Community Awareness and Prevention Association (CAPA)
The Community Awareness and Prevention Association (CAPA) is a 501(c)3 that was founded in 1989 to prevent and intervene in drug and alcohol abuse in the Brecksville-Broadview Heights schools and communities. The CAPA coalition provides a consistent voice and forum for awareness, education and prevention to support safety and welfare for all community members. CAPA creates strategies based on extensive local data that have contributed to the prevention and reduction of youth substance use while encouraging healthy life choices.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Community Awareness and Prevention Association (CAPA) is to work in collaboration with the Brecksville-Broadview Heights communities and school district to plan and implement strategies aimed at preventing and reducing youth substance use while encouraging healthy life choices.
Our Staff
Kelly Lazar, CAPA Director
Kelly is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW-S) and Licensed School Social Worker through the Ohio Department of Education. She is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School, where she received a Master of Science in Social Administration degree with a focus on school social work
Our Executive Board Members
The Executive Board is comprised of a total of 5 individuals representing the City of Brecksville (1), the City of Broadview Heights (1), the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District (1) and the Co-Chairpersons representing Brecksville (1) and Broadview Heights (1).
CAPA's Executive Board reviews the annual budget that enables the Coalition to function within the scope of its goals and objectives. The Executive Board is responsible for identifying financial and/or in-kind resources to support the Coalition, and for developing and implementing programs and/or procedures necessary to secure those resources. The Executive Board Committee shall meet at bi-annually or as needed throughout the year.
Members of the Executive Board include, Broadview Heights Mayor Sam Alai, Brecksville Chief of Police, Stan Korinek, Brecksville -Broadview Heights School Board member, Michael Ziegler, Brecksville resident and Co-Chairperson, Dr. Carla Calevich and Broadview Heights resident and Co-Chair, Jennifer Gee.
Our Advisory Board
Advisory Board members provide advice and expertise on the administration of CAPA's programs and wide-ranging services. The Board also suggests coordination between groups, individuals, and organizations within the schools and community at large.
Sam Alai, Broadview Heights Mayor - Local Govt. Sector
Mayor Alai is a past president of CAPA and has held many roles in the school district. His long history of community service earned him a Volunteer of the Year award in 2001. Mayor Alai served as a councilman in Broadview Heights from 2003 until his election as mayor in 2007.
Stan Korinek, Brecksville Chief of Police - Law Enforcement Sector
Dr. Carla Calevich, Community Member CAPA Business Official
Dr. Calevich has been an intregal part of the coalition since 2003. She has served the Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District for 38 years, recently retiring as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She was previously affiliated with CAPA as a teacher and elementary school principal.
Jenny Gee, Parent Sector
Jennifer Gee holds a B.S. in Biology from Kent State University and an M.S. in Education from the University of Akron. Jenny is the Director of Christian Education at Brecksville United Methodist Church. Jenny also volunteers in the Brecksville/Broadview Heights schools. She is also deeply committed to supporting Fair Trade products and encouraging care for the natural world.
TBD, Youth Sector
Julie Nations, Healthcare Sector
Julie Nations is the Sr. Coordinator, Communications & Community Engagement at The MetroHealth System (Cleveland, OH).
David Martin, School Sector
David Martin is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District. He oversees pre-kindergarten-12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment; program innovations and works with teachers and administrators to recommend instructional resources to the Board of Education. In addition, he oversees the Ohio Assessment system, district testing, the English Language Learners program, Title I/Reading Intervention, homeschooling, federal fund programming, Ohio Online Learning, and the Community Awareness and Prevention Association.
Robert Springer, Religious Sector
Pastor Robert Springer, heads up the local ecumenical team comprised of representatives from the Korean Central Presbyterian Church, St Paul Greek Orthodox Church, and the Unity Center Masjid Mosque of North East Ohio. Pastor Springer’s seasoned connections will be valuable to ensure that we are effectively communicating with these diverse populations in the communities of Brecksville - Broadview Heights.
Lou Carouse, Jr., Volunteer Sector
Mr. Carouse heads up Partnership for a Healthy Community - a "community partnership" aimed at promoting conversation about qualities essential to the lives of those living in a healthy community. He is a lifelong resident of Brecksville, attending the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Schools, graduating in 1971 along with his wife, Pam. He has also had two daughters graduate from the district as well.
Myles Rapkin, Media Sector
Rob Stiefvater, Business Sector
Recovery Resources, Other Sector
Brittany Wigman, School Sector
Brittany was elected as a school board member of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District. As a graduate of BBH in 2003, and resident since 2012, Brittany has volunteered for numerous school and community-based initiatives. In 2018, she co-chaired the bond campaign for the new elementary school and joined the Schools Foundation as their marketing/PR chair. Her focus in all of these capacities has been increasing communication. Brittany holds a master’s degree in higher education, with an emphasis on academic advising and student retention