Laura Adams serves as the Chief of the Sexual Battery/Child Abuse Unit which is a member of the Multidisciplinary Team at Kristi House Children's Advocacy Center. She has been with SAO since 1994. She holds a law degree from University of Florida and an undergraduate degree from University of Miami.

Mr. Eduardo Arriola
Apollo Bank
Member since 2005

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Brett A. Barfield, Esq.
Holland & Knight LLP
Member since 2008

Brett Barfield is a business litigation partner with Holland & Knight LLP. A native South Floridian, Brett co-leads his office's pro bono efforts and has won several pro bono legal services awards. Formerly a law clerk to the Honorable Edward Davis, Chief U.S. District Judge, he graduated valedictorian from St. Thomas University School of Law. Before practicing law, Brett spent several years in retail management as a territory supervisor with the Express apparel division of the Limited, Inc. He received his B.A. from Vanderbilt University. Since 2004, Brett has served on the board of directors of the Montessori Academy at St. John's, and currently is the board's chairman. He lives in Miami Beach with his life partner and their 5-year-old daughter.

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Michelle Barreau-Charles
Miami-Dade Aviation Dept.
Member since 2010

Michelle Barreau-Charles is an administrative officer with Miami-Dade Aviation where she has nearly 20 decades of experience in personnel management, airport operations, procurement and budget oversight. She has also been involved in the South Florida community in many facets, including serving on the board of the Junior League of Miami and as a loaned executive for United Way. Michelle has been involved with Kristi House for many years as a volunteer for the Touch a Heart Dinner, along with her two teenage daughters.

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Frederick W. Bredemeyer, II, Board President
ConsulPark, Inc.
Member since 2006

Fred Bredemeyer a parking consultant. Prior to this he was Deputy Director for Operations for Miami Parking Authority where he oversaw all facets of the authority's on-street and off-street parking operations which includes 22,000 parking spaces and 60+ parking facilities. Fred is a parking industry veteran with nearly two decades of experience. He is a graduate of Florida International University. He is an active member of the Kristi House Speaker's Bureau, helping to spread awareness of Kristi House and understanding of child sexual abuse throughout the community.

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Susan K. Dandes, Ph.D.
UM Child Protection Team
Founding Board Member since 1996

Susan Dandes is in the Pediatrics Department at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. She is the Clinical Director of the Psychology Division and the Clinical Director of the Child Protection Team, a partner with Kristi House. Dr. Dandes evaluates the psychological and developmental status of children suspected of being abused or neglected.

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Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz, Esq.
Child Advocate
Member since 2010

Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz is a Partner in the Miami office of Broad and Cassel. She is a member of the Firm's Banking and Institutional Lending, Real Estate and Special Assets Practice Groups. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz is an active member of the community, and serves as Board Vice President for The Cuban American Bar Association. She is a member of The Latin Builders Association and serves on the Board of Directors for American Red Cross. She was named a Florida Legal Elite Up & Comer" in Florida Trend Magazine for four years in a row, and as a "Hispanic Women of Distinction" in 2008.

Rachelle de Moya
Child Advocate
Member since 2010

Rachelle de Moya is a Certified Public Accountant who’s currently a stay-at-home mother to three children, ages 13, 10 and newborn. She moved to Miami four and a half years ago from Tampa where she obtained her Bachelors and Masters in Accounting at the University of South Florida. Rachelle has been co-chair of Kristi House’s Breaking the Silence annual program for two years helping to raise critical funds. She’s been a volunteer fundraiser for Westminister Christian School and Parent-to-Parent of Miami. Supporting organizations that assist children is something she holds dear to her heart.

Stephanie Demos, Esq.
Beasley & Demos
Member since 2002

Stephanie Demos is a civil trial lawyer and partner at Beasley & Demos. Formerly she was with Josephs, Jack & Miranda.  She has served on the board of the Junior League of Miami, and is a past chair of the League’s Inn Transition South, a facility housing women and children who are victims of domestic violence. A Miami native, she received her B.A. in History from the University of Florida and her J.D. with honors from St. Thomas University.  Ms. Demos also serves as Attorney Ad Litem with Voices for Children America, which awarded her the John Edward Smith Child Advocacy Award in 2005. She and her husband Christopher Brown have two children.

