For over 19 years Joronda Montaño has been a strong leader in the Public Health and Prevention space. She is the co-founder of NeckUp CheckUp an organization that provides mental health checkups to help keep youth and families healthy. Joronda is credited with contributions to the development of innovative prevention programs at non-Profit organizations in Phoenix and Mesa Arizona as well as directly training thousands of youth and adults to maintain positive mental health outcomes. Joronda has been honored as a Tempe Champion for Youth, an annual award given to an adult who displays an outstanding commitment to reducing youth substance misuse. For 10 years she led prevention programs at Community Bridges Inc., managing State and Federal grants including Drug-Free Communities, and Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants. She spearheaded the development of a Mesa Community Coalition with over 400 professional and community representatives. She spent 5 years with notMYkid providing National Prevention services and executing a specialized education and training regimen to create a highly developed cadre of Prevention Specialists ready for prevention credentialing. Joronda has also spent 11 years as a federal grant reviewer for a variety of agencies. Her knowledge of project development community relationship building, and evaluation has helped programs thrive in urban, rural, and suburban communities. Beyond the United States, her international experience spans 13 different countries on 5 different continents. Working in poverty reduction, microfinance, permanent agriculture, disaster relief, farming, and equity in education she finds ease with implementing her strategic planning knowledge to tackle any community challenge. She worked with NGO’s, international businesses, and small village councils addressing pressing environmental challenges for both large and small groups. Joronda holds both a Bachelors’ and Masters’ degree from Arizona State University is skilled in the Prevention of substance misuse, suicide, violence, negative self-image, risky digital behavior, and bullying. She is a trainer for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills and Mental Health First Aid. Fun fact, Joronda was also a nationally ranked high school track and field athlete before becoming an AllAmerican Collegiate athlete at Arizona State University. She currently coaches’ youth and lives in Phoenix with her husband and four kids.