Susan Baxter
Director of Ulster Prevention Council
Susan has dedicated herself to Family Services since 2014, when she joined Ulster Prevention Council as a Prevention Educator. She was promoted to Prevention Education Coordinator in 2019 and most recently, as Director of Ulster Prevention Council. Susan is responsible for providing supervision and oversight to the team of Preventionists and the Prevention Education curriculum that reaches more than 6,000 students annually in Ulster County. She is passionate about the power of prevention, reaching students at a young age. Susan believes in building safe and peaceful learning communities with a concentration on sustaining coalitions by uniting the community to find the best ways to reduce harm and increase community health.
Marcus Baker
Prevention Educator
Marcus is an educator, teaching Too Good For Drugs in schools around Ulster County. He has a B.A. in psychology, and is passionate about childhood education, child psychology, as well as raising awareness about substance use and addiction. Marcus’s approach in the classroom focuses on active participation in learning, having important and informative conversations, as well as readjusting misconceptions by the students about both substance use and socioemotional wellbeing. He looks forward to continuing his career as an educator, alongside learning more about the field of child psychology. Outside of teaching, he enjoys playing the guitar, reading, and traveling.
Jennifer Ryan
Community Prevention Coordinator
Jennifer is a lifelong educator, having taught middle school through college-age students. She has an M.A. in English and has spent many years focusing on education for at-risk youth with an emphasis on using language and art to bridge barriers between the community and the classroom. Jennifer is passionate about mental health and addiction awareness, especially with youth and Veterans, and has been a volunteer district representative for suicide prevention in California. Outside of education, she is an avid traveler, music lover, and vintage collector.
Samantha Smith
Prevention Educator
Sam has always worked with students and has been a part of the education field for her entire professional career. She has an M.S in teaching Special Education K-12th grade. She joined Ulster Prevention Council as a Prevention Educator in 2023. She enjoys being in the classroom and providing programming such as Too Good For Drugs and Girls Circle throughout Ulster County. Sam is passionate about giving the youth the tools and knowledge they need to make well-informed decisions about their futures.
Taryn Rowan
Prevention Educator Intern
Taryn is UPC's intern and assists with programming and office needs as well as TGFD programming throughout Ulster County. Taryn is a trained Prevention Educator in Too Good For Drugs by the Mendez Foundation. Taryn holds an A.S. in Public Health and is currently in a bachelor’s program for Biology and Disaster Studies. Taryn is passionate about prevention as a whole and how she can aid in improving public health for our communities. When not actively teaching TGFD programming, Taryn assists with office support and program reporting.