The Decision That Defined Our Start: Celebrating 20 Years of Prevention Strategies with the Stories That Shaped Our Path
As Prevention Strategies celebrates 20 years, we’re sharing stories from our history — moments that shaped who we are today.
Prevention Strategies almost didn’t exist.
Twenty years ago, David & Cheryl Wyrick and Melodie Fearnow-Kenney were preparing to launch a new research company focused on substance use prevention.
They had funded grants. Early startup capital. Momentum.
And then David received a call inviting him to apply for a faculty position at his alma mater, UNC Greensboro.
Two very different futures were suddenly on the table: The stability of academia or the uncertainty of entrepreneurship.
At one point, he withdrew from consideration to focus fully on starting the company with Cheryl and Melodie.
But during the interview process, he discovered something unexpected: he didn’t need to choose.
In January 2006, David began two roles at once — university professor and co-founder of Prevention Strategies, which became a university spinout of UNCG.
That connection to UNC Greensboro helped shape who we are today. Being rooted in a university environment enhanced our strengths related to research, evidence-based practice, and training the next generation of prevention professionals. It created opportunities for collaboration, student involvement, and a constant exchange between research and real-world implementation.
Twenty years later, that decision helped shape an organization that has impacted communities across the country.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more about the early moments, near misses, and lessons that built Prevention Strategies from the ground up.