Board of Directors

Pam Tahan currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Wellington Regional Medical Center and has fifteen years as a seasoned, senior health care executive. Before joining Wellington Regional Medical Center, Pam served as the Chief Operating Officer at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in Pennsylvania and Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center. Additionally, Pam served as the Chief Executive Officer at Summit Medical Center in Arizona.

Pam holds a Master in Healthcare Administration from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, a Bachelor of Science in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University. Pam has a professional association with the American College of Healthcare Executives and sits on the Board of Cornell University – Sloan Program in Health Administration, King’s College School of Business – MHA Program and Healthy Northeast Pennsylvania Initiative.

Lyn Cacella joined Florida Public Utilities in November of 2013. She has been involved with the Chamber for several decades, serving in many roles- as a member, BOD member, Trustee, committee chair and event chair.

In her current position with FPU, Lyn pursues strategic opportunities for growth and reputation by cultivating partnerships and strengthening relationships with community organizations, energy partners, contractors, economic/business development and government agencies.  She provides leadership for business development team members and programs, works cross-functionally with company stakeholders to design and execute growth initiatives and manages related activities and event planning.
Ms. Cacella currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Central Florida Clean Cities Coalition, is a Committee-member for the Southern Natural Gas Association, the Florida Natural Gas Association, and the Florida Propane Gas Association. She is immediate past-Secretary for the Deerfield Beach Historical Society and over the years has served on the Boards for the Florida Chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association, Florida Ag in the Classroom, Leadership Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach Chapter of the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association.
She holds a Six Sigma Green Belt, is a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership for Agriculture and Natural Resources program, Leadership Palm Beach County, Florida Atlantic University’s Frontline Leadership Training/Leadership Skills for Women in Management program; in her leisure time uses her Range Officer Certification from the National Rifle Association and her Level I Instructor certification from the National Sporting Clays Association to teach/introduce  women to the exciting world of sporting clays.

Florida Public utilities was established in 1924 and currently provides electric, natural gas and propane products and services throughout Florida. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities.

Michael Stone is an integral part of the Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) and International Equestrian Group (IEG) team. He currently serves as the President of ESP, overseeing all aspects of management at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), as well as holds responsibility for community outreach efforts, alongside marketing and promotional campaigns for ESP. He is the representative and liaison to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), and other related organizations.

Eddy L. Rodriguez is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting & Finance as well as his M.B.A. with a finance certification. Eddy has worked in the finance industry for over 21 years. Although most of his experience is in Commercial Banking, Mr. Rodriguez worked for a regional C.P.A. firm as well as developed Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions experience while he was an Acquisition Director for a South Florida M&A firm. Most notably, Eddy was the Head of Florida for a Specialty Division for one of the large national banks and is currently SVP, Commercial Banking Team Lead for Palm Beach and Broward Counties at First Horizon Bank.  

Eddy resides in Wellington, FL with his wife and their 2 children. He is active in the community and is currently a Board of Director for the Central Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Florida Power & Light Company External Affairs Manager Stephanie Mitrione is responsible for the communities of Northern and Western Palm Beach County, as well as Okeechobee County. In this role, she serves as the external representative for the company and is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with elected officials and other key stakeholders in these communities. Stephanie joined FPL, the largest rate-regulated electric utility in Florida, in April 2009.

Stephanie takes great pride in being active in her community. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Board of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, is on the Executive Committee of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, and is also on the Board for Quantum House, the Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic Alliance, the South Florida Fair, SunFest and the Economic Council of Okeechobee County. In addition, she is a graduate of the Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2015 and was the recipient of the 2017 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award.

Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. She’s a Palm Beach County native, and currently resides in Jupiter with her husband, son and daughter.

Francisco J. Gonzalez is an attorney and partner at the Wellington-based law firm of Gonzalez, Shenkman & Buckstein, P.L., where he heads the firm’s commercial and residential real estate and business transactions practice. Gonzalez, formerly of Steel, Hector & Davis, LLP, earned his B.S. with honors in Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida in 1991, after which he attended the Catholic University of America, graduating in 1994 with his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Active in the community, Gonzalez sits on Board member and is legal counsel for our association; concurrently, serves as vice-chair of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber Economic Development Task Force. He has served on the board of Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and is a Class of 2002 graduate of Leadership West Palm Beach. Frank and his wife, Christina, reside in Wellington with their three sons, Nicholas, Nathan and Daniel.