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Nelson Diaz, an attorney in Miami with Becker & Poliakoff, is the former aide to Speaker of the House Marco Rubio. Mr. Diaz grew up in South Florida and earned his Batchelor of Arts from Florida International University. He then went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida. Mr. Diaz currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Child and Family Health and is an advocate for the Teenage Parent Program of Miami-Dade County.

Mr. Jim Ellison
Child Advocate
Founding Board Member since 1996

Kristi House Board member James (“Jimmy”) Ellison has served on the Board since 1996, “nearly inception,” so he has witnessed Kristi House’s growth and continued demand for its services. In addition to Kristi House, Mr. Ellison is a board member for the Miami Light Project, presenters of contemporary visual arts and live performances, and for the Haitian Community Center Sant La, which he helped found in 2000. Mr. Ellison came to Miami in 1957 to attend the University of Miami. Over 40 years he grew his company, Cleanco, into a major laundry systems company, the biggest company of its kind in South Florida. He sold Cleanco in 1998. Mr. Ellison has been married to Janet for more than 25 years and they have three daughters and three grandchildren.

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David S. Evensky
Evensky & Katz Wealth Management
Member since 2011

David Evensky is principal at Evensky and Katz where he is responsible for business development, community outreach and client liaison. He is also the founder of a program that teaches youth about philanthropic giving and the nonprofit community, Motivated Youth, which he created together with Matt McGrath at Evensky & Katz in partnership with the Coral Gables Community Foundation and University of Miami. David is a recognized philanthropic leader in South Florida, having received the Keys to the City of Miami Beach and to Miami-Dade County, and having served as a board member, leader and volunteer for a number of organizations.

Fátima Pérez Fernández
Akerman
Member since 2011

Fátima Pérez Fernández, public policy advisor for Akerman, has experience in state and local governmental and external affairs, and in corporate communications. She directed the legislative and public affairs programs for BellSouth Telecommunications, then AT&T Florida, for almost a decade. Fatima came to South Florida from Cuba in 1980, received a Criminology degree from Florida State University, a masters in Public Administration from Florida International University, and also completed the National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellows Program at Harvard University. She is an executive board member of the Latin Builders Association of South Florida, among her many community involvements.

Ms. Ethel Fresen
Child Advocate
Member since 2010

Ethel Fresen worked as a Special Education teacher up until 2008, most recently with Somerset Academy Charter Schools. Since then, she has devoted her time to her children, volunteering and their school PTA, as well as activities related to her husband’s service as elected official Erik Fresen, Florida Representative for District 111.

Ms. Lauren Harrison Genovese
Child Advocate
Member since 2010

Lauren Harrison Genovese is an active community leader and volunteer, having served on the boards of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, Children’s Home Society, Arts and Business Council and Junior League of Miami, for which she served as president 2007-08. She retired in 2002 from a 21-year accounting and financial services career focused primarily on advising clients in bankruptcy, business turnaround and litigation support matters. She is the Kristi House Touch a Heart Dinner co-chair for 2010. She and her husband John Genovese, attorney with Genovese Joblove and Battista, P.A., reside in Coral Gables with their five-year-old twins, Stefan and Alessandra.

Jessica Hernandez-Lopez
A Design Proposition
Member since 2011

Jessica Hernandez-Lopez is creative director of her interior design firm, which she formed to pursue her long-time creative passion for art and visual décor a successful career in the medical device/bio-tech field. Jessica also devotes a lot of time to community leadership and involvement, serving on the boards of Beaux Arts Society of South Florida, Florida Parenting & Family Stabilization Education, MADD, among others. She has also been involved with Jackson Memorial Foundation, Holtz Children’s Hospital, and Baptist Health Foundation, understanding and community experience she brings to Kristi House. She and husband Anthony have two elementary age children.

Mr. Glenn Huber
BNY Mellon Wealth Management
Member since 2008

Glenn Huber is a Senior Sales Director in the Miami office of BNY Mellon Wealth Management. Mr. Huber has 23 years of financial planning experience including five years with the firm. His previous experience includes 13 years as vice president and business development officer with Northern Trust Bank of Florida. From 1984 to 1989, Mr. Huber served in a number of capacities for Barnett Bank. Mr. Huber earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida State University and is a graduate of the American Banker’s Association National Trust School program at Northwestern University. He is a Certified Financial Planner earning his mark from the Certified Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and is working toward earning a designation as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. Mr. Huber is also a Board member of the Friends of WLRN and the South Dade Estate Planning Council. He and wife Jaye live in Miami with sons Ian, 14 and Garrett, 9.

