About

OUR HISTORY

The concept of “giving back” is a core value for Greg and Julie Cook. As they considered where to make the biggest difference, they felt in their heart it was important to give locally and in support of children. When the opportunity presented itself to become early supporters of the new Primary Children’s Medical Center in Lehi, Utah, they told hospital leaders they wanted to support areas that were difficult to get funded. Hospital leaders shared that childhood mental wellness and behavioral health had always been the most difficult area to garner donors and support. This struck a chord with Greg and Julie because of people they knew, past experiences with members of their church, situations in their children’s schools, and circumstances of close family and friends. It seemed as though everyone was dealing with mental health issues on a variety of levels and yet, the hospital reported it was the most difficult area to drum up support. Not anymore — the Cooks found their cause!
After directing their hospital donation to childhood mental wellness and behavioral health, the Cooks had an opportunity to help Utah’s Lt. Governor, Spencer Cox, with his statewide suicide awareness campaign. Together with long-time family friend Bill Woahn, they started the Cook Center for Human Connection as Greg and Julie’s family foundation. The mission of the Cook Center is to bring together the best organizations, programs and products to prevent suicide, provide mental health support, and enhance human connections vital for people to thrive. The foundation’s current focus is on supporting children, families, and schools in eradicating suicide, as well as offering resources and support for those with mental health issues and their caregivers. This is done through a variety of grants to school, programs for parents, and global resources to bring greater awareness to the support needed for those affected by suicide.

OUR FUTURE

In the very near future, the focus of the Cook Center for Human Connection will be to provide similar support and resources for suicide in the workplace!

OUR TEAM

Greg and Julie cook

GREG AND JULIE COOK

FOUNDERS

Greg and Julie Cook are passionate about humanitarian causes and improving the lives of individuals throughout the world.

Greg Cook is a Founding Executive and Board Member of doTERRA, and has developed and managed international opportunities and markets for companies in the health and wellness field for more than twenty-five years. Greg currently serves on the board of Primary Children’s Hospital, and previously, served on the board of Mentors International. Julie Cook has been engaged with multiple projects in China that focus on cancer recovery and orphanages, and is on the Board of Directors for Protect Innocence. While living in China, Julie served as Asia Director for Days for Girls International and remains an avid supporter. Both are graduates of BYU: Greg in International Relations and Julie in Business Education. They are the parents of five children and are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Greg and Julie founded the Cook Center for Human Connection in 2020. They have designated suicide prevention as one of the pillars of giving for their family foundation. This was spurred by the recognition of the need for more mental health resources and from personal experiences. In his role as a church leader, Greg worked with the family of an eleven-year-old boy who died by suicide. Julie lost a favorite uncle to suicide. These experiences marked both of them very deeply. “We have consoled our own children as they have lost friends, classmates and teachers to suicide,” Julie shares, “Our hearts ache at the loss of every life.”

Through the Foundation, the Cooks seek to prevent suicide by providing education and tools to help families and individuals. They hope to help facilitate the destigmatization of suicide discussions so that people will come forward and seek help for themselves or their loved ones. “I would like to see suicides eradicated completely,” Greg Cook asserts.

Photo of Anne Brown

ANNE BROWN

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Anne Brown has been the President and CEO of the Cook Center for Human Connection since its inception.

Her decades of experience as a public school teacher and an Ed Tech Executive have given her a unique ability to bring aspects of education, corporate and non-profit leadership together to solve the real world crisis of suicide.

As an Ed Tech Executive, Anne led marketing, implementation, sales, curriculum development, government relations, business development and product development all of which brings a wealth of talent and abilities to her role. However, more important than the skills Anne offers, it is her early life that gives her a heart for this work. With a father who suffered from alcoholism and bi-polar disorder and a grandfather who died by suicide, Anne understands first-hand how mental illness and suicide not only affects the person suffering but all of those around them. Family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances all are impacted greatly when one individual is struggling.

In her role with the Cook Center for Human Connection, Anne oversees the work of the Foundation, develops strategy and leads collaborative efforts between stakeholders in this work. Before joining the Cook Center, Anne worked for several organizations including Salt Lake City School District, Pearson, and Waterford.Org. Anne is thrilled to join Greg and Julie Cook to deliver critical programs, partnerships, research and policy to impact suicide prevention and mental health programs. Anne lives in Park City, Utah with her husband and enjoys skiing, e-biking, reading and spending time with her adult daughter and adult son and two large dogs.

photo of John Cook

JOHN COOK

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

John joined the Cook Center for Human Connection to help achieve the goal of eradicating preventable suicide.