Bio Coming Soon…

Mary Lou Bedford became the CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce on July 1, 2015. Since accepting the position, Mary Lou has provided direction to maintain the organization’s philosophy, vision, mission, while focusing on the goals and objections. She has implemented new procedures as well as improved programs to better serve the membership. Under her leadership, there has been a greater emphasis on advocacy and economic development resulting in higher levels of partnering, collaboration, and finding solutions to better serve the needs of the business community.

Mary Lou received her B.S. in Communications with concentrations in Public Relations and Media from California State University, Sacramento.

A resident of Wellington for the past 23 years, Mary Lou and her husband, Scott, are involved in many organizations throughout Palm Beach County. They have two wonderful daughters, Hilary and Amy.

Rikki Lober Bagatell is a Partner in Shutts & Bowen’s Corporate and Real Estate Practice Groups in the West Palm Beach Office.  In her corporate practice, she represents domestic and foreign clients in connection with the purchase and sale of businesses through asset transfer, stock transfer, merger, and other structures; the formation of business entities and joint ventures; strategic planning and compliance matters; private offerings of securities and venture capital transactions; contracts, including commercial agreements, sales agreements, license agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, employment agreements and non-competition agreements; split-ups; and general corporate matters.  Her healthcare practice includes structuring of new healthcare-related ventures, purchase and sale of provider and healthcare businesses, shareholder agreements, employment agreements, governance issues, and general corporate advice. She has extensive experience in the area of sophisticated commercial real estate transactions, including all phases of real estate acquisitions, development, financing, including tax credit financing, leasing and dispositions.

Ann-Marie Batten is the Owner and Agency Principal of Batten Insurance Services – a Premier Exclusive Allstate Agency. Ann-Marie has over 25 years experience in the Insurance industry and has been an agency owner for over 5 years serving the western communities with two locations in Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens/West Palm Beach (Ibis).

Her team is currently one of the largest Allstate agency in Palm Beach County and among other levels of recognition has earned the title of Top Commercial Producer several years in a row.

Ann-Marie has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Florida Atlantic University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Palm Beach Atlantic University.   Ann-Marie enjoys volunteering and has been involved with many organizations in Palm Beach County over the years.

As Vice President of Land Development for WGI, Jeff oversees the design and approvals of private land planning projects throughout Palm Beach and Broward Counties.  His experience includes all aspects of the approval process from due diligence and design through entitlements and construction on a diverse range of projects including residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, infill and redevelopment efforts. Originally from Canada, Jeff relocated to West Palm Beach in 2000 to join the planning firm of Land Design South, where he was managing partner.  He is a registered Landscape Architect in FL, having previously served as State Chapter President of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Terence ‘T.D.’ Davis is the Senior Accounts manager & Governmental Affairs Representative  for RegencyDRT Restoration for all of Palm Beach County. Mr. Davis has been responsible for creating a healthy relationship with public and private agencies throughout south Florida. It is his goal to make sure that all public and private agencies understand the importance of saving lives through hurricane preparedness and routine safety training.

Mr. Davis served on the Riviera Beach City Council from 2013 through March 2016. A Riviera Beach native son, Mr.   Cedric & Pamila Davis graduated from Palm Beach Gardens High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida A & M University in Tallahassee. He is a  former educator and volunteer  track and field coach at SunCoast High School, 

His work and visions have always been focused on the young. Terence is excited to bring his years and experience with government to the Central palm Bch chamber as we build and improve upon healthy relationships through out the business community.

Terence  great-grandfather, Edward D. Davis, Sr., was honored by former Gov. Rick Scott for unyielding civil rights crusades that often benefitted young people. Mr. Davis was an educator whose work helped desegregate the University of Florida, raise the salaries of African-American teachers and force Florida’s law school to enroll minority students. The former Governor inducted the elder Davis into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame in May 2015

He  has experience as a former member of the Florida League of Cities’ Growth Management & Economic Affairs Committee, which seeks to ensure and protect Home Rule for the state’s municipal governments as he directs his energy toward policy that brings the business community together with citizens of the great state of Florida. In 2014 Palm Beach County Caucus of Black Elected Officials, through which he has partnered with other non-profits to address social and economic disparity issues across the County showing non-profits how to expand its vision through creative ways to create another source of income.

Jason Kimbrell is the Chief Executive Officer of HCA Florida Palms West Hospital.

