Speaking Engagements

Ken Scrubbs is a native of Louisiana. He was born in New Orleans where he attended the public schools in the state of Louisiana. He is a graduate from the Historical Black College Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana.

While attending Grambling State University having a double major he earned his B.S. degree in Accounting and Data Processing.  He was also a member of the Grambling State’s football team under the national acclaimed football coach Eddie Robinson.

Ken worked in corporate America for 20 years.  He has since been ordained as a minister of the gospel for the last 15 years.  He has been married to his wife Linda for 34 years. They met in college. The Scrubbs’s have three wonderful children Cymonda, April and James.  His daughters attended Univ. of Fl. In Gainesville, Fl. James is a graduate of Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. 
Ken is currently the community outreach Pastor of the First Baptist Church Leesburg, Fl. He has invested unlimited time and works tirelessly hours to provide directions for the community which he serves.  Ken is committed to helping children dreams become a reality and being a positive impact in their lives. He’s responsible for the following youth centered ministries, coordinator of Lake County School System Campus Ministry, The Governor’s Mentoring Initiative, and Assistant Director of the Abstinence Education Program, Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents, and The Juvenile Prison Ministry which focus on assisting them in re-entry process of juvenile offenders back into society.
He has received numerous awards and acknowledgement for his hard work and dedication in the lives of America’s children. Awards and acknowledgements such as:

• The Governor’s Mentor of the Year. (Best Practice Model) in the state of Florida.
• Panelist@ Successful Partnerships Workshops for the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiative Conference, lead discussion on Florida’s At –Risk Youth.
• Distinguished Service Award for the Department of Criminal Justice.
• Panelist@ Attorney General (Charlie Crist ) Conference on Preventing Crime in the Black Community.
• Appointed to the Governor’s Faith-Based Advisory Board for the State of Florida
• Appointed to the Department of Education Faith& Community Based Advisory Counsel.
• Florida African American Education Alliance Community Leader of the Year Award Finalist 2006.
• Awarded the Volunteer  of the Year Award by the United States Attorney General BOP 2006
• Volunteer of the Year Award @Coleman Federal Prison 2006.
• Selected as One of Florida’s Most Intriguing Floridians by the Florida’s Monthly Magazine 2006 (who excels in service to others)
• Appointed to Florida Disaster Relief Board by Gov. Charlie Crist 2007
• Appointed as Chairman of the state of Florida Drop-Out Prevention Task Force 2007
• Appointed to the African American Republican Leadership Advisory Council 2008     

Dr. Harold E. Shinitzky, Psy.D.

Dr. Harold E. Shinitzky is in private practice in Clearwater , St. Petersburg, and Tierra Verde, Florida. He currently consults for several countries, states, counties as well as public schools and independent schools with the development, implementation and evaluation of adolescent prevention initiatives. He has been the mental health correspondent for Radio Disney, ABC and Fox television in Tampa.  He is the Co-author of, “Ten Things Someone Should Have Taught You By Now”.

Dr. Shinitzky was the Director of the Assessment/Intervention Team (AIT) Prevention Services at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. The AIT provides comprehensive evaluations of high-risk youths and their families. Dr. Shinitzky has developed and facilitated after school, positive peer oriented prevention groups for high-risk youth.

Dr. Shinitzky has presented internationally and nationally on the topic of "Best Practice" models in prevention of high-risk youth to major mental health organizations and medical societies. He has presented to the United Nations 6th Annual International Conference on Substance Abuse in Italy. 

He recently presented to the Drug Prevention Networks of the Americas in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is on the national advisory board to Drug Free America, The Learning Partnership, and the Applied Institute of Forensic Psychology. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Join Together national fellow as well as a Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Faculty Development Project fellow.

Previously, he was president of the Baltimore Psychological Association.  Dr. Shinitzky has published articles on the topics of substance abuse prevention programs for youth as well as on the topic of provider-patient interview/communication skills training.

Dr. Shinitzky was recently appointed to the Medical Advisory Board for the Florida Office of Drug Control.  He has been elected by his peers for a third consecutive term as President of the Florida Psychological Association, Pinellas Chapter.  He was selected into the Whose Who in America in 2003. 

Dr. Shinitzky was selected as the 2000 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Community Service. While at Johns Hopkins, he was the mental health correspondent for the ABC Baltimore, Maryland, "Fast Forward". He has received the Distinguished Faculty, Excellence in Teaching Award from Towson University, Department of Psychology Psi Chi chapter in 1997 and 1999, as well as the "Most Helpful Doc" Award from the pediatric residents at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Shinitzky also served as a member of the Committee on Women and Minorities at the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Shinitzky is involved in clinical outcome research and conducts individual, group and family therapy.  A sub-specialty includes Sports Psychology.