239.470.2733

239.470.2733

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239.470.2733

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Meet the Better Together Team

Under the leadership of Megan Rose – and with the help of an amazing volunteer force – this small, yet deeply dedicated, team connects families and job seekers to the help they need.

MEGAN ROSE

Chief Executive Officer

LORA BOSTICK

Director of Development

ISIS LAROSE

Better Families Executive Director

Brittnie Steinmetz

Lee County Family Coordinator

Mellissa Foster

Northeast Region Church Engagement Director

GISELA WEIGEL

Better Jobs Project Manager

Pamela Hayford

Marketing & Communications Manager

Vanessa Estrada

Program Administrator

KRISTA SHAFER

Bay Area Church Engagement Director

JESSICA BRAEMER

Sarasota and Manatee County Church Engagement Director

Adirem Garcia

Lee County Home Study Specialist

Lisa Perry

Pinellas/Pasco County Home Study Specialist

Dawson Jordan

Creative Director

Naresa Rembert

Sarasota/Manatee County Family Care Coordinator

Sydney Esquibel

Donor Relationship Manager

Our team is dedicated to helping people help themselves. We empower them to find employment and provide a loving, safe and supportive foundation for their children.

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HEADQUARTERS

15275 Collier Boulevard
Suite 201-284
Naples, FL 34119
Tel: 239.470.2733
info@bettertogetherus.org
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Better Together Team
Megan Rose
Chief Executive officer
Megan came to understand the value of empowering families with support and resources through her own journey. When she was young, her father went through recovery and the family was split apart. He was able to get healthy, while strangers came alongside her family and showered them with support. Soon, her parents and family reunited. Those powerful lessons of compassion were the early inspiration for a life and career dedicated to the calling of strengthening families and reminding people of their dignity, worth, and value.

In addition to her passion for her helping families, Megan has a wealth of education, over ten years of dedicated experience in social services. She holds an undergraduate degree from Liberty University in Psychology and a Master’s in Human Services with a dual concentration in Executive Leadership and Family and Group Dynamics. After college, Megan worked abroad as a nanny, then returned to Florida where she worked for four years as a child welfare case manager before becoming director for a foster care agency. In 2015, she joined Safe Families for Children, then branched off in 2018 to start her own organization, Better Together.

Megan was the recipient of the Manhattan Institute Civil Society Award in 2018 and was accepted into their Fellowship in 2020. In October 2020, Megan was featured on the cover of Grandeur Magazine for her work at Better Together and also earned the Cape Coral Community Foundation’s Rising Organization of the Year Award.

Family is everything to Megan, and she counts her husband Mason and their three precious children, Brady, Ellie, and Emma, as her greatest blessings in life. Megan and her family approach this ministry together, and routinely host children in their home. They are a team, and her family continually supports her wonderful adventure as the leader of Better Together. She feels blessed to have her family’s support behind her and to be a part of a team of talented, passionate individuals who love people and want to help equip the faith community to grow the Better Together mission.

Better Together Team
Lora Bostick
Director of Development

Lora and her husband, Chris, were first drawn to Better Together when they heard about the organization at church. They immediately signed up to become a host family and get involved. Lora’s passion for helping others and her love for children eventually led her to a full-time role with Better Together as the director of development. Lora holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from West Virginia University.

Lora and Chris have three children: Jay, Nia and Olivia. They look forward to continuing to serve families in their community through this ministry and showing their kids the value of helping others.

Better Together Team
Isis LaRose
Better Families Executive Director

Isis started on the team as outreach director in 2018 and was promoted to the Better Families executive director role in early 2020. Prior to joining Better Together, Isis worked in the medical field for 16 years. She has always had a passion for helping others, but it wasn’t until being introduced to Better Together, and becoming a host family in 2017, that she realized her passion for helping families in need.

Over the last four years, her family has hosted 21 children. Her husband, Danny, and children, Asher and Ayden, are just as committed as she is in this ministry and share in the joy of being able to care for children while their families maneuver through crisis. Better Together is a way her whole family serves together and she’s thankful to have the support of her family in this mission.

Better Together Team
Brittnie Steinmetz
Lee County Family Coordinator

As a former foster child herself, Brittnie holds inherent love and empathy for the children and families that Better Together serves. She brings years of experience to the Better Together team, having worked as a Child Protective Investigator with the Department of Children and Families. This invaluable experience helps her to understand the crucial delineation between government and non-profit sectors and gives her an appreciation for the “neighbor-helping-neighbor” model. Brittnie is passionate about Better Together’s drive to keep children out of foster care as well as prevent its need entirely. Brittnie holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Sociology as well as a master’s degree in Social Work.

