Staff

Founder and Executive Director, Sue Bisbee
As a mother of five school-aged children in the early 90’s, I found myself increasingly concerned about the absence of options being presented to young people regarding sexual choices. Seeing this void, I began the program that is known today as Free to Be. The counter-cultural message of Free to Be is creating positive peer pressure, so that many teens today view the choice of practicing abstinence in their relationships as the new norm.

Program Director, Casey O’Neill
I am passionate about sharing a message with youth that will enable them to attain their goals and realize their dreams. Freedom is priceless, and Free to Be equips youth with the power to make healthy and positive decisions that guarantee freedom from the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical heaviness that so often accompanies sexual activity at a young age.

Peer Program Supervisor, Mandy Meyers
When I was a teenager I thought everyone was having sex. I didn’t realize there was another option: the freedom to wait! Because of unhealthy decisions I made as a teen and the consequences I suffered because of those decisions, I’m stoked for the opportunity to work for Free to Be! I absolutely love sharing what I’ve learned with teens. I enjoy empowering teens to make the healthiest decision for themselves and not to let others make their decisions for them.

Office Manager, Lucy Avalos
When I found out about Free to Be, my first thought was, ‘I wish I had known about them before, maybe life would have turned out differently.’ I truly believe that when youth hear our presentations, they are attracted to the freedoms that come from choosing abstinence until marriage. It’s important to let our teens know that they have options when it comes to sex and relationships. I am so happy to be a part of a great program.

Community Outreach Coordinator, Lauretta Lewis
I wholeheartedly embrace the positive message Free to Be offers to the youth of our community and their families. I could have benefited greatly from this message as a teenager. In this day and age, many youth are not seeing themselves as valuable or respected, so sadly they turn to sex, drugs and alcohol in an effort to fit in. At Free to Be, I get the privilege of taking part in changing this perspective.

Youth Outreach Coordinator, Jason Leras
I hear too much about teens that are having sex because they think everyone else is, or because they don't think there is anything else to do in a relationship. Free to Be stresses that not everyone is doing it. We have a staff that lives this out as well as teens that volunteer with us. Free to Be also stresses that there are a lot of things to do with someone that don’t involve sexual activity. My desire is to help equip teens and show them that there are other choices out there, and Free to Be allows me to do that!

Program Assistant, Nicolette O’Connor
As a new member of Free to Be, I am passionate about encouraging teens to reach their greatest life’s dreams and goals through the freedoms of abstinence. Having felt isolated and unprepared to face pressure as a young adult, I now love the opportunity to meet with teens in a real and personal way that empowers them to know they always have a choice: a choice to live in freedom!

Program Assistant, Erik Bjornstrom
I love being part of Free to Be because I get to talk to teens about something I really believe in: sexual abstinence. I believe that our message is extremely valuable because it allows teens to take a realistic look at the various ways in which sex can affect somebody--physically, emotionally, mentally, etc. We don't really hear too much about the consequences of sex these days, so that's why Free to Be is here!