In our weekly list of business people on the move, we highlight Palm Beach County professionals who are making a difference. These are people from across the spectrum of public and private endeavors, those working in charities, court houses, private practices and beyond. They are moving up within their industry, advancing their careers and standing out for their services within our community.
Here are this week’s professional standouts:
Nonprofit empowering nonprofits elects five members
Extraordinary Charities, a Palm Beach County nonprofit that drives community change by empowering nonprofits and their clients to grow, recently elected five new members to its board of directors. The five include Collin Adams (Paul Labrecque Salon), Kami Kreaps (Grow Your Tours), Lisa LaFrance (former executive director of Impact the Palm Beaches), Cory Lyon (TFG Financial Advisors) and Virginia Savietto (Palm Beach County school board). These five have all worked for the betterment of the Palm Beach County community and join an experienced and committed team of leaders. The organization publishes the Directory for Charitable Giving, a one-stop shop for philanthropists looking to learn more about local nonprofits and operates a nonprofit co-working space on Old Okeechobee Road. Additionally, Extraordinary Charities’ “Recipes for Success” program provides workforce development culinary training and employment opportunities to both neurotypical and neurodivergent clients as well as a full-service catering division.
Reading advocacy group adds board, staff members
Boca Raton-based Roots and Wings, a nonprofit focused on promoting grade-level reading skills for young students and excellence in teaching, has announced two additions to its board of directors as well as two new staff hires. The new board members are Marcia Mithun and Sid Breman. Mithun is a community leader who believes that with motivation and resources, anyone can achieve success and that acts of kindness, volunteering our time and skills all contribute to a happier, healthier society. Breman brings a wealth of experience in financial management, having spent decades leading a successful accounting firm and navigating the complexities of financial systems consulting. The two new staff additions are Karyn Keil and Sherry Zepatos. Keil is the director of operations at Roots and Wings and has held positions at multiple universities as well as PACE Center for Girls Broward, Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, Women of Tomorrow, and Achievement Centers for Children & Families. Zepatos is a seasoned business development consultant and passionate advocate for children’s causes.
Cox Science Center and Aquarium appoints board chair
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium recently announced the appointment of Palm Beach resident, Eric Stonestrom, as its new board chair. His position begins immediately following the retirement of his predecessor, Lew Crampton. Stonestrom, comes from a family of engineers and scientists and he is a technology executive with 40 years of experience in the telecommunications field. He and his family moved to Palm Beach in 2000. His son, Atticus, was a frequent visitor to the museum. Though there is a massive expansion planned, the facility’s current indoor/outdoor venue features more than 100 hands-on educational exhibits, a 10,000-gallon fresh and saltwater aquarium, digital planetarium, Pre-K focused “Discovery Center,” 18-hole conservation-themed mini-golf course and quarter-mile-long outdoor science trail.
Leadership Palm Beach County names board of governors
Leadership Palm Beach County recently named its 2024-25 board of governors. The include Trudy Crowetz, Denise Mariani, Ofelia Utset, Jessica Cecere, Rachelle Litt, Charles Duval, Telsula Morgan, Rhonda Rogers, Keely Gideon-Taylor, Gurbir Aulakh, Kimberly Lea, James Garvin, Stephanie Slater Goldfuss, Paul Shalhoub, Pam Sartory, Lindsey White, Lee Williams, Kathy Burstein, Jessica Clasby, Peter Cruise, Bonni Funt, Teresa Miller, Deana Pizzo and Corey Saban. All were sworn in during a ceremony in late July by Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Chelsea Reed. Founded in 1983, LPBC is a nonprofit featuring multiple programs with a stated goal to educate and unite leaders to build a better community.
Guardians Credit Union names new business service manager
Guardians Credit Union, a full-service financial institution, recently announced the promotion of Jose Abreu to the position of business services manager. Abreu has been an integral part of the Guardians One Family of Credit Unions since his hire in July 2014, when he began his journey as a teller at the company’s John D. Deese Service Center West Palm Beach Branch. As business service manager, Abreu will focus on enhancing the financial well-being of our business members by offering tailored solutions that meet their unique needs. Guardians Credit Union is a full-service financial institution headquartered in West Palm Beach. Organized in 1953, it operates as a not-for-profit cooperative that encourages thrift by providing loans at fair and reasonable rates, paying competitive dividends on savings products and implementing fewer service fees.
If you are looking for more insight into the movers and shakers operating in the Palm Beaches, subscribe to our real estate newsletter, The Dirt, keep an eye out for stories and perspective from veteran reporters Kimberly Miller and Alexandra Clough. If you have an announcement for Business People on the Move, please send it to [email protected].
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
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