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About the PPEA | About the Board | Board Members | Board Bios
About PPEA
The Pinellas Parent Educators Association, Inc. otherwise known as the PPEA, is a 501(c)3. We are a support group of approximately 350 homeschool families in the Tampa Bay area, principally Pinellas County. The PPEA is one of the oldest and largest support groups in the state of Florida. We have been around since 1985 and our founding members were instrumental in getting our Florida laws in place to support our right to homeschool.
The PPEA is founded and based on Biblical principles. Our Biblical foundation is seen in our meetings, publications, activities and in the selection of our leaders, editors, speakers, articles and topics. We make our support group meetings and most of our activities open to visitors, including those of other faiths and non-faith. However, we wish to fully disclose our Biblical foundation, so that those uncomfortable with such a setting would know in advance.
The PPEA has support group meetings most months of the school year Mid and South County. Visitors are welcome at our meetings. Some meetings may provide childcare at a nominal cost. Our meeting topics are usually announced in our print newsletter, Perspective and this website.
The PPEA also publishes a monthly newsletter for our members. Our newsletter carries announcements, helps and encouragement for the homeschool family.
Back to the topAbout PPEA Board
The PPEA Board Members are volunteers who are dedicated to serving the homeschool community. They invest a great deal of time each and every month to support not only PPEA members, but also all homeschooling parents in and around Pinellas County.
Lisa Sweet, Chairwoman
Debbie Smoyer, Secretary
Kristy Myrick, Treasurer
Dawn Geers, Treasurer
Dee Trope, Editor/Web Administrator
Mary Arnold, South County Support GroupLeader
Lynn Sowers, South County Support Group Leader
Brandy Strouse, Mid County Support Group Leader
Linda Wooldridge, Orientation
Sharon Lewis, Event Coordinator
Cindy DiMarco, Event Coordinator
Neoka Apple, Dual Enrollment/College Liaison
Monica Guerra, Public Relations
Lisa Sweet has been married to her husband, Dan for over 25 years. They are both natives of Pinellas County. They have been blessed with two daughters: Audrey (1987) and Heather (1990) who have always been homeschooled. Lisa graduated from Dunedin High School and SPJC. She has worked with children for 25 years in afterschool care and camps, AWANA, church and Child Evangelism Fellowship. Lisa also is a Good News Club Teacher. God has allowed her the privilege of serving in PPEA leadership for many years. Besides homeschooling and children's ministry, her passions are reading, art and watercolor.
Debbie Smoyer attended Florida Bible College, where she met her husband, Tom. They have been married for 22 years and have two sons, Todd (1986) who is a homeschool graduate and is attending Florida State University and Kyle (1993) who is currently still homeschooled. She has worked with children for over 20 years in AWANA and Children's Church and is actively involved with Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry. She has homeschooled since 1992 and enjoys serving the homeschool community. Her passions are baking, keeping in touch with friends and serving those in need.
Kristy Myrick and her husband, Rick, were born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida and graduated from Gibbs High School. They were married in 1988 and now have two daughters, Amber (96) and Autumn (99). We have been formally homeschooling since 2001. Kristy gave her life to the Lord in 1991 and attends Calvary Chapel, working in their resource room on Wednesday nights for the childrens ministry. She works one day a week at Wallace, Welch & Willingham, which is an insurance agency, in the accounting department doing reconciliation’s and many other jobs. She was the bookkeeper for her father's business for five years and now he is retired. She loves computers, their programs, and working with numbers. She volunteers on the Board as Treasurer, collects registrations at the St. Petersburg meeting, and helps in preparing the program for the PPEA graduation.
Dee Trope and her husband, John have been married since 1993. They have three beautiful children, Matthew (1998), Rebekah (2000) and Joshua (2001). All three of her children have always been homeschooled. She attended Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma where she earned a B.A. Degree in Journalism.She is getting first hand experience in homeschooling a special needs child as her youngest has been diagnosed as having both ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. Dee and her family attend Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg, where she is active in the children's ministry. Her greatest heart's desire is to know the Lord better and better and to serve Him by serving others. She would love to be known as an "encourager". Her interests include reading, crochet, sewing and writing. Check out her blog at: www.homeschoolblogger.com/earthenvessel/
Mary Arnold married the man of her dreams back in 1988 and together they have 4 amazing sons,(5-15)whom they love and adore! Prior to beginning her homeschool career Mary worked full time as an LPN, in geriatric orthopedic rehab and long term care. Through a series of events, the Lord had her attend a homeschool orientation back in March of 1998 and while she sat listening, the Holy Spirit moved her heart in such a mighty way, that she knew..., THIS was what the Lord had called her to do with her life. She left the wonderful memories of her nursing career behind and never looked back! God has faithfully fufilled her in a way words cannot describe. She and her family attend Calvary Chapel St.Petersburg where she currently serves in CHOSEN Homeschool Co-op and Salt and Light Ministries. John 15:5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do NOTHING!"