Prior to joining Palms West in 2001, Kimbrell served the Chief Executive Officer for Highlands Regional Medical Center within HCA’s East Florida Division, a hospital that underwent a historic turnaround under his leadership. Kimbrell is widely recognized for his ability to cultivate a culture of creativity and build strategic programs that advance the financial and growth position of a hospital.

Kimbrell is a graduate of HCA’s Executive Development Program and started his HCA career as the Assistant Administrator for West Florida Hospital Pensacola, a 515-bed hospital, where he was involved in strategic planning and execution of the hospital’s key strategic initiatives.

Kimbrell began the genesis of his healthcare journey in the public safety sector, serving as a firefighter, critical care flight paramedic and EMS Commander before moving into an executive leadership position as the VP of Operations for a national healthcare logistics firm, under the corporate ownership of KKR.

A veteran of the United States Air Force, Kimbrell has served nationally and internationally, and was named by 850 Business Journal as one of the “Top 40 Leaders Under 40”. Kimbrell is a national speaker and has also served as a member of the Studer Group’s National Speaking Bureau.

Committed a lifetime to community outreach, Kimbrell has been the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Co-founder of the local Boys and Girls Club, Water Front Mission mentor, volunteer fire fighter and Rotarian. He has also served on economic development boards appointed by the county commission, entrepreneur and a youth football coach.

Rene Herrera currently works at Office Depot as an IT Audit Director responsible for managing audit projects across Office Depot business units. Prior to Office Depot, Rene worked at Verizon for 15 years in International Operations and Internal Audit. He led projects in Latin America, Europe and Asia. Rene has a Computer Engineering degree from Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas Venezuela. He was the recipient of a scholarship-loan from the World Bank to complete an MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio. He was the recipient of the Enterprise Development Scholarship at the Weatherhead School of business. He attended the BI Norwegian School of Management in Sandvika Norway for his last MBA semester.

Through his career, Rene has been committed to support the community and his Company’s Hispanic Employees Resource Group (ERG). He served as the Mid-Atlantic chapter president and later as a National president of the Verizon Hispanic Support Organization ERG. He founded and lead the Office Depot Hispanic SOMOS ERG. He has volunteered at the Chacao Homeless Children Foundation in Venezuela, NY Junior Achievement and HISPA. He received the 2012 ASPIRA Hispanic Circle of Achievers award in recognition of his professional accomplishments as well as his commitment and service to the Latino/Hispanic community. He received the HISPA 2010 and 2013 Role Model of the year recognition award for his consistent participation as a role model in schools across New Jersey. Currently, he serves in the board of HISPA (Hispanics Inspiring Student’s Performance and Achievement) and brought the HISPA role model program to schools in South Florida.

Rob Holden has been a part of the Palm Beach County business community for over 10 years. He spent his early childhood with his family in England, before returning to the states where he completed his education and graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor Degree in Marketing. His career spans retail sales and management, waste management, recycling and event operations. His career began at Olde Native Trading Company where he served as the Territory Manager for South Florida and then National Sales Manager. In 2008 he joined the team at Southern Waste Systems where he served as the Senior Account Manager until their recent acquisition. Currently, Rob oversees the Construction Accounts Division for Waste Management of Florida, Inc.

His dedication to serving the community includes serving on the Habitat for Humanity Northern Palm Beach County Golf Committee and the PGA Hope Foundation Committee.  He is a member of the Construction Association of South Florida, the Associated General Contractors of America and the AEC Trendsetters as well as a Honda Classic Ambassador.

Holden is a graduate of the 2014 Leadership Palm Beach County Focus Program and a member of the 2009 Central Palm Beach County Chamber Leadership class.

Rob and his wife Lauren live in Jupiter with their daughters, Emma and Ealyn.

Chadi Irani serves as the Senior Director of Sales Strategy at The Palm Beach Post. He has developed a team of experts who execute high-level campaigns and strategic accounts, handling all aspects of media strategy, planning, media placement, digital optimization, and reporting. Chadi plays a pivotal role as liaison between vendors and partners, leveraging relationships with digital leaders through The Post’s parent company Gannett as a part of USA Today Network to bring best practices and the latest technologies to Palm Beach County businesses. Chadi has led client seminars with representatives from top digital media agencies, such as Google and Facebook.
Irani is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach, class of 2009, and currently resides with his family in West Palm Beach.