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Detective Gary Jackson
Miami Police Department, Sexual Battery/Child Abuse Unit
Founding Board Member since 1996

Gary Jackson is a Police Detective with 25 years of experience in investigating sexual and physical abuse cases. Detective Jackson has been a Kristi House Founding Board Member since 1996. He is a Miami native and a graduate from Barry University. In 2011 the City of Miami honored Gary with a Proclaimation recognizing his years of service on the Miami Police force. He has two grown children.

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Ms. Bobbie Jones-Wilfork, Secretary
Miami-Dade Aviation Department
Member since 2006

Bobbie Jones-Wilfork is an Assistant Aviation Director for Administration at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department where she has management oversight responsibility for the Administrative Services/Employee Development Division, Information Systems Division, Technical Support Division, Commodities Management Division and Contracts Administration Divisions. Mrs. Jones-Wilfork is a graduate of Florida State University and possesses both a Bachelor’s degree in Government and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. She is President of Dade County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a public service sorority and board member of both Family Christian Association of America and the Haitian Heritage Museum.

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Lonnie Lawrence
Congressman Kendrick B. Meek
Member since 2010

Lonnie Lawrence is Director of Special Operations for Congressman Kendrick B. Meek of the 17^th District of Florida. Prior to this role, Mr. Lawrence had 30+ years of Law Enforcement experience in Miami-Dade County He was born and raised in Miami, graduating from historic Booker T. Washington High School, Miami Dade Community College and Barry University. He is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University. Mr. Lawrence has received numerous awards for community service over the years.

Tricia LeClair
ASK Tapes
Member since 2006

Tricia LeClair has been involved with Kristi House for five years prior to her joining the Board of Directors. She and another generous volunteer have planned, hosted and arranged all the underwriting for Kristi House’s annual holiday party, a favorite tradition for Kristi House families. Ms. LeClair holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Virginia Tech. She grew up in Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina, has been a resident of Miami for the past seven years. She and her husband enjoy boating, spending many weekends on excursions to the Everglades.

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Lourdes Leon-Vega
Leon Medical Centers
Member since 2009

Lourdes Leon-Vega is Director of Leon Medical Centers Network and Senior VP of Leon Medical Centers Inc., dedicated to serving people on Medicare. Managing new ventures, strategic planning, operations and development as a Medicare Advantage provider, Ms. Leon oversees all activities of the Service Assessment Department and is responsible for maintaining the LMC “Service of Excellence” to over 30,000 members. She is a graduate of St. Thomas University and holds a degree in Business Management. She is a founding member and major supporter of Kristi House's Breaking the Silence program, along with the rest of her family and Leon Medical Centers.

Andrea Lippman Loeb
South Miami Psychology Group
Member since 2011

Dr. Andrea Loeb is a Licensed Psychologist who has been practicing in the Miami area for 13 years. Her specialties include assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults and adjustment to major life changes and challenges. Dr. Loeb also has extensive experience in the treatment of sexually abused children and served as Executive Director of Kristi House for more than two years when the Orlowitz-Lee Center opened in 1999. Dr. Loeb completed her internship and residency at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Medical Center, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She and her husband have three children.

Judy McCleary, Ph.D.
Past President (2004-2006)
Clinical Psychologist
Member since 1998

Dr. Judy McCleary is immediate past president and long-standing member of the Kristi House Board. While Dr. McCleary’s private practice is as a clinical psychologist for adults, her volunteer devotion has long been kids. In her service on the Kristi House Board she has provided mental health expertise to the leadership team for several years, and during her two-year presidential term, put  the steps in motion for the organization’s next decade of growth. She and her husband, George, have two teenage children, and live in Coconut Grove. Read full article from Kristi House News.

