About Us

​​Maria Valenti is an EDC senior research scientist and behavioral health expert. An experienced program leader, she specializes in quantitative and qualitative research, evaluation, policy analysis, and strategic dissemination of epidemiological findings. She has extensive expertise in supporting the use of data to inform decision-making. Valenti is the epidemiology services director for EDC’s Strategic Prevention Technical Assistance Center. She also leads efforts with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to develop a strategic plan for preventing prescription drug misuse. 

​Prior to joining EDC, Valenti was a research scientist and prevention director for the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. She has authored articles on cannabis use prevention, building evaluation capacity, and strategies to deter substance misuse. 

​Valenti holds a PhD and an MA in Ecological-Community Psychology from Michigan State University. She attained a BA in Psychology and in Spanish from the State University of New York College at Geneseo.​ 

​​Chuck Klevgaard is a nationally recognized expert in substance misuse prevention, public health, and school-based health. Drawing on his experience in collective impact and prevention-focused partnerships, he builds the capacity of states, tribes, schools, communities, and cities to use effective substance misuse prevention and intervention strategies. He specializes in behavioral health support; training and technical assistance; and effective alcohol, opioid, and substance misuse programs and policies. 

​As a consultant to the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center, Klevgaard provides training and technical assistance to substance misuse prevention entities within the Great Lakes region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. 

​Klevgaard, a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist through the Illinois Certification Board, Inc., holds a BSW from Minnesota State University Moorhead.​ 

Berith Levi is a dedicated professional in substance misuse prevention with over four years of experience in supporting individuals through rehabilitation and recovery. With a focus on diverse communities and high-risk neighborhoods, he works to connect individuals facing substance misuse challenges with appropriate rehabilitation programs, most recently at the Greater West Town Community Development Project. Levi specializes in outreach efforts, including informational campaigns, targeted visits, and community canvassing, often in collaboration with medical centers, social organizations, and substance abuse prevention programs.

As part of his role, Levi has successfully facilitated the integration of individuals into rehabilitation services, focusing on high-need areas with significant substance abuse and criminal activity statistics. He leverages data-driven insights, ensuring that outcomes and goals are accurately tracked and shared with partnering organizations for continuous program improvement.

Levi holds extensive experience working with various cultural backgrounds, fostering inclusion and engagement in recovery efforts to achieve positive community impact.

Aubry Phillips is a grassroots advocate committed to advancing innovative, evidence-based community initiatives that support opioid use disorder (OUD) prevention, harm reduction, and person-centered treatment planning. With a blend of lived experience, research expertise, and leadership skills, Phillips organizes and facilitates community-based workshops centered on harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and de-escalation techniques.

Phillips brings extensive experience in community outreach and housing referral coordination. She has worked closely with permanent supportive and transitional housing providers across Chicago, strengthening a robust network of Continuum of Care (CoC) partner organizations to effectively coordinate stable housing solutions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Justin Davisson is a Research Associate with the Opioid Abatement Strategies Effectiveness Evaluator (OASEE) project at EDC. In this role, Justin supports cross-site evaluation efforts aimed at understanding and improving opioid abatement strategies across Illinois. He contributes to data collection, analysis, and reporting activities that inform prevention, treatment, recovery, and intervention services for individuals impacted by substance use disorders. With a strong background in public health research and community-based initiatives, Justin brings a collaborative, detail-oriented approach to advancing the project’s goals and supporting its statewide partners.

Clare Grace Jones, Senior Training and Technical Assistance Associate, is a public health, prevention and safety expert specializing in capacity building, instructional design, training, quality improvement, project support, and virtual engagement. As a Community Prevention Specialist, she has almost 20 years of experience promoting public health. Previously, she was instrumental in collaborating with peer recovery coaches and program staff to create the toolkit, Taking the FIRST Steps Together: A Guide to Creating Collaborative Peer-Led Services for Parents Affected by Substance Use. Clare Grace has held positions in state and community health agencies including state and regional training and TA provider, direct service provider, director of prevention services, state-level capacity coach, and project manager. She holds an M.Ed. in Instructional Design from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a BA in Elementary and Deaf Education from Flagler College.

Clare Grace brings her lived experience as a parent of a child with special health care needs, former military spouse, single parent and overall efforts to be a kind human raising kind humans to everything she does at work and at home. She not only believes, but puts into action, “nothing about us without us” and sees the strengths of cultures, communities and persons with lived experience as the backbone of prevention and recovery work and striving toward health equity together.

Angelica Giardina is an operations strategist and instructional designer with over a decade of cross-sector experience spanning public health, education, and nonprofit technology. As Operations Project Manager for the OASEE initiative, Angelica oversees statewide implementation infrastructure to support the evaluation of opioid prevention strategies across Illinois. In this role, they lead content tracking, deliverable workflows, and knowledge management systems using SharePoint, Asana, and Power Automate, ensuring technical documentation aligns with key performance indicators and public health impact measures.

At Education Development Center (EDC), Angelica has designed and delivered award-winning learning products and public health resources—most notably, the Crafting Strategic Communications in Prevention: Communications Planning Toolkit for Massachusetts’ prevention workforce, which received a 2024 Digital Health Award for its innovation in equity-centered messaging and accessible training delivery. She has developed 508-compliant, mobile-responsive training modules and websites for diverse and global audiences in long-term care, behavioral health, and early intervention settings, using platforms like Articulate Rise, Microsoft Forms, and Power BI to optimize learning outcomes and streamline certification tracking.

Angelica brings technical fluency and a deep understanding of adult learning principles, universal design, and trauma-informed facilitation. Whether managing operations for SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Technical Assistance Center, leading cross-functional projects with state and local health departments, or developing engaging content for all learning levels, Angelica is known for her ability to translate complex systems into actionable, user-centered solutions that center access, accountability, and impact.