THRIVE! Partners at work
Our Mission
The mission of THRIVE! is to build upon local culture to provide affordable opportunities
for all to live healthier through healthy eating, active living and social/emotional support.
for all to live healthier through healthy eating, active living and social/emotional support.
Our Partners
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Mercy Health
The Salvation Army (Oberlin-Wellington)
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Our Staff
CAROL BURKE, THRIVE! Facilitator
Tel.: 440-987-9182 Email: cawburke@gmail.com or thriveloraincounty@gmail. com Carol serves as Facilitator of THRIVE! Southern Lorain County, helping THRIVE! Partners work together better to understand common objectives and develop plans for how to achieve those objectives. With a bachelor’s degree in music education from Bowling Green State University, a master’s degree in computers in the classroom from Ashland University, and three associate degrees, Carol retired from teaching in the Lorain City Schools in 2010. |
In 2013, as Manager of the Wellington Farmers’ Market, Carol was asked to help develop the United Way collaborative now known as THRIVE! Southern Lorain County. Interested in learning more about collaborative work and improvement cycles, she completed Collaborative Improvement Advisor (2017) and Green Belt (2019) coursework provided by United Way of Greater Lorain County. When the founding facilitator for the collaborative moved on to a new job, Carol was appointed Facilitator in 2018.
Among her many achievements for THRIVE! Carol spearheaded the Indoor Walking program for the public at Wellington High School during cold-weather months; the “Water First for Thirst” campaign, bringing water bottle fillers to local schools; and the Growing Nutrition program that provided elevated garden boxes to locals who were physically challenged. Carol was instrumental in bringing Pickleball courts to town along with the Village of Wellington. Carol lives in Wellington, Ohio, with her husband Brian. They have two children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. |
MARGARET SWENDSEID, Marketing and
Website Manager Tel.: 440-370-0412 Email: mswend@frontier.com or thriveloraincounty@gmail.com Margaret is the Marketing Specialist for THRIVE! Southern Lorain County. She is responsible for social media and outreach to traditional media. With a career that spans 35 years, she has worked for non-profit and corporate entities alike, with a focus on international relations, food, nutrition and health. |
She conducted a 10-market national tour with Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer, to raise awareness of health and fitness for Easy Spirit Shoes.
For several years Margaret was Copy Chief of the nation’s most prestigious public relations firm, Dudley-Anderson-Yutzy (based in New York City), which catapulted such food-industry giants as the Idaho Potato Commission and the Florida Department of Citrus on the national stage. Margaret is also a Special Events Manager who was a major organizer of the 1983 Brooklyn Bridge Centennial Celebration and the 1984 "U.S.-China Bicentennial Celebration" and other national and regional events. Margaret has designed successful marketing campaigns and has garnered exceptional publicity for her clients in major media outlets (FORBES, NEW YORK magazines and the Food Network), as well as in regional Ohio media. |
THRIVE! Southern Lorain County is one of 10 Community Collaboratives powered by United Way of Greater Lorain County that are working to improve the health, education, and financial stability of all residents in our communities.