Each of our extraordinary staff has a wealth of experience from diverse backgrounds and industries. Our Leap to Confidence® program is taught by teams that include senior instructors and program graduates who have received instructor training. All of our instructors use their skills and passion to bring out the best in the women we serve.
Ruth Batton
Michele Cooney
Kelley Grimes, M.S.W.
Luiza Campos, M.B.A.
Natalie Reilly
Kelly Carman
Brittany Dela-Cruz
Tarlease Jones
Helice “Sparky” Bridges
Dana Bristol-Smith, CEO & Founder
Dana Bristol-Smith is passionate about helping women find their voices and discover their personal power. In 2008, Dana started the Leap to Success’ Women’s Leadership program as a volunteer project to test an innovative professional development program she designed with domestic violence survivors. Because of the success of the program and the thrill of seeing women transform themselves and their lives, Dana has made it her mission to expand Leap to Success to provide transformational programs to women who are overcoming adversity across the country.
Dana is the recipient of many awards recognizing her role as an innovative woman leader. In 2024 she received awards and recognition from Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, State Senator Catherine Blakespeare, and was a beneficiary of the Power Women San Diego Award from Discover Magazines. Past awards include the Woman of Dedication award from the Soroptimist International Oceanside Carlsbad Club, Women in Leadership Award from the East County Chamber of Commerce and the 1st prize $25,000 winner of the Advance San Diego Quick Pitch Competition out of 85 non-profit organizations. She hasn’t met Oprah yet, however, her 15 minutes of fame came when she was interviewed and quoted in O, the Oprah Magazine.
Dana brings her experience as a corporate trainer from her company, Speak for Success, where she worked with some of Southern California’s top companies. It was from her work with women executives that she saw how important self-confidence and public speaking skills were to women in leadership positions. Her clients included Allianz Global Investors, County of San Diego, Gen-Probe, Mission Federal Credit Union and Qualcomm.
Dana is the author of Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, a powerful guide to successfully speaking to groups. She got her public speaking start in 1992 and has delivered presentations and training to more than 100,000 people. She has been on the faculties of UCSD Extension, Cal State San Marcos, and San Diego State University. She is a former board member of the American Society for Training and Development.
Ruth Batton, Community Engagement Director
Ruth’s journey started first as a participant and has led to her role today as our community engagement director. In 2009 she graduated from Leap to Success’ Transformation Leadership program. She then became a public speaker, an awe-inspiring, domestic-violence survivor, and in 2015, an instructor for our Leap to Confidence® program.
Ruth’s testimony tells the whole story of how important and impactful our programs are for women, and she has made it her mission to amplify our social footprint through every connection she makes.
Her professional experience as a case manager at Father Joe’s Village, a homeless shelter in downtown San Diego, lends itself to building and strengthening relationships through positive connections. Whether it is with our community partners, the women we serve, or our donors, Ruth’s lived experience, degree in sociology, and walk-the-talk mentality continues to impact and empower the people she comes in contact with.
Michele Cooney, Senior Director, Programs
Michele Cooney oversees Leap to Success programs and also teaches in our classrooms. She brings a wealth of experience and was formerly the Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Training Center, a local government agency that provides training to Federal, State, and local government employees. In that role, she oversaw development and presentation of domestic violence courses for law enforcement officers throughout California. Through her work on these courses, she developed a passion for helping victims of domestic violence move beyond their experiences to create new lives.
Over the past 30 years, Michele has held management and training positions in local and Federal Government and in the private sector. Michele specializes in developing and delivering training sessions in communication skills, instructor training, leadership, and time management. She believes training should be fun as well as relevant to people’s real-world experiences. Michele is proud to be on the Leap to Success faculty. She knows that these programs impact women’s lives and she is excited to be part of a team that is helping women reach their greatest potential.
Kelley Grimes, M.S.W., Senior Director, Organizational Development
Kelley Grimes M.S.W. is helping build our organizational capabilities by providing coaching and training to our staff with a focus on trauma informed practices. Additionally, Kelley teaches and coaches in our programs and her expertise supports the continual refinement of our curriculum and delivery methods. Kelley received her Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Denver in 1995 and has worked as a counselor in the domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health fields, as well as with families impacted by chronic health challenges.
Kelley is also a counselor, speaker, internationally bestselling author, Aspire Magazine expert columnist, and founder of Cultivating Peace and Joy. She is passionate about empowering overwhelmed and exhausted women to live with more peace, joy and meaning through the practice of self-nurturing. Kelley believes in the power of women speaking their truth and sharing their stories of transformation and healing. Her inspiring stories can be found in Cultivating Joy, Opening to Gratitude and Grace, Shine! and her latest collaborative book, Life Reimagined. Her book The Art of Self-Nurturing: A Field Guide to Living With More Peace, Joy and Meaning was released in September 2020.
Kelley was the co-host of the Leap to Success “Self Care In Stressful Times” webinar series. This free webinar series was designed to provide support to community partners, graduates, and donors during the pandemic teaching transformative mindfulness, resilience, and empowerment strategies.