As Chief Operating Officer, John Cook brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in accounting, human resources, and operations. John is responsible for daily operations ensuring that the right processes, systems, and people are in place to achieve the mission of the organization. This includes working with our partners in the creation and execution of scalable resources that bring together the best organizations, programs, and services.

Prior to joining the Cook Center for Human Connection, John was a Vice-President of Human Resources with the Kroger Company. He was also the CEO of Manage My Own, Inc. John has served on the Portland State University Center for Retail Leadership Advisory Board, the Portland State University Center for Retail Leadership Scholarship Committee, and the University of Southern California Food Industry Management Program HR Council. John earned an accounting degree from Utah State University.

John is dedicated to increasing the impact and reach of the organization. When not at work he enjoys biking, hiking in the mountains, and fishing anywhere.

Michelle Bartsch - Cook Center for Human Connection

MICHELLE BARTSCH

VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION

In her role as the Vice President of Education, Michelle is committed to the mission of preventing suicide, improving mental health support, and encouraging human connections.

Michelle’s strength is creating innovative and strategic solutions to drive business performance. Her passion for people makes her well suited to leading, supporting and inspiring individuals and teams toward successful goal achievement. Michelle’s experience includes business development, marketing/communications, managing and implementing programs in the EdTech and non- profit arena where previously she worked for Pearson and Waterford.org. As a result, Michelle is uniquely equipped to manage programs and resources to meet the increasing need for suicide prevention, as well as build relationships with community partners, foundations and educators to cultivate awareness and support.

Years ago, Michelle had a seemingly inconsequential moment with a student that came to light two years after the student graduated. The former student left a note on her desk thanking her for saving his life as a result of one impromptu class discussion. This was made even more impactful when she realized that neither the student nor the discussion had made an imprint on her, and yet for this young man, it was a life-saving event. Michelle is eager to facilitate many more pivotal, life-saving opportunities for students, families and educators.

Michelle holds a B.B.A. from Texas Wesleyan University and received her Master’s degree in Education from there as well. Proud to call the Dallas/Fort Worth area home, Michelle and her husband love living close to their adult children and extended family.

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MARK WELLING

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Mark is passionate about communicating and distributing Cook Center for Human Connection’s beneficial and uplifting resources to improve mental health.

Mark Welling is an experienced managing editor, writer, and marketer with an extensive background in digital marketing, content development, social media, and brand storytelling. Mark spent 10 years in the tech publishing and marketing space working with such brands as Top Ten Reviews, Business.com, Laptopmag, Space.com, LiveScience, Business News Daily, Newsarama, Tom’s Hardware and Tom’s Guide.

Mark led Waterford.org’s marketing team over the past five years, most recently in the role of CMO. He helped the growth of the education nonprofit through a rebrand, rapid program expansion, and an enlargement of their digital footprint. His team worked tirelessly to ensure that as many children as possible gained access to academic opportunities.

Mark is a native Utahn who loves spending time in the national parks with his wife and two daughters. Mark’s passionate streak comes out while discussing the Utah Jazz, BYU Sports, his love of reading, and playing board and lawn games.

Photo of Adele Winter

ADELE WINTER

VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCEMENT

Committed Business Development professional driven to help families at-risk by providing effective communication and the collaboration necessary to provide for the delivery of high-quality services.

Mission-driven collaborator creating effective partnerships for the delivery of high-quality programs for at-risk populations.

With over 28 years in education technology and personalized learning, Adele dedicated her career to providing effective implementations to the School and Community learning markets, with a special emphasis on the needs of the at-risk student, parent, and family.  Focusing on the Whole Child and the needs of a strong community and family, Adele continues to build teams and partnerships leveraging policy with cutting edge mental health services and strategies. 

TODD STEVENSON

CHIEF ADVOCACY OFFICER

Todd has a deep commitment to mental health that drives his team to advocate for greater awareness, understanding, and support for those affected by mental health challenges.

Todd has spent the past seventeen years in the educational technology space, specializing in virtual, blended, and early childhood learning, as well as district partnerships and sales leadership. Following a successful, eight-year career working in the commercial aviation training industry he joined Powerspeak World Languages, which was acquired by K12 Inc. in the fall of 2007. Todd managed major accounts for both Powerspeak and K12. He was also tasked with starting the first Inside Sales Team for the K12 Institutional Sales Division in 2010. From 2013-2016, Todd led the western sales region for K12.

Prior to joining the Cook Center team, Todd spent six years at Waterford.org, where he led both inside and regional sales teams and was promoted in the fall of 2019 to Executive Vice President and General Manager – School Partnerships. Todd has been married for 28 years and has four children. His family’s hobbies include snow skiing, cycling, hiking, reading, and traveling. He is fluent in German and holds a Master’s degree in Modern European History.