JULY 25, 2007

CARLA MARIE REID - Tallahassee, Chair
Carla Reid has been owner and manager of the Black Dog Cafe, a community coffee house, since 1997. She is one of the founding members of the Independent Business Association and Community Alliance (IBACA), an organization dedicated to promoting locally owned businesses. Carla also holds a doctorate in the Humanities and teaches ethics courses at Florida State University. Carla lives in Tallahassee.

DAWN STEWARD - Orlando, Secretary/Treasurer
Dawn Steward is the Legislative Chairperson and was formerly the Resource Development Chairperson for the Florida PTA (Parent Teacher Association). She is employed with the Healthy Start Coalition in Orange County as Operations Manager and Orange County Florida KidCare Outreach Coordinator. She is also responsible for the Coalition’s donor base and fund development. She is a certified contract manager with the Florida Department of Health. She has extensive training in Board Development and she is responsible for resource development of the Florida PTA. Dawn has also held a Series 7 Stock and Bond Securities License and formally worked as Margin Bookkeeper and Sales Assistant with Dean Witter, Merrill Lynch.

RAY CANTERBERY, Ph.D. - Tallahassee, Member
Ray Canterbery is a retired Professor of Economics (FSU) and the author many acclaimed books and articles in economics, including The Making of Economics (now in its 4th edition) and the forthcoming Alan Greenspan: The Oracle Behind the Curtain. He has served as President of the Eastern Economics Association and of the International Trade and Finance Association. A consulting economist to the United Nations and to private industry, he also was named the Truman Scholar for 2000-01. The International Biography Centre in Cambridge, England includes Canterbery among 500 persons worldwide in its Living Legends, among 2000 scholars worldwide in its Outstanding Scholars in the 21st Century, in 1000 Great Intellectuals, in 2000 Outstanding People, and in 1000 Great Americas. The American Biographical Institute includes Canterbery in its Great Minds of the 21st Century. He is also listed in Marquis Who’s Who in the World and Who’s Who in America, as well as in many other biographical sources.

JOHN C. HALL—Tallahassee, Member
John Hall is the former Executive Director of The Arc of Florida, a position he held over six years. He has worked in the field of social services for thirty-eight years, over half of which has been in the field of developmental disabilities. He is a graduate of both Ohio State University and the University of Michigan where he received a MSW. His prior experience includes work conducting public policy research at three large state universities; program administration at the former Florida Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services; working as a budget analyst in the Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget; and as a senior policy analyst at Florida TaxWatch, a privately funded governmental “watchdog”.

TAMECKA PIERCE—ORLANDO, Member
Tamecka Pierce is a seasoned community activist. She resides in Orlando with her three children. As the State Board Chair of Florida ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) Tamecka has spearheaded campaigns to win better consumer protections from utility companies, a state increase in the minimum wage and has been a tireless advocate for civil rights. She has received local, statewide, and national acclaim, recognition, and awards for her work on behalf of working families, the poor, and civil rights. Roger Roy profiled her in the Orlando Sentinel, "Newsmakers: In the spotlight" (June 27, 2004). She has been awarded the following prestigious honors:
 Orange County Young Democrats' Harry T. Moore Award, 2006, for her individual contributions that led to an increase in awareness and activism amongst minorities.
 Take Back America's Paul Wellstone Citizen Leadership Award, 2005, for her work on a decent minimum wage in Florida.
 Opening Minimum Wage Presentations for Sen. Ted Kennedy, 2004 & 2005, DC.
 ACORN's National Leadership Training Award, 2004.

MARIA RODRIQUEZ - Miami-Dade County, Member
Maria Rodriguez is the Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, a statewide, membership led coalition that currently brings together close to 50 organizations to support the fair treatment of immigrants. For the past 20 years, she has worked to defend the basic human rights of low income and migrant peoples at home and abroad. She has played an active role in protecting and expanding healthcare coverage, through Medicaid, KidCare and Trust Care as well as through the establishment and growth of two free clinics, one in Washington, DC and the other in Florida City. A wide variety of groups have benefited from Maria's skilled facilitation, training and technical assistance. She earned an undergraduate degree in Linguistics with a minor in history at Georgetown University. Maria lives in Miami-Dade County.

Dr. ANTHONY VIEGBESIE - Tallahassee, Member
Dr. Viegbesie (“Dr. V.”) is a professor of economics and public administration at Tallahassee Community College and an adjunct professor of economics and agricultural business at Florida A&M University for over 20 years. Dr. V is a Vice President of the Florida State Conference of NAACP; he has chaired the Political Action Committee for the NAACP; he is the Vice-president of the Enterprise Zone Development Agency (EZDA); he received the "1998 Public Service Award" from the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and a host of other awards. He is a graduate of Florida Educational Leadership Career Advancement Scholars Program; Leadership Tallahassee Program; and Citizen leadership Institute's Citizen Leadership Training Program.