Legislature and US Congress as a subject matter expert on jail issues. Under his leadership, the Niagara County (NY) Correctional Facility and the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility (FL) have achieved correctional healthcare accreditation with the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare. The FCSO Detention Facility was awarded the 2023 American Jail Association’s Innovation Award and the Detention Facility Innovation Award from the National Institute for Jail Operations in 2022. He was most recently selected as a fellow in the Florida Health Policy Leadership Academy Spring 2025 cohort. He serves as Chief of the Court and Detention Division with the Flagler County (FL) Sheriff’s Office.

Doreen Shore, RN, MSHA, has been a resident of Ponce Inlet, Florida, since 2009. She is married and has two grown sons and five grandchildren. With over 45 years of experience in various healthcare settings, Mrs. Shore is a highly accomplished professional. She earned a diploma as a Registered Nurse from NH Hospital School of Nursing in 1981 and later obtained a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from New England College in 2004. Currently, Mrs. Shore is employed at The Joint Commission as a Disease-Specific Care Reviewer. Prior to this role, she served as the Administrative Director of Trauma & Surgical Services at Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, FL; Executive Director of Perioperative Services at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA; and Associate Chief Nurse of Surgical Services at Northeast Hospital Corporation in Beverly, MA. Additionally, she has held numerous leadership positions throughout the healthcare industry in New England. Beyond her professional career, Mrs. Shore is dedicated to community service. She serves as an Executive Board Member for the Miracle League of Volusia County, a 501(c)(3) organization in New Smyrna Beach, FL, founded in 2015. The organization built an all-inclusive baseball field and Phase 1 playground for children with varying exceptionalities, which opened in March 2017. She is also an Executive Board Member of the Volusia Basket Brigade, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides Thanksgiving baskets to 5,000 families in Volusia County. In addition, she volunteers with various organizations focused on addressing food and health insecurities, working to support families and children in need throughout the community.

Joe Hegedus is currently working as a Director at the Department of Health and Human Services in Flagler County FL, overseeing the work of a dedicated team serving and supporting the community. A twenty-year career in social services began at a nonprofit providing emergency shelter to those experiencing homelessness in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, to then administering the Marin County Continuum of Care, substance abuse/dual diagnosis treatment programs, as well as shelter and housing programs. From there he moved into the public sector, working at Sonoma County (CA) Department of Health, leading an innovative model of service delivery and coordination, integrating all County public services and departments to better serve the most vulnerable populations in the County. In summer of 2021, Joe moved to Florida with his family, taking on the position with Flagler County. Since moving to Palm Coast, he has worked to shore up staffing and service delivery, while also adding new aspects to services. Throughout his professional career, he has aimed to improve systems, impacting the most vulnerable, streamlining funding to better inform resource utilization to improve program outcomes in the community. With a continual focus on quality and performance improvement, he aims to incorporate learning and growth into all aspects of work, to be responsive to the needs of the department and community at large.

Jacquelyn Lawson is currently in a new role helping students and families in housing transition through Project REACH. We work with Clay County District Schools and community partners to ensure equitable educational experiences. She has experience in administration as an Assistant Principal in Title I Schools, been a Title I District Specialist and worked as a teacher in a Title I school for over 13 years. She has dedicated to serving the under-resourced population and seeing the success those around and in her community.

Laura Valencia serves as the Flagler County Extension Director and Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent with UF/IFAS Extension. With over two decades in Cooperative Extension, her roles have included 4-H Youth Development Agent and Family Nutrition Program areas. My professional focus centers on community engagement, youth development, and promoting financial and health well-being through research-based education. Through Extension, she develops and implements research-based programs that help families build financial stability, manage household budgets, and adopt healthier lifestyles. By addressing barriers such as food insecurity, lack of financial planning, and limited access to healthcare, these educational initiatives empower families to make sustainable choices that enhance their overall well-being. Strengthening financial and health literacy is essential to her as it creates long-term economic security and improves health outcomes for individuals and families in Flagler County.

Laureen Pagel is the CEO of Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare and a lifetime community behavioral health advocate. She believes everyone deserves access to quality mental health and substance use treatment and has spent the past 27 years of her career expanding behavioral health services in Nassau County and Northeast Florida. Dr. Pagel approaches healthcare leadership with clinical and administrative expertise. She holds licensure as a Masters Certified Addiction Professional, a Certified Mental Health Professional, and a Certified Prevention Professional. After earning her Doctorate in Health Care Administration in 2007 and assuming the role of CEO at Starting Point, Dr. Pagel turned her attention to ensuring that every resident of Nassau County had a place to begin their treatment journey. Under her leadership, the organization has undergone multiple expansion efforts and more than doubled in size and budget. Dr. Pagel understands that collective thinking is the key to solve community health challenges and you will often find her speaking up on local, regional, or national board meetings. In fact, she spends most of her time advocating on the federal, state, and county level through her service as the Region IV Board Member for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, an Executive Member for the Florida Behavioral Health Association, and as a Board Member for the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce.

Sterling Simmons, your friendly neighborhood pharmacist, is a Gainesville native, born and raised. Currently, he works as a pharmacist in a cancer center and a compounding pharmacy. Professional interests in medicine include emergency medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. Lately, he has been more interested in the field of biotechnology as well. Socially, interests include outdoor exercises, improving technological skills such as coding and 3-D modeling, and watching YouTube videos on various topics.

Teresa Smith is the Founder and President of Volusia County Women Who Care (VCWWC), a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer membership organization established in 2017. Under her leadership, VCWWC has grown to over 300 members, collectively donating nearly $590,000 and awarding 34 grants to organizations in Volusia County.
In 2024, Teresa was recognized by the Daytona Beach News-Journal as one of the Most Influential Women in Business in Volusia-Flagler. She also received the Public Sector Woman of the Year and Philanthropist of the Year awards from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Volusia/Flagler Chapter. Teresa is committed to empowering the organizations supported by VCWWC, ensuring responsible stewardship of donations and elevating the missions of funded organizations. Her dedication has created a legacy of meaningful change in Volusia County. Teresa is married to Mark Smith and is a proud mother of two daughters and grandmother to five grandchildren.

Veronica Catoe is the Vice President of Business Development for the NE Florida Area Agency on Aging, doing business as ElderSource. With over 30 years of experience, Veronica combines her operational and nursing expertise to support seniors in living their best lives, aging with dignity, and offering support to caregivers. Before joining ElderSource, Veronica served as the Executive Director of Medicaid Management Services, CEO of the Florida Assisted Living Association, and Vice President of Operations at Allegro Senior Living. Driven by a passion for helping others, she empowers her employees to follow their dreams while supporting them in caring for those in need, helping them remain as independent and happy as possible. This dedication to service brings joy and peace of mind to families.