Meet the new SCAL staff members

Linda Pekuri, Executive Director

SCAL's new executive director, Linda Pekuri, began work June 19, 2006. Prior to becoming executive director, Linda had worked for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control-Wateree Health District/Region 4 since January 2, 1991 as the health promotion/chronic disease prevention program nutritionist. In this role, she planned and carried out community-based interventions that focused on environmental and policy supports for healthy diet, physical activity and tobacco use prevention. This type of work involved coalition-building, community organizing and partnership development, among other things, within the counties of Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee and Sumter.

Linda has a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition & dietetics and a Master of Public Health degree, both from the University of Minnesota. She has been a registered dietitian (RD) since 1986 and is also a licensed dietitian (LDN) with the state of North Carolina.

Linda has been SCAL president since October 2005, but her involvement with the coalition goes back to its inception in September 1999 and has continued ever since. Even though she has always been interested in promoting health in the community, her realization of the need to build an environment to make it easy for people to be physically active has been deepened as a result of her work with SCAL.

Linda is very excited about the opportunity as executive director to coordinate and administrate the activities of Sumter County Active Lifestyles and build upon the successes SCAL has achieved in making Sumter County a great place for folks to be physically active.

Besides being a career-woman, Linda is a wife, mother and co-pastor. She enjoys exercising, home decorating, reading, music and cross-stitching.

Catherine Blumberg, Executive Assistant

Having joined SCAL as executive assistant on May 22, 2006, Catherine Blumberg is enjoying her new part-time position. One of the reasons she wanted to work for SCAL is because she desired a more physically-active and health-conscious lifestyle, which she has begun by increasing her walking and biking.
Catherine has an undergraduate degree in sociology from Winthrop College and a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She is a licensed social worker.

Catherine was working in community-based services for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control-Wateree Health District/Region 4 when SCAL was initiated in Sumter County, so she has been aware of its community involvement and the excellent progress that has been made since its early beginnings. She always thought that SCAL was a superb group with worthy goals and plans and is delighted to be working as executive assistant.

When away from work, Catherine stays busy with bicycling, crocheting, reading, gardening, chair caning and other things, like keeping up with her husband and two daughters.

Wedgefield Community Park

As the first recipient of the Accessibility and Outreach Committee's community mini-grant, the Wedgefield Community Coalition (WCC) in rural western Sumter County is making progress toward completion of a community park that will have a play area for preschoolers, walking track and picnic area. Pictured below is the ground-breaking ceremony on February 27, 2006, which was attended by WCC members, church representatives, a county council member and a state senator. This first-ever community park in Wedgefield will increase the physical activity of residents and civic and community pride. The mini-grant, additional funds from participating churches and in-kind support from local businesses has made this park project possible and is an excellent example of how diverse groups within a local community can come together for mutual benefit.