Board of Directors

Meet the community leaders who guide our United Way.

  • BOARD CHAIR
    Frank Gonzalez
    Partner – Assurance & Advisory
    Kaufman Rossin

  • PRESIDENT & CEO
    Symeria T. Hudson
    President and CEO
    United Way Miami

2024 – 2025 Board of Directors

  • 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

  • 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

  • Susan Potter Norton
    Partner/Principal
    Allen Norton & Blue, PA

  • Matthew D. Grosack
    Partner
    Holland & Knight LLP

2024-2025 Executive Committee

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Christina Pappas
    President
    The Keyes Company

  • Angelica Santibanez
    Head of Community Engagement, South Florida Region
    Amazon

ADVISORY COUNCIL

  • Cesar L. Alvarez

  • Tony L. Argiz

  • Natacha Munilla Bastian

  • Jon Batchelor

  • Manuel J. Becerra

  • Darlene Boytell-Pérez

  • The Hon. Sue M. Cobb

  • Stephen G. Danner

  • Albert E. Dotson Jr.

  • Richard D. Fain

  • Robert D. Fatovic

  • Miguel “Mike” B. Fernández

  • Rudy Fernández

  • Matthew B. Gorson

  • Gerald C. Grant Jr.

  • Adolfo Henriques

  • Laurie B. Jennings

  • Joseph P. Lacher

  • David Lawrence Jr.

  • Elizabeth B. Leight, Psy.D.

  • Jack Lowell Jr.

  • Jeffrey S. Miller

  • W. Allen Morris

  • Eduardo J. Padrón, Ph.D.

  • Toni Randolph

  • Oscar Suarez

  • Trae Williamson

PRESIDENT EMERITUS

  • 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