Meet the WWcB Team
Jeannette Bradley
Community Engagement Activist/Artist
In 2003, I departed corporate America to establish "What We Could Be," a venture aimed at directly assisting black and brown students in bridging the Achievement Gap. Over time, my vision expanded to encompass an examination of how the Achievement Gap affects the Economic/Wealth and Health Gaps. To achieve this, I initiated community-wide engagement initiatives with local organizations and residents, connecting the dots to tackle systemic challenges impacting the entire community. The journey began in 2008-2009, when I collaborated with Diana Kyle, a former Hillsborough County educator and Program Director with Earth Force, to work with students at Blake High School. Our objective was to shift students' mindsets, empowering them to transform Blake's culture towards a shared vision of becoming an "A-School." Through the community-driven Principals Special Forces Team (PSFT), we accomplished remarkable progress. Within a year, Blake High School progressed from a "D-school" for three consecutive years to achieving the "A-School" status, marking the first and only time in its history of recording state test results. From 2012 to 2017, serving as a Consultant and later as CEO, I focused on revitalizing the local nonprofit organization, Tampa Hillsborough Action Plan (THAP), elevating its visibility and recognition. In 2017, THAP was honored as the "Nonprofit of the Year" by WEDU, emerging from obscurity to prominence. Today, WWcB is dedicated to supporting and engaging all members of the community, with a shared vision in mind. We gauge our success through both quantitative and qualitative measures, evaluating the scale and effectiveness of collective efforts in achieving the following goals: (1) clean, safe neighborhoods; (2) nurturing grassroots leadership; (3) fostering sustainable business and entertainment districts; and, of course, (4) establishing excellent schools. Let us envision the extraordinary accomplishments that we can achieve together! Jeannette has a BA and BS degree in Psycholory (1982) and the Interdisciplinary Sciences (2022), respectively. She is currently enrolled at Florida State University pursuing a MPA (Expected completion: 2024) in Public Admininstration.
Diana Kyle
Garden Program Director
Diana Kyle, a former Science Teacher in the public school system and former Director of Parks, finds joy in engaging with youth through non-traditional methods. Ms. Kyle strongly believes in making learning enjoyable by incorporating numerous hands-on garden and healthy food preparation activities. This approach allows participants to absorb and retain knowledge at a rate three times higher than conventional teaching methods. Throughout her career, Ms. Kyle has curated an extensive collection of over 150 "magic boxes," each brimming with exciting interactive activities. She employs these boxes to expose participants to exceptional experiences, fostering a sense of exploration and discovery. Her philosophy centers around the idea that when participants discover their passions, they can shape their own futures positively. By effectively creating and utilizing their gardens, they have the potential to turn their dreams into reality, thereby contributing to a better, greener world for the planet. Diana has a BA degree in Botany and Zoology, from the University of South Florida.