Pamela Reeve

Chair, The WOMEN’S EDGE

Pamela Reeve is Chair of The Women’s Edge, working with women CEOs, entrepreneurs and business leaders to help them grow their businesses and their careers. She is the former CEO of Lightbridge, Inc. a company she headed from start up in 1989, took public in 1996, and ran for 15 years. Prior to joining Lightbridge, Reeve spent eleven years at the Boston Consulting Group, one of the world’s leading management consulting firms. Her prior experience includes National Project Manager for a program funded by National Endowment for the Humanities, and real estate finance and development.

Jody Robie

Talent Works

Jody Robie has worked for more than 20 years designing and developing world class recruitment and talent attraction strategies for companies worldwide. Jody started her career in the broadcast industry as a Reporter, Producer, Account Executive and Sales Manager for multiple TV Stations in Boston including WCVB-TV Channel 5 and FOX 25. Currently, Jody is a shareholder and manages North America for Talent Works Int’l (TWI) a global Talent Attraction firm headquartered in the UK. She has been at TW for 10 years helping clients leverage Talent Work’s team of global outsourced recruiters, brand and insight specialists, and digital and creative marketers.

Prior to joining TW, Jody worked as the US Head of Employer Branding for Alexander Mann Solutions and a Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Buyer Advertising in Boston. In June 2022, she was awarded a Bronze Stevie award by the American Business Awards for “Maverick of the Year.” She is a long time Bostonian who attended Harvard University’s Extension School and Boston University’s College of Communication. She is a member of the Board of Directors for The Women’s Edge and involved with various HR and non-profit associations. She lives in Natick, MA with her husband Michael and two daughters.

Evelyn Barahona

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATIONAL FUND, US HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Evelyn Barahona was previously the first director of the Latino Equity Fund, the only philanthropic fund centered on the Latino community in the Commonwealth created in 2013 in partnership with the Boston Foundation and Hispanics in Philanthropy. In this role, she is tasked with increasing its philanthropic capacity to include civic leadership, advocacy, and centering its support to address key issues in equity and access in economic prosperity and health for the Latino Community through its platform of grant making, strategic partnerships, research, convening, and advocacy. Previously, Evelyn worked in the Philanthropy Group at The Boston Foundation as an Officer in providing strategic guidance to Donor Advised Fund holders interested in using their philanthropic dollars to address key community issues. She was instrumental in bringing racial equity discussions to donors and providing space to use philanthropy as a vehicle to strengthen equity in the nonprofit sector. Evelyn also served as a consultant for the Massachusetts United Puerto Rico Fund, and worked with an Advisory Committee in disbursing over $4 million dollars on the island on key recovery projects and providing philanthropic support in Massachusetts for the nonprofit sector handling an influx of relocated Puerto Ricans into the Commonwealth after Hurricane Maria and the following months and year.

Tricia Benjamin

Tax Partner, PwC

Tricia is a tax partner within the PwC Consulting group at PwC with over 18 years of business and tax experience on clients ranging from development stage to multinational, publicly traded companies on matters related to federal, state, and international corporate and flow through taxation. Tricia has focused primarily on tax accounting matters faced by pharmaceutical & life science, real estate, technology, and manufacturing companies.

Andrea Cohen

Co-founder and CEO, HouseWorks

HouseWorks co-founder and CEO Andrea Cohen is a social entrepreneur dedicated to transforming the way that care is delivered to seniors at home. Her vision for the business crystallized over 20 years ago when she took care of both her parents and became committed to making what she went through easier for families. In Boston over the last decade, Andrea and her team built the largest single site private home care company in the country.

Fay Donohue

Fay Donohue has been a leader in health and health care delivery and financing since 1975. She has brought her expertise in the dental benefits market and a deep commitment to improving oral health care delivery to her role as President and Chief Executive Officer of DentaQuest over the past 8 years. She retired in June 2015 and now focuses on board work, public policy and education.

Anne Doyle

CEO, SPARK LIVING AND LEARNING

Anne Doyle is an executive with more than thirty years of business and leadership experience running complex organizations in health care, senior care, education, age tech, and consulting. She is the CEO of Spark Living and Learning, partnering with leaders in senior living, universities, health care, and housing to create new kinds of intergenerational communities on college campuses. Anne is known for out-of-the-box thinking and driving results in environments where students of all ages thrive. Anne is known for shaping organizational cultures that prioritize personal and professional growth of employees and promote diversity and inclusion.

