Step Up For Students is a non-profit managing the largest Tax Credit Scholarship Program for low-income students in the United States, serving 99,641 students. Step Up also manages Florida’s newest school choice program, the Gardiner Scholarship (formerly the Personal Learning Scholarship Account), serving 11,276 students with special needs. Step Up is adding two new scholarships for the 2018-19 school year: the Reading Scholarship and Hope Scholarship, for bullied students.

If you are a reporter or academic researcher and you need information about these programs, please contact our team.

For media inquiries please contact Jon East (727-451-9819, jeast@sufs.org), Ron Matus (727-451-9830, rmatus@sufs.org) or Patrick Gibbons (727-451-9827, pgibbons@sufs.org).

Jon East

Vice President, Director of Special Projects
Office phone: 727-451-9819
Cell phone: 727-420-6993
Email: jeast@sufs.org

Amy Graham

Senior Policy Director
Office phone: 850-270-6357
Cell phone: 850-980-2736
Email: agraham@sufs.org

Ron Matus

Director of Policy and Public Affairs
Office phone: 727-451-9830
Cell phone: 727-580-1577
Email: rmatus@sufs.org

Jeff Barlis

Communications Manager
Office phone: 727-451-9816
Cell phone: 352-328-4662
Email: jbarlis@stepupforstudents.org

Geoff Fox

Public Relations & Strategic Communications Manager
(727) 451-9851
gfox@stepupforstudents.org

Patrick Gibbons

Public Affairs Manager
Office phone: 727-451-9827
Cell phone: 813-528-3435
Email: pgibbons@sufs.org

Dava Hankerson Fedrick

Research Manager
Office phone: 727-451-9813
Cell phone: 954-290-7942
Email: dfedrick@sufs.org

Scott Kent

Strategic Communications Manager
Office phone: 727-451-9832
Cell phone: 850-866-8152
Email: skent@sufs.org

Hannah Plante

Manager, Legislative Affairs
Office phone: 904-452-5677
Cell phone: 813-361-1735
Email: hplante@sufs.org

Amy Stringer 

Research Analyst
Office phone: 727-451-9875
Email: astringer@sufs.org

Donna Winchester

Managing Editor, redefinED (www.redefinedonline.org)
Office phone: 352-514-9979
Email: dwinchester@stepupforstudents.org