Ken Kosza is the Chief Operations Officer of Retreat Premier Addiction Treatment Centers, providing executive leadership to over 600 employees for the past five years. Ken has been instrumental in the rapid growth and expansion of the company from a local treatment center in Lancaster, PA to a nationwide brand. In 2016, Retreat opened its flagship location here in Palm Beach County, and is currently orchestrating the opening of a location in New Haven, CT; further expanding the footprint of Retreat and the capacity to serve our communities with nearly 400 residential beds.

Prior to joining Retreat, Ken had a strong clinical background, working as an outpatient therapist for several years at Rehab After Work/Life Counseling Services and progressing quickly into the role of Director of Business Development. Through this role and then eventually as the Executive Director and Vice President, Ken was a key contributor as the company expanded to become a more global healthcare provider; Onward Behavioral Health, which included over 25 branch locations and 400+ employees.

Ken completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology at Springfield College and earned his Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Lasalle University. He serves as a board member of DASPOP (Drug and Alcohol Services Providers Organization of Pennsylvania). He resides in Wellington with his wife Andrea and their five children.

David Leland is the co-founder and CEO of Print It Plus, a commercial printing company that he and his wife, Kimberly Leland, started in Royal Palm Beach in 1988. David has worked to improve the western communities where he has lived and owned his business for nearly 30 years. As an active member of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce since 1989, serving on the board from 1990 to 2000 and most notably serving as Vice President of Operations in 1993 and President in 1995. In his 28 year tenure as a member of the chamber, David has given his time to assisting in the staging and production of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber Holiday Parade nearly every year. In addition to his dedication to the chamber, David sits on the Planning and Zoning board of the Village of Royal Palm Beach and has also been involved in the Crestwood Middle School SAC Committee, the Royal Palm Beach Jaycees, the Royal Palm Beach High School Parental Debate Committee, and was a youth football coach for over 30 years. David and his wife have three children. Their oldest daughter Kathryn Leland Napier works for E.J. Gallo Winery. Their middle child, Kayla Leland Pragid works as an attorney at the Law Firm of Akerman. Their youngest child, Dallas Leland is in College at UCF.

Ana Machado-Rosacker joined Bethesda Hospital in 2012 as the Director of Nursing for Bethesda Hospital West, with the responsibility of assisting with the opening of Bethesda Hospital West and, in 2016, she advanced her career within Bethesda to the position of Assistant Vice President, Patient Care Services.   In May of 2020, Ana was promoted to Vice President of Administration for Bethesda Hospital West.  Prior to her employment with Bethesda, Ana worked for 18 years at the Palm Beach County, Health Care District.  During her 18 years with the Health Care District, she held many different clinical positions and was an integral part of opening the replacement hospital, Lakeside Medical Center, where she was the Director, Critical Care, Telemetry and Medical Surgical.  Ana consecutively held clinical positions at Palm West Hospital, for 7 years.

Ms. Rosacker received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Florida Atlantic University, and later her Master of Science in Nursing with a dual in Nursing Administrative Leadership and Healthcare Management.  She has continued her education through the University of Berkley, Executive Education, for Leading Innovate Change.  Ana is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, belongs to the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society and holds certifications for Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) and FEMA Emergency Management Institute.

Ana was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Clewiston, Florida.  She has one son, Brenton, that graduated from Florida State University and is currently attending The University of Denver Law school.

Mr. Malefatto has been practicing environmental, land use and administrative law in Florida since 1980. He has represented Fortune 500 companies, developers, home builders, small businesses, and local governments in a variety of environmental permitting, enforcement and transactional matters, and in all manner of Florida land use proceedings.

He leverages his in-depth knowledge and broad experience in environmental and land use law to keep clients up-to-date on regulatory trends before regulations are adopted and counsels clients when environmental issues arise. Mr. Malefatto is intimately familiar with all aspects of environmental permitting and land development entitlements, and has handled a broad range of projects and activities, including condominium, marina and mixed-use developments, brownfields redevelopment, land use and environmental approvals for utility plants, contaminated property remediation and the defense of enforcement actions by local, state and federal governmental agencies. He also guides clients involved in corporate and real estate transactions through necessary and Important due diligence evaluations.

Mr. Malefatto holds an AV® Preeminent™ Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers and every edition of Chambers & Partners USA Guide since its inception in 2003. Mr. Malefatto earned his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1979, and a B.A. from New York University in 1975.

