Press Release
August 21, 2008
Eleven (11) Northwest Florida Residents in Class XXVII and Fifteen (15) More on its Leadership Council
Tallahassee, Fla. – Leadership Florida announces the selection of its 27th Annual Class Program participants. Fifty-five of the most talented individuals from across our state are participating in an eight-month training and development program that many other leaders have regarded as one of their most significant educational and career experiences. In addition to an opening retreat held in Palm Beach next month, four cities in Florida have been selected to host a session that lasts two- to three-days: Lakeland, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Coral Gables. Each of the sessions will provide an in-depth exploration of a topic of great importance to all Floridians, and all sessions include specific training for building leadership skills. Program content is nonpartisan and provides a variety of viewpoints on issues that include Florida’s education, governance, economy, growth, environment, demographics, arts, historic preservation and health care.
The Annual Class Program of Leadership Florida uses a competitive process to select from among many qualified applicants throughout the state. To date, more than 1,200 individuals have graduated from Leadership Florida. Participants are chosen for their leadership abilities, passion about our state, and their commitment to help make great things happen for Florida. Special emphasis is placed on selecting participants that represent Florida’s abundant diversity. Leadership Florida members include senior executives in some of Florida’s most prestigious corporations, government officials on local and state levels, independent business people, and nonprofit executives. Members of Leadership Florida serve on more than 5,000 corporate and non-profit boards throughout the state, providing key leadership in their local communities, as well as on state commissions and in elected office.
The 2008-2009 class members from the Northwest Region of the state include:
Alex Amparo
Director of Emergency Management
Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism & Community Service
Tallahassee
Tony Carvajal
Executive Vice President
Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Tallahassee
Kim Davis
Executive Vice President & CFO
Capital City Bank Group
Tallahassee
Ben Diamond
Special Counsel to the CFO
Florida Department of Fiancial Services
Tallahassee
JR Harding
Partnership Specialist
Florida Department of Education
Tallahassee
Andrew McLeod
Director of External Affairs
Florida Chapter
The Nature Conservancy
Tallahassee
Sally McRorie
Dean, College of Visual Arts, Theatre & Dance
Florida State University
Tallahassee
Lori Parham
State Director
AARP Florida
Tallahassee
Dean Ridings
President & CEO
Florida Press Association
Tallahassee
Bentina Terry
Vice President, External Affairs & Corporate Services
Gulf Power
Pensacola
Karen Walker
Partner
Holland & Knight LLP
Tallahassee
***
The newly-elected Leadership Council of Advisors had their annual retreat last month in Coral Gables. Serving on the Council from the Northwest Region are:
Loranne Ausley
Representative
Florida House of Representatives
Tallahassee
Kathy Baughman-McLeod
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of Alex Sink, CFO
Tallahassee
Diane Carr
Shareholder & Attorney
Hopping Green & Sams, P.A.
Tallahassee
John Dailey
Commissioner
Leon County
Tallahassee
Carol Gregg
Attorney
Tallahassee
Lila Jaber
Of Counsel
Akerman Senterfitt
Tallahassee
Lena Juarez
President
JEJ Associates, Inc.
Tallahassee
Bill McCollum
Attorney General
Department of Legal Affairs
Tallahassee
Wellington Meffert
General Counsel
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Tallahassee
Bill Moor
President
Capital City Banc Investments
Tallahassee
Sean Pittman
President
Pittman Law Group, P.L.
Tallahassee
Julie Sheppard
General Counsel & Special Assistant to the Director
Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition
Pensacola
Jeff Wahlen
Attorney/Shareholder
Ausley & McMullen, P.A.
Tallahassee
Alan Williams
President
MW Land & Investments
Tallahassee
Mark Wilson
President and CEO
Florida Chamber Of Commerce
Tallahassee
***
[For more information, contact Wendy Abberger, President, Leadership Florida toll free at (877) 352-5323, or direct (850) 521-1221, fax (850) 521-1229, e-mail: wabberger@leadershipflorida.org. Electronic photos of the individuals mentioned in this press release are available on request.]
Leadership Florida
Leadership Florida is a statewide community of leaders actively engaged in understanding and serving Florida. By developing a reputation as a builder of a stronger, diverse statewide sense of community, Leadership Florida has become a respected non-partisan convener, taking the lead in training and developing leaders with a statewide, rather than parochial, view of our state’s needs.