Deanna Coopersmith–Marquez
President
Deanna Coopersmith-Marquez founded the Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation when she lost Scott to a massive ischemic stroke of the brain stem in 2009 and became a 29 year old widow.
At the time of Scott’s passing, she vowed not to let his death be in vain and to keep Scott’s memory alive for their son, Tyler. SCSAF was created in 2010 and has since become her passion. Deanna was born and raised in New York and moved to Florida upon meeting Scott in 2002. Deanna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. She has always had a passion for helping others. Deanna taught middle and high school for nine years, was a hospital homebound teacher, counseled at-risk teens, and volunteered as a grief counselor with hospice. She currently manages SCSAF and works within the community fundraising and event planning with efforts to raise stroke awareness.
Deanna and Scott had one son, Tyler, who was Scott’s whole world. Deanna was blessed with a second chance of love when she married Lucas in 2013 and welcomed their daughter, Olivia in 2014.
Ruby Coopersmith
Vice President
Ruby Coopersmith co-founded the Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation, and holds a special place in her heart for her brother-in-law and raising awareness in his name.
Ruby is originally from Canada and attended high school with Craig in south Florida. Her undergraduate is from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Psychology and a minor in business. She worked in real estate from 1999-2007. After losing Scott in 2009, she reenrolled at UCF for her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling and graduated in 2013. She currently counsels in the substance abuse and mental health field. She and Craig have two daughters Alyssa and Addison and reside in Oviedo.
Craig Coopersmith
Treasurer
As Scott’s younger brother, Craig Coopersmith is very passionate about the Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation.
Craig’s goal is to continue to honor his brother’s legacy, as well as raising stroke awareness and funds for those in need.
Craig was born and raised in South Florida, and moved to Orlando for college. Craig holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida and has worked as a Financial Advisor at SunTrust Investment Services for over 15 years.
Lucas Marquez
Executive Board Member
Lucas Marquez, originally born in Texas, moved to South Florida in 1993 and became close friends with Craig shortly thereafter. Lucas’s holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and has worked for SunTrust for the past 10 years.
Stroke is personal for Lucas not only because he was a friend of Scott’s but also because his father suffered a stroke in 2008. Lucas has seen first-hand the difficulty and challenges that survivors and their care-takers are up against on a daily basis and is passionate about helping other families.
Lucas and Deanna married in 2013 and currently live in Florida with their kids.
Michael Romano
Executive Board Member
Michael Romano is a close family friend of the Coopersmith family and grew up as buddies with Scott from a very early age.
In 2013, he started serving as a Board Member because of the closeness to the Coopersmith family, and the value of working with and talking to survivors means a great deal to him.
Michael obtained a Marketing Degree from the University of Florida and is the Area Sales Manager for Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals.
Jessica Cassone
Executive Board Member
Jessica Cassone is from Newtown, CT and became a board member in 2015 when she moved to Oviedo, Florida.
Jessica Cassone is from Newtown, CT and became a board member in 2015 when she moved to Florida. Jessica holds a Bachelor's Degree in Relational Communication from Western Connecticut State University. She has a passion for philanthropy and frequently can be found at Walt Disney World over the weekend. Jessica currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida and works as a Patient Financial Service Representative for Medicare with Baptist Medical Center.
As an Executive Board member for The Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation, Jessica manages our social media and works behind the scenes preparing for the annual Gala.
Jennifer Feliciano
Executive Board Member
Jennifer Feliciano, was born in South Florida and went to High School with Craig and Ruby Coopersmith.
Jennifer met Deanna and Scott when they moved to Oviedo in 2005 and became close friends in a short period of time. Getting to know Scott, Deanna and Tyler was very special for her. The entire Coopersmith family has been a big part of Jennifer’s life which is the reason Jennifer became a part of the Foundation. She felt it was time to start giving back to this important cause that is very dear to her heart. As an Executive Board Member, Jennifer helps with events and preparation for the annual Gala.
Dr. Colin Bartoe
Executive Board Member
Dr. Colin Bartoe was raised in South Florida and moved to Orlando to attend UCF for his undergraduate degree. Following that, Dr. Bartoe traveled to Life University in Marietta, Georgia to gain his Doctorate of Chiropractic and begin his studies in Functional Neurology. Dr. Bartoe has been practicing in Orlando since 2015.
Stroke rehabilitation has held a special place in Dr. Bartoe's heart since chiropractic school where he and his classmates used Functional Neurology to treat a number of stroke survivors in the outpatient clinic on campus. Dr. Bartoe was even published in a neurological journal for a case study related to the outcomes from one of those stroke patients. For Dr. Bartoe, the opportunity to join the SCSAF Board is a blessing that allows him to help our stroke survivors outside of his normal clinical treatments. The more ways in which we can help those who need it, the more people we can help. It doesn't just stop with stroke survivors either. When we are able to help survivors become more self sufficient, we can improve the lives of their caretakers too.
Tyler Coopersmith
Youth Philanthropy Officer
Tyler Coopersmith was Scott's only son and was the joy of Scott's life. Tyler was only 23 months old when Scott passed away from a stroke. Since Scott's passing, Tyler has grown up hearing stories of his dad and attending the gala each year. Tyler has been blessed with his dad's wit and charm and is a motivated leader by nature.
As a student at Oviedo High School, Tyler is ready to take on this new leadership role and begin raising awareness and funds in the community for the foundation. Tyler is an honor roll student, plays Varsity baseball, volunteers for the local Challenger League and volunteers as a pitching coach for Oviedo Little League. For Tyler, the opportunity to officially join the SCSAF Board is something that he has been waiting to do for the majority of his life. Since he was three, he has been participating on stage at our annual gala and as he has gotten older, he has been volunteering his time behind the scenes. His personal experience of being affected by stroke as well as the knowledge he has learned through the Foundation brings a fresh perspective to our community. Tyler plans to raise awareness among the younger generation with the help of his peers and teammates.
