West Coast Women Features SFD Executive Director Marlene Hauck

She wants us to start having a conversation about mental illness — to learn more and not be afraid or ashamed — all in an effort to remove the stigma that clouds understanding and healing.
Marlene has been involved with Sunshine from Darkness (a subsidiary of the Lee and Bob Peterson Foundation) as a volunteer since 2019. In February, she became the nonprofit’s first executive director.
Marlene’s experience has been in funding and donor and community relations, having worked in the nonprofit field for more than 30 years, with 10 years of leadership experience for two nonprofits Coastal Behavioral Healthcare and later First Step of Sarasota when they merged in 2020.