Adam McCarthy is a Principal at PROforma Turnkey Marketing and is responsible for the overall oversight of the company’s sales growth and business development initiatives. PROforma is a full-service marketing company that specializes in cutting-edge services and products to meet clients’ needs and challenges across all industries. PROforma’s key offerings are Promotional Products, Commercial Print, Direct Mail, Digital Media, Smart Communications, Online Company Stores and Corporate Apparel.

When approaching a new opportunity, McCarthy concentrates on designing and implementing programs to help clients achieve their marketing goals. His breadth of product knowledge and decades of experience have styled him into something of an expert at connecting clients with different products and practices to help round out their strategy. This very approach has lent itself to countless sales achievement and excellence awards within his own industry year after year.

While not a native of Florida, McCarthy moved to the Sunshine State in 1985 to Wellington, and has spent the better part of his life here. He attended Florida State University and has been an active member of the Palm Beach County business community for the last 20 years. He is a former Trustee Member of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce.

Adam and his wife, Denise, live in Lake Worth and are the proud parents of son, Parker, and daughter, Ella.

Michael Morgan currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at the Center for Bone and Joint Surgery of the Palm Beaches, PA.  Michael has been in the healthcare industry for six years, demonstrating a commitment to providing the citizens of Palm Beach County accessible, quality orthopedic care in the midst of a vastly changing industry.  Michael graduated with honors, earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance at the University of Kentucky and is currently finishing his MBA at Florida Atlantic University.

With 20-plus years in the financial services industry, Carol O’Neil founded CEO Financial Services about five years ago to help people get their “financial house in order” – and keep it that way for the rest of their lives. Her idea was simple: create a comprehensive financial plan for each client and then manage this plan toward each goal. This allows clients more time to concentrate on things they cannot delegate. The business has expanded and now offers far more comprehensive financial services. “After many years in this business, the financial issues have become the easy part; what motivates me now is empowering our clients to make the most intelligent choices with their money, fulfill their aspirations and seeing them experience genuine happiness and security in their lives,” O’Neil said. “This gives us a sense that we are making a difference helping coach people.” She holds degrees in economics and communications from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania and is a certified financial divorce analyst. She is pursuing her certified financial planner designation and a master’s in taxation. O’Neil and her husband, Jim, live in Lake Worth. Most of their free time is spent with their immediate family or involved with the community.

Palm Beach State College President Ava L. Parker leads the County’s largest higher education institution with a strategic approach emphasizing innovation, student success, and business and community collaboration. Parker is the first female president in the history of the institution, which opened in 1933 as Florida’s first public community college. Under Parker’s leadership, the College is taking proactive, transformative measures to meet the evolving needs of our community and has recently added two new bachelor’s degree programs and established a cross-cultural equity institute with a vision to lead institutions worldwide in research, development, and implementation of culturally relevant practices to support successful outcomes for all students.

Parker is engaged in higher education policy issues as a member of the governing board for the American Association of Community Colleges and the advisory board for the Community College Research Center which is a part of the Teacher’s College of Columbia University. Her leadership extends beyond higher education. She serves on the board of directors of Orchid Island Capital as well as the Board of Professional Holding Corp., the financial holding company for Professional Bank. She is a member of the Florida Council of 100, the Women’s International Leadership Forum, Leadership Florida Board, South Florida’s Orange Bowl Committee and on the board of our own Central Palm Beach Chamber.

Before joining Palm Beach State, Parker was executive vice president and chief operating officer at Florida Polytechnic University and served for more than a decade on the Florida Board of Governors of the State University System, the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees and general counsel at Edward Waters College.

Most recently, Parker was recognized as one of Florida’s Most Influential Business Leaders in Florida Trend’s 2020 Florida 500 issue.

Tad Rowe was born in Florida, graduated from Forest Hill High School in 1985 and received his Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida in 1994.  He currently resides in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife and 2 children.  Tad is a professional engineer and has been with Simmons & White since 1996.  His areas of expertise include commercial, residential and equestrian land development including design and permitting of paving, drainage, and water and wastewater systems.  Mr. Rowe has managed and supervised many projects from inception through completion, working with all involved parties – clients, elected officials, regulatory agencies, attorneys, funding agencies, sub-consultants, construction contractors, and the public.

