Way Out West Coalition

As members of the WOW Coalition, we are committed to preventing alcohol, prescription drug misuse and abuse, marijuana, tobacco and other drug use in Buckeye, Arizona. We are represented by multiple community sectors in the City of Buckeye including Behavioral Health, Business, Citizens, Civic, Education, Faith-based Organizations, Government, Health Care, Law Enforcement, Parents, Youth, and Youth Serving Organizations. Coalition membership is open to any interested individual.

WOW Coalition Staff

Larry Tracey, Executive Director | E: info@wowcoalition.org

Joe Tracey, Youth4Youth Program Director

Shana Malone, Evaluator Consultant

Alexis Leffew, Multimedia Designer

Alva Tovar, Coordinator of Community Programs

Robert Sanders, Coalition Chairman

Carissa Planalp, Coalition Co-chair

Subcommittees

Marketing Committee

  1. Responsible for social media and marketing outreach to include, print ads, billboards, articles and developing topics for Public Service Announcements (PSA’s).
  2. Suggest educational materials and handouts for development.
  3. Review and update new member orientation materials on an as needed basis.


WOW Education | Community-Based Committee

  1. Identify community training and informational needs.
  2. Determine necessary prevention materials the coalition uses to educate community members.
  3. Plan and facilitate community events to educate the community about perception of the risks (physical harm and external consequences) and community knowledge of protective factors that help reduce youth marijuana use, underage drinking, and youth Rx drug misuse.


WOW Education | School-Based Committee

  1. Responsible for developing and implementing prevention programming for our schools.
  2. Determine and align prevention materials used to educate youth.


WOW Environmental & Community Committee

  1. Responsible for focusing on changing norms, adopting and enforcing laws and regulations, and reducing the availability and access to alcohol and other drugs.
  2. Identifying environmental changes that, over the long term, will make meaningful impact on the problem of substance use.


WOW Membership & Cultural Committee

  1. Responsible for building coalition membership and member retention.
  2. Identify, recognize and reward coalition and community members whose efforts support our mission. (3 times annually: November / February / May)
  3. Develop coalition participation from all school districts located within the City of Buckeye.
  4. Responsible for assessing the coalition’s current level of cultural diversity; identifying barriers and gaps, and take action steps to fill those gaps.
  5. Alignment of policies, processes, and materials to reflect our diversity.


Youth Committee

  1. Responsible for developing peer-to-peer anti-substance use messaging; tasks include: Get in the Way material creation, PSA development and social media plan implementation.
  2. Implement the citywide Get in the Way Campaign.

City of Buckeye

Buckeye Schools

Southwest Behavioral Health Services

  • Ashley "Ash" Rees, Program Director, Buckeye Outpatient Clinic

Estrella Publishing

  • Al Uretsky

Other Members