Lynn Sowers has been married to a wonderful man, Joseph, since 1987 and they have been homeschooling since 1990. She has five daughters, Jaquelyn ('90), Jessica ('93), Jennifer ('95), Sarah ('97) and Katheryn ('04). She has a deep love and respect for her Lord, Jesus Christ and tries to honor Him by helping her husband and concentrating on her children's spiritual growth above all the many diversions of life. She has a heart for trying to create a God-centered learning environment in her home and is always in process. She has a deep concern for protecting and nurturing the heart of the homeschooling movement both locally and nationally.
Brandy Strouse has been married to her highschool sweetheart since 1993. They have two children Troy (1999) and Saralyn (2007). Brandy has been homeschooling since 2003. Before she came home to stay, she taught preschool for 10 years. She has been the Mid County Support Group Leader and Used Book Sale Coordinator since 2005. Her hobbies are scrapbooking and reading. In addition to homeschooling and holding a board position, she works part time every weekday afternoon.
Linda Wooldridge has been married to her “amazing, wonderful, fantastic” husband since 1979. They have two great kids: DJ (1986), a 2005 homeschool graduate who is an English Lit major at USF; and Cindy (1993), a delightful teenager. Linda does not aspire to “craft achievements” (OK, she’ll admit it—she’s craft-impaired). God seems to always direct her path toward teaching children. She can usually be found planning the next Girl Scout event, teaching Sunday School, directing VBS or leading a homeschool orientation. She is really looking forward to learning about robotics with her Girl Scout troop in 2007, as the troop prepares to compete in the First Lego Robotics League. In fact, that’s her favorite part of homeschooling: all the cool things she’s learning in “School—The Sequel”! Phillipians 4:13.
Sharon Lewis was born and raised in northeast Ohio and graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in social work. After working seven years in the psychiatric unit of Tod Children’s Hospital, she felt the Lord’s call into missions. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute’s Advanced Studies Program and went on to missionary training with New Tribes Mission. It was there she met her husband Rex, a Pinellas County native. They were married in 1990. They served in Venezuela for nine years with NTM and Fellowship International Mission. They have two daughters, Ruth born in 1994 and Ellen born in 1997. The girls have always been homeschooled, in two countries, numerous states and several counties of Florida.
Cindy DiMarco and her husband, Charles, have been married since 1997. Cindy is a native of Pinellas County. After graduating from Keswick Christian High School, she received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Liberty University and her M.Ed. from Columbia Bible College. The DiMarco clan consists of two sons, CJ (2000) and Colin (2004) and they have been homeschooled from the beginning of their education. With what little time is left after homeschooling, Cindy enjoys reading, cooking, hospitality and encouraging other homeschooling moms, particularly those just beginning. Her deepest heart’s desire is to continue to grow in love with the Lord every day and pass that on to her children.
Neoka Apple and her husband, Dennis, married in 1979, have homeschooled their three children since 1988. From 1990-2007, Neoka facilitated the St. Petersburg support group and acted as graduation coordinator/consulttant for both local (1997, 2001-2007) and state graduations (FPEA, 2001-2007). She currently teaches at St. Petersburg College (SPC) and is the homeschool liaison contact for dual-enrollment for public schools and SPC. She is a PhD student at Barry Univsersity/SPC/UPC in educational leadership focusing on the homeschool student in the college setting. With their children in college and medical school, Dennis, as a school psychologist, continues to serve as a tester for the homeschool group (since 1990) while Neoka focuses on dual-enrollment. Children and homeschooling are important ingredients in their lives with God serving as their foundation and focus.
Monica Guerra is married to her best friend and high school
sweetheart. They have 4 great kids; Mikael (1993), Seth(1995), Zachary (1998), and Alexa (2001). She has been
homeschooling for seven years. Her family moved to St. Petersburg 4 years ago from Miami. They attend Calvary Chapel where her husband teaches karate and
is very involved in scouts. She love crafts, baking, decorating and of course homeschooling. She is enjoying serving our PPEA members through the PPEA
Lending Library and is very excited to join the Board as your Public Relations Chair. Visit her on the web: http://gforceacademy.wordpress.com
Dawn Geers has been married to her best friend Mark since May 1994 and they have two sons - Ian (1995) and Noah (1999). She moved here from Minnesota in 2001 and that is the same year she felt the Lord called her to homeschool. She is proud of her children and all their accomplishments and grateful to the Lord she is able to homeschool.