Board of Directors
Meet the community leaders who guide our United Way.
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BOARD CHAIR
Frank Gonzalez
Partner – Assurance & Advisory
Kaufman Rossin
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PRESIDENT & CEO
Symeria T. Hudson
President and CEO
United Way Miami
2024 – 2025 Board of Directors
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Jayne Abess
Partner
thinkLAB Ventures -
Alexander P. Adams
Senior Market Executive
The Northern Trust Company -
Jennifer Adger Grant
Community Volunteer -
Andrew L. Ansin
Vice President
Sunbeam Properties -
Felipe F. Basulto
Market President South Florida Banking
TD Bank -
Peter L. Bermont
Managing Director
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. -
Steven J. Brodie, Esq.
Co-Managing Shareholder
Carlton Fields, PA -
Alberto Ignacio De Cardenas
General Counsel Corporate General Counsel
MasTec, Inc. -
Mayi de la Vega
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
One Sotheby’s International Realty -
John J. Diez
Chief Financial Officer
Ryder System, Inc. -
Eddie L. Dominguez, Jr.
Director of Marketing, Communications & Community Relations
City National Bank -
Heidy M. Duarte
Partner
Kaufman Rossin -
William M. Duquette
CEO South Miami Hospital
South Miami Hospital -
Christopher Ferreira
External Affairs Area Manager
Florida Power & Light Company -
Calixto J. Garcia-Velez
President and Chief Executive Officer
Banesco USA -
Francisco Gonzalez
Assurance and Advisory Services Principal
Kaufman Rossin -
Xavier Gonzalez
Executive Vice President, Marketing Communications
Kaseya -
Melissa A. Gracey
Director of Marketing
Berkowitz Pollack Brant Advisors + CPAs -
Kim Y. Griffin-Hunter
South Florida Managing Partner
Deloitte LLP -
Malou C. Harrison, PhD
Executive Vice President & Provost
Miami Dade College -
Austin D. Hollo
Chief Operating Officer
Florida East Coast Realty -
Naftali Holtz
Chief Financial Officer
Royal Caribbean Group -
El pagnier Hudson
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Florida International University -
Symeria T. Hudson
President & CEO
United Way Miami -
Seth R. Kaplan
Boca Raton/Miami Office Managing Partner
Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, -
Marcel G. Laniado
Executive Director
JPMorgan Chase -
Jess S. Lawhorn, Jr.
CRE Credit Officer, Senior
Synovus
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Juan C. Liscano
Vice President, Miami, Caribbean, and Latin America
American Airlines -
Jeff Lozama
President & CEO
CMS International Group -
Aminda Marques Gonzalez
Vice President and Executive Editor
Simon & Schuster -
S. Marshall Martin
EVP, Chief Legal Officer
Amerant Mortgage LLC -
Karla Margarita Mats
President
United Teachers of Dade Local 1974 -
Robert McFarlin
General Manager
Miami Herald / El Nuevo Herald -
Alison Mincey
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
University of Miami -
Alvaro Molina
Market Leader – Miami Dade County and Monroe
Florida Blue -
Robert Rush Norton
Private Wealth Manager
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc. -
Sheila I. Ocasio-Cruz
Operations Director
FirstBank Florida -
Caroline O’Connor
President of Business Operations
Miami Marlins -
Zak Odhwani
Managing Director, Market Executive
Bank of America -
Elena Otero, Esq.
Partner
McDermott Will & Emery LLP -
Darrell W. Payne
Shareholder
Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, PA -
Antonio Peña
Shareholder
Greenberg Traurig, PA -
Christina Perez
The Jorge Perez Foundation -
Susan Potter Norton, Esq.
Partner/ Principal
Allen Norton & Blue, PA -
Larry Quinlan
Community Volunteer -
Gladys C. Reed
Senior Vice President
Ocean Bank -
Carmen M. Sabater
Chief Financial Officer
Quirch Foods Company -
Penelope S. Shaffer, Ph.D.
