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Our Team

We are a team of professionals dedicated to children and committed to ensuring the quality of young lives. While we cannot change their pasts, we can greatly impact their futures!




Who We Are

Julian Tatka – CEO
Michelle Tatka – President & Executive Director
La Tonya Lawrence – Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Thom Harrison Jr. - Golf Pro & Master Instructor
Stephanie Siete - Director of Drug Education
Miranda Blackburn – Secretary/Treasurer

Board of Directors:

Julian Tatka, CEO:
Julian has been an innovative business Owner in Arizona for the past 21 years, has an entrepreneur spirit and is an avid golfer. He is a devoted family man, husband and friend. Julian goes out of his way to see to the needs of others. Julian has personal experience with teenage drug addiction as his eldest son has battled a drug problem from the time he was sixteen years old. Julian knows firsthand the devastation and destruction that drugs have on a young life as well as the pain and despair that the family members endure. He is committed to drug prevention and rehabilitation for these young lives. His father first introduced him to golf as a child and it is something he has been passionate about ever since. He believes it is a sport that teaches discipline, perseverance, honesty and integrity and believes it can be instrumental in healing young lives and building self esteem and self worth.

Michelle Tatka, President & Executive Director:
Michelle has dreamt of making the world a better place for as long as she can remember and has always had a special connection to both children and animals. She has had a lifelong love affair with animals big and small and has been committed to their rescue. Animals have filled numerous voids throughout her life and gotten her through difficult periods time and time again. Michelle understands the healing that animals offer to hearts of all ages and she is dedicated to the healing and nurturing of young lives with the help of these amazing creatures. Michelle believes in the power of positive thinking and living a life full of dreams. She is committed to ensuring that these young lives are healed on the inside and balanced enough to dream and want all that life has to offer.

La Tonya Lawrence: Clinical Mental Health Counselor
LaTonya has close to 10 years working in the behavioral and mental health field. She is certified in using Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA) for substance abuse treatment. She has excellent rapport building and problem-solving talents and is gifted in quickly assessing alternatives to presenting issues. LaTonya is an established facilitator of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, psycho-educational, and interpersonal process groups with many years of assisting clients in implementing relapse prevention strategies and coping mechanisms. She has worked with children and teens in numerous settings for years. Upon moving to Arizona, she earned one Master’s Degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology and served as the Mental Skills Coach for the Women’s Basketball team at Glendale Community College. She also earned a second Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling. La Tonya is truly skilled at providing detailed assessment and comprehensive therapeutic treatment services for children and her work with mental imagery, positive self-talk, goal setting and motivational techniques in group settings make her a perfect fit for Arizona Healing House (AHH) for Children.

Thom Harrison Jr.: Golf Pro & Master Instructor
Thom will be teaching golf to interested youth at the Arizona Healing House for Children and will be educating these youth and their parents about the golf scholarship opportunities available. Thom has been working with the youth introducing them to the honorable game of golf for over 15 years. He tailors his instruction to accommodate beginners as well as intermediate players. He will create programs that instruct in all areas of golf including swing mechanics, putting and short game. He will coach the children and teach the fundamentals of the game while engaging them in friendly and healthy competition. He will teach these youth about the sportsmanship and honor that make up the game of golf. One of Thom's main goals and desires is to not only teach the game of golf but to also open young eyes, as well as that of their parents, to the tremendous grants and scholarship opportunities that are available to assist these youth with their college educations.

Stephanie Siete - Director of Community Education, Community Bridges Inc. (CBI)
Stephanie Siete is an expert prevention trainer on drug trends and resources spending the majority of her time educating the public about the realities of drug abuse. Stephanie holds degrees in Health Education and Mass Communications. She graduated from Illinois State University with dual Bachelor degrees in 1999 and became a nationally recognized Certified Health Education Specialist that same year. Stephanie has been with Community Bridges since 2002. She began her work as a Prevention Specialist in valley schools and soon moved into a role of Community Outreach speaking to students, parents, teachers and administrators in school districts and colleges. Stephanie is passionately involved in preventing substance abuse! She is equally passionate about her dogs. She has a tremendous grasp of the healing work of our beloved four legged friends and we are so grateful for the role that she plays with drug education and prevention for the betterment of young lives.



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