Judy Clayton Sanchez is the Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for the United States Sugar Corp. She joined U.S. Sugar in 1994, transferring from its South Bay Growers vegetable operations. She is responsible for U. S. Sugar’s media and public relations activities and its public education/information programs, and coordinates all external and internal communications functions, acts as corporate spokeswoman and assists with the company’s public affairs efforts. Sanchez has a bachelor’s degree in communications and attended the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communication and Florida Atlantic University. She serves on the board of directors for the Agriculture Institute of Florida, Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau, Sustainable Florida and the Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic Alliance of Palm Beach County. Sanchez serves on the Public Education Advisory Committee for The Sugar Association and the steering committee of the Lake Okeechobee Regional Initiative, Collins Center. She is member of the Belle Glade and Clewiston chambers of commerce. She also served on the South Florida Water Management District’s Water Resources and Advisory Council and its Lake Okeechobee subcommittee. Sanchez and her husband, Julio, live in Belle Glade and have two grown sons. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church.

Mickey Smith received his undergraduate degree, in engineering, from Virginia Tech and his law degree, with high honors, from Duke University School of Law. Smith has practiced trial law in Florida for more than 30 years. He is board-certified and recertified as a specialist in civil trial law by both The Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Smith’s practice is limited to representing individuals and families who have suffered serious personal injury, wrongful death or have been victimized by the bad-faith practices of an insurance company. For many years, Smith represented the interests of insurance companies, but since 2002, he has exclusively represented ordinary people with valid claims. His efforts have been repeatedly recognized by his peers. Smith has been elected to The Best Lawyers in America (personal injury and insurance law); The Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff’s Lawyers in America; Florida Super Lawyers; Florida Legal Elite; Florida’s Top Lawyers; and the American Board of Trial Advocates (past president of Palm Beach chapter and current executive committee member). Smith is also a member of MENSA. He has lived in the western communities for more than 25 years with his wife, Elizabeth, a public school teacher. He realizes that being a good lawyer involves not only knowledge of the law, but also being compassionate and responsive to clients’ needs.

Caroline Villanueva is South Florida External Affairs Manager for Florida Crystals Corporation where she is responsible for projects pertaining to policy, economic development and community relations in Palm Beach County. Ms. Villanueva has worked closely with agricultural property owners and local governments for over a decade.

Prior to joining Florida Crystals Corporation, Caroline was a senior land planner at Urban Design Kilday Studios where she prepared comprehensive plan amendments including for the Florida Crystals’ South Florida Intermodal Logistics Center in western Palm Beach County. Prior to UDKS, Caroline was an Asset Manager for Lennar Homes’ joint venture projects in St. Lucie County. She was responsible for managing corporate partnerships and entitlements of large, master planned property holdings. Caroline began her career at the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Atlanta where she was responsible for policy analysis of certain federal programs. She received her Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University and undergraduate business degree from the University of Miami.

Caroline is the company’s board member to the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce. She is a board member of the Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic Alliance of Palm Beach County and a board member of Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County. Caroline also represents the company at the Glades Career Readiness Roundtable. She is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County. Caroline is a member of the Palm Beach County Planning Congress. She also is a mentor in HMHB’s Cribs to Caps Program and volunteers with Junior Achievement.

Maggie Portela has been a healthcare administration for over 18 years. In her current role as Administrative Director for Outreach and Liaison Development, she leads business development and philanthropic activities for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Palm Beach County. In her past role as Vice President of Oncology Services, she was responsible for providing programmatic, operational and strategic leadership to further the growth, improved outcomes and integration of cancer services within the Memorial Healthcare System. Memorial is located in Broward County and it the 3^rd largest public healthcare system in the nation.

Maggie has had extensive involvement in the community.  Her community commitments have included Gilda’s Club of South Florida Executive Committee Chair, American Cancer Society Board Member, Making Strides against Cancer Committee Chair, Pink Angels of the Memorial Foundation Executive Committee Member, and Past Chair of the Board for Miramar/Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce. Most recently she has been very involved with the Junior League of the Palm Beaches and was a member of the Central Palm Beach Chamber’s Women of Worth committee. Her awards have included South Florida Business Journal Power Leaders in Healthcare, 1,000 Plus Woman of the Year, Hispanic Woman of Distinction and South Florida Business Journal Up and Comers.

Maggie earned her Bachelor of Science Florida State University and a combined Master of Healthcare Administration and Master in Business Administration from the University of Houston.  She lives in Palm Beach County with her family.