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Michel Angel Mendoza
Network Resources
Member since 2011

Michel Angel Mendoza is a business leader with experience and expertise in providing mental health services in residential and community-based settings. He is founder and president of Network Resources, a healthcare management consultancy firm that assists individuals and companies navigate insurance and benefits requirements so that patients can obtain needed services. He has experience advocating for public funding support for mental health services and residential treatment. Mike was a instrumental supporter and advisor to Kristi House’s inaugural Ride to the End motorcycle run in spring 2011.

Edie Murphy is Vice President/ Trust Advisor for Wachovia Trust in Miami. She serves as both Trust Specialist for the general bank, primarily in the Wealth area, and as Relationship Manager on designated accounts. Ms. Murphy’s previous experience has consisted of relationship manager for Northern Trust Bank of Florida N.A. in Miami as well as convention services manager for Grove Isle Club & Resort in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ms. Murphy holds a B.S. degree from Florida International University and earned a Certified Financial Planner Certificate from University of Miami. Ms. Murphy has been a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1999.  

Loretta Crews Nido
Child Advocate
Member since 2011

Loretta Crews Nido is an attorney who has been involved in community voluntarism since soon after relocating to Miami in 1998. She is past president of the Junior League of Miami (2010-2011), a supporting organization in the founding and building of Kristi House and which remains supportive to this day. Loretta’s work in the League has covered the spectrum from community projects to fundraising. She has served on the Executive Committee of Gulliver Academy and has been a volunteer attorney for the Florida Immigration Advocacy Center. She and husband Miguel have four boys ages 9 to 15.

Carol Novak, Member at Large
Child Advocate
Founding Board Member since 1996

Carol Novak is committed to building a stronger and healthier community for children and at-risk families in Miami-Dade through her volunteer work. In 1993, she served on a Governor's Task force to evaluate the system of care for children in our community. After the study, in 1995, Ms. Novak left to form the Child Advocacy Center as a full-time volunteer. Ms. Novak is a Kristi House Founding Member and has served on the Executive Committee since 1996. She has also served on the Board of Friends of Sylvester, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Board for the Statewide Network of Child Advocacy Centers. Ms. Novak is a graduate of FlU with a BS in Social Work. She has lived in Miami for 30 years and currently lives in Pinecrest with her husband. They have three grown children.

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Jeanette Nuñez, a Miami native, was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2011 for District 112. She is Vice President of External Affairs at Kendall Regional/Aventura Hospital, having been with Jackson Health Systems for several years. Ms. Nuñez has extensive involvement in health care advocacy, and recently, through Leadership Miami, created a scholarship program for homeless children. Ms. Nuñez received her BA in International Relations & Political Science and her MPA in Public Administration from Florida International University. She lives in Miami with her husband, Adrian, and three children.

Sheri Orlowitz is principal of SLOCO, and prior to that was founder and principal owner of Shan Industries, LLC, a holding company that operated two manufacturing companies. Prior to Shan Industries, Sheri was a litigator with the Miami office of Greenberg Traurig. She also worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, and was a participant in the Attorney General's Honors Program. Ms. Orlowitz is an international speaker on all aspects of entrepreneurialism, mergers and acquisitions and accessing capital, and spends a significant amount of time supporting and mentoring other women business owners. Among other causes she supports, Ms. Orlowitz is a founding member of the Orlowitz-Lee Children's Advocacy Center.

William Plasencia
Writer & Media Consultatnt
Member since 2009

William Plasencia is a writer, editor, entrepreneur, media consultant, project manager and technology advisor specializing in magazine and online media with extensive experience in U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets. Most recently he was Managing Editor at Latin Trade, the premier pan-regional business publication published monthly in English and Spanish for 15 years. Prior to that he served as Principal at WPA Media Group and Editor & Publisher at South Florida CEO Magazine. He is a graduate of University of Florida.

Zandra Rucker, Ed.D.
Retired: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Member since 2001

Dr. Zandra Rucker retired in 2009 haveing been Director of the Teenage Parent Program (TAP), District Regional Center Operations for the Miami-Dade district. Under her leadership the TAP Program provided specialized services to assist pregnant and/or teenage parents to obtain a high school diploma and to continue their education and pursue a college degree or vocation. Dr. Rucker holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Lincoln University of Missouri, and Master and Doctorate degrees from Nova Southeastern University. She is active in several community organizations, including serving as President of the South Florida Chapter of Lincoln University of Missouri Alumni and as a board member for Children’s Psychiatric Center, among others.