Mellissa FosterBetter Together Team
Mellissa Foster
Northeast Region Church Engagement Director

Mellissa has a heart to serve and love people exactly as they are and to connect them to a local body of Christ for encouragement and relational support. She comes to the Better Together team with a background in marketing and development and uses these skills along with her passion to serve and love others. Prior to joining the Better Together team, Mellissa worked in ministry for over ten years serving local churches in the Family and Children’s Ministry. She also serves at her local church in Jacksonville, where her husband, Jonathan, works as the Associate Design & Media Director.

Mellissa, her husband, and her children Jad, London, and Barrett have served as a host family and mentors for several Better Together families and look forward to continuing to do this as a family unit. Mellissa is passionate about the Better Families program because of the life changes she has seen by helping families in crisis. Mellissa believes serving as a family gives her children the opportunity to learn to love others with action in a tangible way.

Better Together Team
Gisela Weigel
Better Jobs Project Manager

Gisela was born and raised in Southwest Florida, so naturally, she has a strong passion and desire for helping people in this community. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Florida Gulf Coast University. She previously worked in the non-profit sector supporting foster children but then decided to pursue a corporate career. Gisela quickly learned that her heart belonged to serving those in our community through non-profit work, and this led her to Better Together. Gisela is excited to join the Better Together team and help lead our mission of keeping families together and children out of foster care.

Gisela loves spending time with her husband, and her precious dog Obi. When asked, others would describe Gisela as thoughtful, optimistic, and persistent. When Gisela is not in the office, she enjoys volunteering, watching the Hallmark Channel/reruns of her favorite shows, and making memories with her family and friends.

Better Together Team
Pamela Hayford
Marketing & Communications Manager

Pamela is a storyteller. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she worked as a writer, reporter, editor and page designer. She’s interviewed politicians and a celebrity or two but spent most of the last 15 years among Southwest Florida’s families as editor of Southwest Florida Parent & Child magazine. That’s how she first learned of Better Together and became excited to tell the stories of its mission, its families and its staff.

Pam grew up in Northeast Ohio and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Bowling Green State University. Falling head over heels for her husband and her work eventually brought her to Florida. They’ve been living in Cape Coral since 2000 and have two teenage children, four if you count her spoiled pups.

Vanessa EstradaBetter Together Team

Vanessa Estrada
Program Administrator


Vanessa’s journey with Better Together began a few years ago as she volunteered assisting with fundraising events. Now, we are thrilled to have Vanessa on staff and for her contribution in this key role. She has previously worked in the non-profit sector for 7 years, serving children and families in foster care and at-risk youth. As a previous Program Manager, she is able to bring many years of administration experience on all levels. Vanessa’s strong faith and passion to help children and families in need are both evident by her commitment and willingness to always go the extra mile.

Vanessa was born in Fort Myers, Florida, and raised in Houston, Texas. Along with her husband Fabien and their two daughters, Arianni and Alyson, Vanessa now lives in Naples, FL. Vanessa loves spending time with her family and friends, mentoring at-risk youth, dancing, and event planning.

Krista ShaferBetter Together Team
Krista Shafer
Bay Area Catalyst
 Krista is our Bay Area Catalyst as Better Together has now expanded into Pinellas and Pasco counties. She has an innate compassion for others and a heart to serve especially children and families in need. Krista has lived in St. Petersburg since 2013, as she moved from Wisconsin where she was born and raised. She graduated from Ripon College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science-Sports Management. Krista has many years of experience working directly with families in various capacities. She has over 10 years of administrative experience in the for-profit realm; she has served locally in children’s ministries, outreach ministries, and as a volunteer at The Ronald McDonald House. With her combined experience and her faith-driven mission to see radical change led by the local churches, Krista has hit the ground running. She will continue to connect with church leaders, volunteers, and community partners to bring them all together in order to best serve our communities and to keep families together here in Florida.

Jessica Braemer Sarasota and Manatee County CatalystBetter Together Team

Jessica Braemer

Sarasota and Manatee County Catalyst


Jessica has worked in the non-profit sector through building and serving women and children, and families in her community. Jessica has a deep desire to do the Lord’s will in her life, and feels privileged to share her testimony of overcoming to bring hope into the lives of others. She has a passion to walk alongside those who are yearning for a better life. Jessica also works hand in hand with those struggling in addiction, domestic violence, human trafficking, and any life controlling issues. She lives a lifestyle of cultivating community. Jessica is excited to be part of the Better Together family by bringing resources and compassion to families in crisis.

