Staff

Executive Director, Christy Wohlert
Christy, graduated from Liberty University in 2009 with a BA in Multidisciplinary Studies for psychology and music. While working on her degree remotely, she joined staff at Free to Be during the summer of 2008. Christy has held several different positions during her time at Free to Be, and now is the Executive Director. She is involved in all facets of the organization, including presenting in the classroom and working directly with and mentoring teens.

“I truly love what I do. I care for our students so much and want to provide the most impactful, life changing information as possible. Free to Be partners with parents, teachers, and the community to keep our teens healthy and safe.”

Founder and Development Director, Sue Bisbee
In the late 80’s, as a mother of teenagers and an active community volunteer, Sue became aware that the option of choosing abstinence was missing from her children’s public school sex education classes. Subsequent to learning about an organization in another California community that used teens to share their personal decisions of postponing sex until marriage, Sue decided to attempt to begin a similar program locally. In 1992, Free to Be was launched in Sonoma County, California. Executive Director until August of 2011, Sue now volunteers her time as Development Director for Free to Be. Besides giving back to the community through Free to Be and as a member of Rotary, Sue loves spending time with her five children and six grandchildren, and traveling with her husband.

Program Coordinator, Tommy Bjornstrom
Tommy grew up in Santa Rosa and started volunteering for Free to Be during his junior year in high school. A member of the Youth Advisory Board, he was very active speaking on countless teen panels and sharing the message of abstinence and healthy relationships. After graduating from high school, Tommy was hired onto the F2B staff as the program assistant, overseeing the teen volunteers and assisting with panels and workshops.

"I love being a part of Free to Be and hope that I can positively impact my generation."

Program Assistant, Vanessa Woods
Vanessa is a native of Petaluma and has been a volunteer peer educator for Free to Be since 2007.  During the past four years, she has spoken on numerous teen panels and served as a member on Free to Be’s Youth Advisory Board. Vanessa joined the Free to Be staff as Program Assistant in fall 2011 to assist in supporting the peer educators and the planning of youth socials and workshops.

“Free to Be has been my passion since I was thirteen years old. The program has helped mold me into the person I am. As a staff member of Free to Be, I strive to have that same impact on the teens in our community today."

Community Outreach Coordinator, Lauretta Lewis
Excited about being able to support teens in making healthy life choices, Lauretta leaped at the opportunity to join the Free to Be staff as Community Outreach Coordinator in 2007. Her passion for helping teens navigate through a challenging youth culture, in part, comes from having been a teen mother herself.

“Being a mother of three daughters really connects me to the misson of Free to Be. I greatly appreciate the confidence Free to Be instills in our youth, giving them the freedom and life skills they need to achieve their greatest hopes and goals in life."

Office Administrator, Lucy Avalos
Born and raised in Santa Rosa, Lucy is a graduate of Piner High School and Empire College, where she received a Specialized Associate Degree-Paralegal. After spending some time in the legal field, she moved on to the non-profit world. Lucy has been with Free to Be for over 5 years and is passionate about the future of our youth. In addition to her duties at Free to Be, Lucy is a mother of two young girls.