Luiza Campos, M.B.A., Program Manager
Luiza Campos provides coordination and support to our staff and clients on their journey with Leap to Success. Some of her activities include managing the online classrooms, assessing participant and program outcomes, preparing program reports and managing the online registration process, and she does it all with a smile.
She’s passionate about planning and organizing and believes that through operations and process improvements, nonprofits can improve their impact on their communities. That’s what has led her from a Bachelor in Economics to a Masters in Business Administration and a certification in Project Management from San Diego Continuing Education. She’s committed to improving herself as a way to better serve others and the world.
Natalie Reilly, Communication Manager
Natalie Reilly lends her breadth of experience and lifelong love of writing to kindle and convey the voice of Leap to Success and the women we serve. As communication and development manager, she is responsible for raising awareness and visibility of our mission. She works directly with our executive director to provide support in fundraising, consistently reflecting and reinforcing a professional and inspiring atmosphere through each and every touchpoint.
Natalie graduated cum laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. She is an author, professional speaker, editor, and former newspaper columnist who feels both blessed and determined to be a valued part of our team, able to exercise her love of words for the purpose of inspiring and encouraging every woman’s greatest potential. She believes a woman’s self-confidence is the tipping point for positive social change in the world.
Kelly Carman,
Graduate Instructor
Kelly Carman is a 2016 Graduate of Leap to Confidence, and a 2018 Graduate of the Transformation Leadership program. Since graduating, she has volunteered as a classroom assistant many times. Kelly uses her lifelong struggle with low self-esteem and self doubt as stepping stones for growth.
Today, Kelly is determined to let people know that they matter, that they have value, are loved, and that who they are makes a difference! Attending Leap to Confidence and the Transformation Leadership program have been life-changing in helping Kelly to see her self-worth and live with passion and purpose. Kelly’s statement of growth shows just how far she has leaped. “I am strong and resilient. I was living a life of feeling small, but now I am letting my light shine and encouraging others to do the same!”
Brittany Dela-Cruz,
Graduate Instructor
Brittany first came to Leap to Success from a place of courage and hope after leaving an abusive relationship. While she sought refuge at Becky’s House, an emergency shelter for women, she was invited to attend the powerful six-week Leap to Confidence® program. She graduated from Leap to Confidence® in 2019 and Transformation Leadership in 2022, and was invited to become a graduate instructor in 2023. Brittany holds a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology pre-physical therapy from San Diego State University and certification as a personal trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Her work as both a personal trainer and an instructor give Brittany a strong sense of purpose, promoting movement and growth to women who share similar stories.
She is now happily married with two beautiful children. She feels grateful every day to share a life with someone who affirms her. She says, “He doesn’t have to because I now know how to do it for myself, but it is nice.” Brittany speaks to others on the positive impact of Leap to Success programs, hoping she can help other women speak their truth from a place of courage and self-confidence.
Tarlease Jones,
Graduate Instructor
Tarlease Jones, a single mother of two, bravely began her Leap to Success journey as a promise to herself, to her future, and to her children. She graduated from Leap to Confidence® in 2019 and Transformation Leadership in 2022, and was invited to become a graduate instructor in 2023, to use her personal story of overcoming doubt and challenges to inspire others to rise. “It is a beautiful story of self-evolution,” she says. “This program has elevated me for growth. I have cut out the negative self-talk and learned that I can make a change in my life. I can simply restart because I am worth it!”
In addition to her role with Leap to Success, Tarlease works as a case manager with Public Consulting Group (PCG), serving the homeless population. She holds an associate degree in Entrepreneurship from San Diego Miramar College and plans to obtain a degree in Science and Social Behavioral Studies.
Helice “Sparky” Bridges, Guest Faculty
Helice Bridges is the creator of the world famous Who I Am Makes A Difference® Blue Ribbon Acknowledgement System. She is the founder and CEO of Difference Makers International, a nonprofit educational organization impacting the lives of over 30 million people worldwide. Helice is also the president of Helice Bridges Communications, Inc., helping leaders of leaders in their personal, professional, and spiritual lives.
Her work has been featured in Women’s World magazine, ABC’s 20/20, the Los Angeles Times, and has been heard on 1100 radio stations. Her Who I Am Makes A Difference® signature story was made into a television movie that aired nation-wide on PAX TV. In 2007, her Standing Strong Together leadership training program was approved by the Secretary of Education for Mexico and is slated to impact children and educators throughout the country.
Helice is the winner of the 2005 Gandhi Nonviolence Award and the 2009 Speak for Success Women Changing the World Award. She is a globally recognized author, trainer, consultant and dynamic keynote speaker. Helice has been recognized along with First Lady Barbara Bush, Kareem Abdul Jabaar and the late Norman Cousins for her work in raising the self-esteem of children of all ages. She has spoken along with Vice President Al Gore, the Dalai Lama and other global leaders. Her stories appear in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work, Heart at Work, and The Aladdin Factor.