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Alexander Ruiz
RealCapital Consulting
Member since 2010

Alex Ruiz is the President of RealCapital Consulting and the former special aide to the Mayor of Hialeah, Julio Robaina. Alex has served on the City of Hialeah Personnel Board, sat on The Children's Trust of Miami Dade County and various other community service organizations. He holds his Bachelors in political science from Florida International University and a Masters in International Business from the University of Miami. Alex has been awarded numerous community service accolades and currently resides with his wife, Tatiana, in Miramar.

Sally M. Schwartz
MoneyClip Direct
Member since 2010

Sally Schwartz is a sales, marketing and administrative professional experienced with diverse organizations and companies first in Ohio and now in Miami where she has been living since 1999. She has equally broad experience as a volunteer for non profit organizations, having worked for many causes including human services, the environment, and the arts. She holds a BFA from the University of Cincinnati and currently serves as account executive for MoneyClip Direct.

Jon Shaw, MD
Miller School of Medicine
Founding Board Member since 1996

Dr. Jon Shaw is a founding board member of Kristi House and an internationally recognized expert on child sexual abuse and child trauma. He has been a professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine since 1989. He currently serves as Professor of Clinical Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics and as Chief of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division as part of the Mental Health Hospital Center. Dr. Shaw served as Chief in the Department of Psychiatry for the U.S. Army in Germany and spent several subsequent years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry. He received his bachelor and master degrees in Psychology, and his medical degree from the University of Oregon in Portland. He is a published author of dozens of articles and several books, and has helped secure several grants for funded research throughout Miami-Dade County. 

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Juan Trescastro, Member at Large
Royal Caribbean International
Member since 2007

Originally from Los Angeles, Juan Trescastro graduated from Columbia University and found his way to Miami where he is the Vice President of Guest Port Services at Royal Caribbean International. Mr. Trescastro was previously the Chairperson for Royal Caribbean’s United Way Campaign. He has a strong interest in helping children in the Miami-Dade community. When he is not working or volunteering, Mr. Trescastro enjoys spending time with his two children, his wife and riding his motorcycle. He is chair of Kristi House's Ride to the End.

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Charles Vodicka
InSource, Inc.
Founding Board Member since 1996

Chuck Vodicka is a Kristi House Founding Board Member with his tenure of service dating back to 1995. He served as Treasurer for Kristi House from 2003 to 2010. Mr. Vodika also serves on the board of directors for Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center and has consulted on risk management issues for several other non-profit organizations in our community. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Vodika has made Miami his home for the past 34 years.

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Sarah J. Washburn
Wilson, Washburn & Forster Insurance
Member since 2006

Sarah Washburn is an insurance agent at Wilson, Washburn and Forster Insurance, a Miami-based independent agency. Sarah graduated from Florida State University where she earned both a bachelor's in business communications and a master's degree in marketing. After graduation, she worked at General Motors in global sales and marketing. Following GM, Sarah returned to her home town to join the family business. Sarah currently enjoys the challenges of helping community businesses with all their insurance needs. With a focus on helping those in the non-profit sector, she is dedicated to representing excellent insurance companies and providing honest service. Sarah also enjoys being involved in many networking and community organizations, and is a recent Leadership Miami grad.

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Antonio Zamora, CPA, Treasurer
Paucar Zamora & Hernandez CPAs
Member since 2006

Antonio Zamora is a Certified Public Accountant and a principal of his firm. Prior to its founding in 2010, Mr. Zamora was Manager with Binstock, Rubin, Adler, Aldecoa & Ellzey, PA in Miami where he managed all aspects of client accounts, consulting, preparing corporate, partnership and individual tax returns. He has 14 years of experience in the accounting profession in Miami. Tony holds a Master of Science degree in Taxation and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting both from Florida International University.

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Judy Zeder and her firm, "The Zeder Team" specializes in marketing premiere homes in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Pinecrest. Judy is committed to providing absolutely the best real estate representation, marketing and service to her clients, and has successfully represented clients ranging from professional athletes to Fortune 500 executives for nearly a decade. She is a member of the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate. She has lent her marketing expertise to Kristi House and its "Breaking the Silence" campaign generating new support for Kristi House.