Community Volunteer -
Richard D. Shane
Partner
Duane Morris, LLP -
John C. Sumberg
Managing Partner
Bilzin Sumberg -
Rashad D. Thomas
Regional Director, External and Legislative Affairs
AT&T -
Christian Ulvert
President
Edge Communications -
Michael Valdes-Fauli
Chief Executive Officer
Chemistry Cultura -
David Zambrana
EVP and Chief Operating Officer
Jackson Health System -
Octavio “Joe” Zubizarreta
Community Volunteer
COUNSEL
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Susan Potter Norton
Partner/Principal
Allen Norton & Blue, PA
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Matthew D. Grosack
Partner
Holland & Knight LLP
2024-2025 Executive Committee
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Jayne Abess
Partner
thinkLAB Ventures -
Jennifer Adger Grant
Community Volunteer -
Andrew L. Ansin
Vice President
Sunbeam Properties -
Felipe F. Basulto
Market President South Florida Banking
TD Bank -
Steven J. Brodie, Esq.
Co-Managing Shareholder
Carlton Fields, PA -
Calixto J. Garcia-Velez
President and Chief Executive Officer
Banesco USA -
Francisco Gonzalez
Assurance and Advisory Services Principal
Kaufman Rossin -
Kim Y. Griffin-Hunter
South Florida Managing Partner
Deloitte LLP -
Symeria T. Hudson
President & CEO
United Way Miami
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Robert Rush Norton
Private Wealth Manager
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc. -
Zak Odhwani
Managing Director, Market Executive
Bank of America -
Christina Perez
The Jorge Perez Foundation -
Susan Potter Norton, Esq.
Partner/ Principal
Allen Norton & Blue, PA -
Carmen M. Sabater
Chief Financial Officer
Quirch Foods Company -
Penelope S Shaffer, Ph.D.
Community Volunteer -
Michael Valdes-Fauli
Chief Executive Officer
Chemistry Cultura -
David Zambrana
EVP and Chief Operating Officer
Jackson Health System
2024 – 2025 Ex-Officio Board Members
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Dawn Michele Baglos
Chief Human Capital Officer
Miami-Dade County Public Schools -
Francesca De Quesada Covey
Chief Economic Development & Innovation Officer
Miami-Dade County -
Harve A. Mogul
Community Volunteer
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Christina Pappas
President
The Keyes Company -
Angelica Santibanez
Head of Community Engagement, South Florida Region
Amazon
ADVISORY COUNCIL
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Cesar L. Alvarez
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Tony L. Argiz
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Natacha Munilla Bastian
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Jon Batchelor
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Manuel J. Becerra
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Darlene Boytell-Pérez
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The Hon. Sue M. Cobb
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Stephen G. Danner
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Albert E. Dotson Jr.
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Richard D. Fain
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Robert D. Fatovic
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Miguel “Mike” B. Fernández
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Rudy Fernández
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Matthew B. Gorson
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Gerald C. Grant Jr.
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Adolfo Henriques
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Laurie B. Jennings
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Joseph P. Lacher
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David Lawrence Jr.
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Elizabeth B. Leight, Psy.D.
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Jack Lowell Jr.
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Jeffrey S. Miller
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W. Allen Morris
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Eduardo J. Padrón, Ph.D.
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Toni Randolph
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Oscar Suarez
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Trae Williamson
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
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Harve A. Mogul
United Way Miami Volunteer Committees
United Way Miami is driven by community volunteers who are giving back so others can get ahead. United Way’s volunteers advance our efforts to achieve significant community-level outcomes in Education, Financial Stability and Health.
BOARD LEVEL COMMITTEES
Campaign Co-Chairs and Cabinet: Serves as the key connection between United Way Miami and corporate and individual donors giving through annual employee giving campaigns. Cabinet members help drive successful outcomes by lending their leadership and support via CEO calls, campaign promotion and acting as a spokesperson for United Way at campaign events.
Center for Excellence in Early Education (CFE) Committee: Committee members will review, guide, and provide input to the United Way Miami Board of Directors on CFE programmatic activities and financials, and serve as advocates for the CFE and quality early childhood education.
Community Impact Committee (CIC): Oversees key aspects of United Way’s efforts to improve the community’s well-being through the work of the Impact Councils. It is responsible for developing UW’s impact agenda, articulated through the impact area strategic plans. Responsibilities include oversight of United Way’s contractual relationship with its Impact Partners and Grantees and management of the Community Impact Fund. The committee is responsible for implementation of the strategic plans utilizing all tools at United Way’s disposal, including grantmaking, convening, problem solving, community initiatives, etc. The committee is also responsible for determining United Way’s investment strategy and its percentage investment in each of its Impact Areas.
