Meet Our Board
Karen Johnson
Chairwoman
Karen has worked for over 25 years in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. She has held top leadership positions in global organizations responsible for product and software delivery. She is an Executive Coach, Leadership Advisor, and Adjunct Instructor at Indiana University. She holds a Masters Degree in Strategic Leadership from Stephens College, and a Certificate of Achievement in Holistic Leadership from Indiana University. Karen loves spending time with her family and enjoys being outdoors. Karen is passionate in serving the community to bring about positive change to those she is fortunate to serve.
Jo-Anne Bellemer
Treasurer
Jo-Anne worked for 34 years in information technology, most of which involved overseeing computer infrastructure for a health insurance company. She earned a BGS in Business Institutions at the University of Rhode Island. After her career retirement, Jo-Anne became a volunteer and then Chief Financial Officer for a non-profit organization conducting wildlife conservation projects. She relocated to the St. Petersburg area in 2018 and loves the Gulfport lesbian community, especially women helping women. She also loves boating, pickleball, and playing ukulele.
Amy Tripi
Fund Administrator
Amy’s career began with Peace Corps service in Honduras. After serving, she spent 30 years managing an award-winning direct response marketing agency that she founded to help non-profits raise money for myriad causes close to her heart, including social justice, homelessness, int’l blindness & malnutrition prevention, LGBT advocacy, mental health services, int’l human rights, reproductive health advocacy, among others. Now retired from fundraising, she is spends her time on her energy healing practice that she began ten years ago, as well as playing pickleball & exploring the area with friends.
Dr. Monica Discolo
Director
Dr. Discolo has a bachelors in human development, a masters in criminal justice and a masters in human services. She earned her doctorate degree from Walden University in human and social services and is a master’s level certified addictions professional (MCAP) through the Florida Certification Board. She has 10+ years experience in the human services field serving vulnerable populations. She is from Boston, MA originally and is currently in a director role for a substance abuse organization. She is also a published author and an independent artist. She is passionate about the LGBTQ+ community and actively conducts research to benefit the lives of others.
Julie Proctor
Director Of Outreach
Julie began her career as an Occupational Therapist, specializing in psychosocial rehab and community wellness. She holds a dual Masters degree in Human Resource Development and Management. For the past 25 years, she has held various leadership positions within Dale Carnegie Training, and Assc., a human relations training company. Julie enjoys soft-skill and leadership training and obtained the highest level of trainer certification in the organization. In her current position, she is a Director of a team who supports the business growth of new franchise Owners across the globe. Julie and her spouse relocated to the St. Pete, Fl area from Missouri in 2020 and fell in love with the community. Some of her favorite things include spending time with friends and family; playing interactive games; pickleball; ukulele and drumming; and spending as much time as possible at the beach! She is passionate about giving back to the community and is excited to be part of an organization that consistently has a positive impact!
Patti Smith
Director
Patti attended the Medical College of Georgia Physician Assistant program in Augusta, GA. She spent her 25 year career in Florida and Maryland working in Internal Medicine and Neurosurgery. After retiring, she eventually moved back to her home state of FL to escape the cold winters and get back to the sunshine. At the advice of friends in MD, she was guided to Gulfport in 2020 and fell in love with the slower paced West Coast way of life. She enjoys staying active with swimming, fishing, chair volleyball and community events. It remains very important to her to be aligned with an organization committed to the wellness and education of women. She and her spouse are enjoying retirement life, our lesbian community, and traveling at any opportunity.
Fund Administrator Emerita
Phyllis Plotnick
Retired Director
Born in Philadelphia, Phyllis moved to Gulfport in 1983. She worked for many years as a physical therapist as well as a counselor in crisis intervention, rape crisis, and family planning centers. She is particularly grateful to have had the opportunity to teach ballroom dancing in the Tampa Bay area to the LGBT community. From these classes, the Lady in Red and other dances had their beginnings. Phyllis is honored to be connected to an organization that has benefited hundreds of women and that carries her mother’s name.Interested in becoming a Volunteer?
To become a volunteer with SPHF and help other women in the Greater Tampa Bay area by with their healthcare needs, please fill us your name, email address and your phone number to volunteer@soniaplotnickhealthfund.org.
Questions? Please email the Chairperson at chair@soniaplotnickhealthfund.org