About Us
Learn more about who we are, what we aim to accomplish, and the wonderful people that make up our team.
History
Cetera was founded in St. Petersburg, FL in March 2018 by Dee Menzer, Esq. and Dr. Jamie Bennett.
Dee, a tax attorney and Guardian ad Litem in St. Petersburg, and Jamie, a social worker with lived experience in the foster care system who had recently moved to St. Petersburg, were connected by a mutual colleague based on their shared passion for increasing the support and overall well-being of young people who were aging out of foster care. The pair spent a year analyzing the current services in their community of Tampa Bay, and recognized the need for additional support in areas of post-secondary education and housing. To respond to these needs, they co-founded Cetera, creating connections with young people and service providers to support the alignment of resources required for young people to flourish.
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In 2021, Cetera expanded its scope of services with the addition of two portfolios of work. One portfolio focused on youth engagement efforts in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Jim Casey InitiativeⓇ. Second, Cetera launched the Fostering Success Coaching Institute, which provides professionals with training in the Fostering Success Coach Model. Today, Jamie serves as Cetera’s Executive Director and Dee leads the Board of Directors as Chairwoman.
What Does “Cetera” Mean?
Cetera (pronounced set-er-uh) translates to “the rest”.
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The founders of Cetera feel that it is important to support youth aging out of foster care in a holistic manner that promotes well-being in all areas of their lives.
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From this perspective, Cetera aims to support the needs and wants that all young people have, such as postsecondary education, reliable transportation, connections to the community, and adequate personal, household, and academic supplies.
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For young people, we aim to help fulfill "the rest” of the needs they may face while transitioning from foster care with limited social connections.