Finance & Administration Committee: Responsible for all accounting; finance; treasury and cash management; forecasting and budgeting; variance analysis; auditing of campaign envelopes; payroll and benefits administration; 401k benefits administration; and all other administrative matters. Responsibilities include the development of the organization’s financial plan and annual operating and capital budgets, safeguarding organizational assets and providing reliable financial information to internal and external stakeholders.
Marketing Committee: Provides strategic guidance and recommendations for the marketing activities which would include promoting the organization’s mission and causes through effective messaging, use of market research methods or database marketing techniques, and creation of strategies to increase donations and maximize sponsorships.
COMMUNITY IMPACT COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES
Agency Audit Committee: Charged with receiving financial documents and assessing the fiscal health of United Way Miami’s Impact Partners, Grantees, and any other organizations seeking funding from the organization. Given this responsibility, as part of United Way’s ongoing efforts to strive for effective stewardship, the committee plays a vital role in monitoring all eligible organizations.
Education Impact Council: The Education Impact Council’s focus areas include Early Childhood Education and School Aged Education. It is responsible for developing the Education strategic plan and implementing the strategies and tactics outlined including the distribution of funds allocated to the impact area.
Financial Stability Impact Council: The Financial Stability Impact Council’s focus areas include Workforce Development, Housing, and Financial Management. It is responsible for developing the Financial Stability strategic plan and implementing the strategies and tactics outlined including the distribution of funds allocated to the impact area.
Health Impact Council: The Health Impact Council’s focus areas include Access to Care, Healthy Older Adults and Healthy Lifestyles. It is responsible for developing the health strategic plan and implementing the strategies and tactics outlined including the distribution of funds allocated to the impact area.
Public Policy Committee (PPC): Plays a pivotal role in advancing United Way Miami’s (UWM) mission by overseeing public policy education and advocacy initiatives. Committed to enhancing community well-being, the PPC develops and implements strategies aligned with UWM’s public policy action plan and priorities. As trusted advisors, committee members inform the Board on key public policy issues and collaborate to drive Board approved strategies.
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEES
Enterprise Risk Management Committee: To allow management to effectively identify potential events that may affect the entity’s net assets and operating revenues. To incorporate the internal control framework and strategic planning, expanding on it, providing a more robust and extensive focus on the broader subject of enterprise risk management. The ERM assessment is organized into four risk areas; Operational, Strategic, Financial and Compliance and its assessment is a four-step process in which the organization; identifies key risks, assesses their consequence and likelihood, identifies mitigations for each risk and monitors and identifies monitoring responsibility.
Financial Audit Committee: To provide an in-depth review of the annual audit to United Way financial operations. To approve the annual audit plan that is presented by external auditors. To review IRS tax form 990 and any other required financial documents prepared by external auditors. To manage the engagement process of external auditors, including preparation and review of service proposals, and interview of finalist firms.
Investment Committee: Plan investments strategies to maximize return and minimize risk.
Insurance Committee: To review and make recommendations on the level of coverage maintained and required for the different entities; the current broker relationship; and costs on United Way Miami (“UWM”) and its subsidiaries liability, property, fiduciary and workers’ compensation insurance policies.
People and Engagement Committee: Serves to support the organization’s strategic and operational values-based systems by recommending best practices for current and future employees in an environment conducive to recruiting, retaining, rewarding and engaging a dynamic workforce.
Technology & Business Solutions Committee: The Committee serves as a forum to evaluate the organization’s strategic and operational technological plans for the organization and recommend changes or enhancements to ensure that the current and future technology elements support the critical business functions of UWM.
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES
Giving Community Executive Committees: Each Executive Committee provides guidance, oversight and strategies to the overall programming and implementation. Includes: LINC, Young Leaders, Women United, Small Business United, Tocqueville Society
Professional Advisors Committee: A group of our community’s top tax attorneys, accountants, trust officers, bankers, financial advisors and insurance representatives who promote philanthropic discussions and giving to the United Way Endowment Fund. The PAC organizes seminars highlighting a variety of tax issues and how they relate to charitable giving. They also advise United Way Miami on any and all planned gifts being given to the organization.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
- Committees may require a nomination
- Active participation
- Commitment to the mission and goals of United Way
- Dedication to learning about community needs and issues
- Respect for and appreciation of diversity
- Contributor to United Way Miami
TIME COMMITMENT
The intensity, frequency, and duration of council/committee meetings fluctuates, but generally speaking councils/committee meet monthly.
For more information, please contact Joane Delorme Herisse at [email protected].
*Last updated July 1, 2024