Jessica and her husband Joshua share a beautiful blended family of 6 and have a powerful testimony of what the Lord can do in someone’s life. They have a passion to serve God, their family, their community, and are blessed to do together.

Adirem GarciaBetter Together Team
Adirem Garcia
Lee County Home Study Contractor

My name is Adirem Garcia, recently married in November 2018. I attended FGCU and graduated with my Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2013. I have worked within the foster care system since 2014 and my husband and I actually foster ourselves since June 2019. We love being able to help others, and be a mentor if we can to the families that need support and love during their trials. We attend Life Church and love to spend time with our family and friends. For fun, we both play on coed sports teams together – kickball and softball at the moment. We love to travel and try to vacation on a cruise annually! My stepson (Jeremiah) is 8 years old and he loves to play sports as well and he is a great, big foster brother to the kiddos who come to our home. We recently had a baby ourselves and are loving growing our family. It is a blessing to be able to help others in our work environment and also in our home! We love sharing the love of Jesus with others!

Lisa PerryBetter Together Team Lisa Perry
Pinellas/Pasco County Home Study Contractor

 Lisa is looking forward to meeting all of the families who are wanting to support those in need within our community. She is a prior teacher with over 20 years experience teaching Kindergarten. She is a certified Child Protection Investigator, and based on her experiences understands and truly supports the mission of Better Together.

She has worked and advocated for foster families and is currently a Resource Specialist assisting families and children in need. Lisa also holds a certificate in Infant Family Mental Health from the University of South Florida and volunteers at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in the NICU.

Lisa and her husband of 34 years have 2 grown children, C.J. and Jessica. They enjoy spending time with their children and 4 grandchildren as well as their fur babies Ricky and Lucy – high energy, frisbee catching miniature Aussies.

Dawson JordonBetter Together Team

Dawson Jordan
Creative Director

Dawson is an exciting addition to the Better Together Team. Since graduating college in 2015 from Florida Gulf Coast University with his bachelor’s degree in Business Management he has managed to create a successful career for himself as a self-employed freelance videographer/photographer. He has recently relocated back to his hometown in SWFL and is excited to join the team as the Creative Director to help us tell the Better Together story. Dawson is passionate about telling stories through a creative lens, especially when it comes to seeing families stay together and for individuals to thrive and become the best version of themselves. When Dawson is not in the office he likes to hang out with his friends, workout, and watch sports.

Naresa RembertBetter Together Team
Naresa Rembert
Sarasota/Manatee County Family Care Coordinator

Naresa comes to Better Together after 25 years of working in human services. A brief time employed with the Florida Department of Children and Families a few years ago gave her insight into the foster care system and confirmed for her the need for more prevention. When she read the job description for the care coordinator role at Better Together, she knew in her spirit that this was the path for her. Naresa brings to the organization a wide breadth of knowledge and experience with a diverse population from all age groups.

A graduate from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s in psychology, Naresa has a loving and compassionate heart to support those who feel a sense of hopelessness. But her compassion for people in crisis doesn’t just come from observing from the outside. Naresa has walked in their shoes, being on her own since the age of 14 with no family support and homeless. She had her first baby 10 days after turning 17 and was a mother of three by the age of 26 without a support system. She knows how it feels not to have hope or anyone to turn to. 

With God by her side, Naresa turned her life into a successful journey and now only wishes to continue being a servant of God. She is happily married to her husband, Jason, and is mom to three adult children. She is looking forward to becoming a grandmother for the first time in a few months.

Sydney EsquibelBetter Together Team
Sydney Esquibelt
Donor Relationship Manager

Sydney’s passion for making connections and serving the community led her to pursue a degree in public relations, where she could use her voice to help others. After volunteering with various organizations and working with other nonprofits, she knew this is where she wanted her career to be. She recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in public relations and advertising. Sydney is excited to be able to connect with those who share the same passion and love for others, and to be able to continue cultivating relationships with those who can help spread our mission of keeping children and families together while helping their parents build a better life.

Sydney grew up in a small town and loves the hometown feel of Fort Myers. She spends much of her free time with her family, friends, and fur baby, Georgia. She enjoys being involved with her church, experiencing new things, and getting out into nature.