For eight years, Anne served as President of Lasell Village, an award-winning senior living community on the campus of Lasell University. Anne’s career includes senior positions at two large health insurers and at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. Anne was the director of the first national replication of the innovative Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) at six sites in Massachusetts.

Anne is a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee for the Village Bank, a Massachusetts mutual bank. She is a member of the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Board of Advisors, a director of the AgeFriendly Institute and The Women’s Edge, and a member of the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry.

Anne has an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, a BA from Tufts University, and was a Fulbright scholar in Sweden.

Elizabeth Hailer

chief executive officer, The WOMEN’S EDGE

Elizabeth is responsible for the leadership, growth strategy, branding, and management of The Women’s Edge (TWE), a non-profit organization that works with women CEOs, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, and the rising generation of women leaders to help them build successful business, organizations, and careers.

Elizabeth is a highly talented, pragmatic marketing and business development consultant who develops and implements effective strategies and programs needed for client development and acquisition. Prior to joining TWE in 2016, Elizabeth was President / Founder of Hailer Marketing Associates, where she provided clients with more than 35 years of deep hands-on experience in the professional services arena with specific expertise and success in marketing strategy and planning, marketplace positioning, business development programs and management, lead generation, and brand development and management. She has been long recognized as one of the marketing and business development “pioneers” in the professional services sector. Her enviable track record of success includes developing and leading international (Big 8, Big 4), as well as regionally recognized firms. She is a well-known and highly regarded brand builder who works collegially and effectively with firms and organizations, to adopt creative new strategies to advance and achieve measurable business objectives.

Elizabeth is well positioned and recognized in major business organizations throughout greater Boston, and is committed to the development and advancement of all women leaders. She was awarded as one of Boston’s Most Influential Women in 2020 by The Harvard Club of Boston. She is currently serving as a member of the City of Boston ’s Women’s Workforce Council. Her involvements in the business community have included: Board of Directors, Chair, Women’s Executive Forum ACG; Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Chair, Marketing Committee, Co-Chair, 40th Anniversary Year Celebration, The Boston Club; Chair, The Women of the Harvard Club Leadership Committee; Member, Mentor for Strategies for Success Program, The Commonwealth Institute; Member, ProVisors, Boston, MA, and Member, Conference Committee, New England Law Firm Marketing Association. She has presented to a variety of groups including Baker Tilly International, M&A International Global Conference, Massachusetts Society of CPAs, and Women’s Bar Association-Boston, and The Center for Women and Business, Bentley University.

John Hailer

President, 1251 Asset Management

John Hailer is the President – 1251 Asset Management of 1251 Capital Group. Prior to joining 1251 Capital Group, he was President & CEO of Natixis Global Asset Management in the Americas and Asia where he worked for over 18 years and was responsible for the firm’s asset management affiliates in the United States and Asia and distribution strategies worldwide.

Kip Hollister

Founder & ceo, the hollister group

Kip Hollister is the Founder & CEO of The Hollister Group – Staffing and Cultures. Since 1988, Kip has been committed to building a company that best serves clients by offering a full suite of services aimed at bringing exceptional people together to ignite business culture and unleash individual contribution. Kip received her Leadership & Mentoring certification through the Michael Shankin Arch of Leadership Program, her Leadership and Coaching certification from the John Maxwell Team, and is a Deepak Chopra certified meditation instructor. In her more than 30 years as business owner, Kip has grown the company into New England’s leading woman-owned staffing consultancy.

As an award winning and nationally recognized entrepreneur and business leader, Kip attributes The Hollister Group’s success to the trust and integrity that characterizes the leadership of her organization. Kip is a frequent keynote speaker on topics including: REAL™ Leadership, the power of imagination, letting go of limiting beliefs, resilience, and so much more. Kip is also a highly sought-after executive coach, helping leaders break through challenges to create new possibilities and opportunities in their careers and personal lives. At Kip’s core is the belief that each of us matters and has real impact and that everyone is a leader of their own life. She is innately committed to strengthening connection, creativity, and productivity by inspiring this realization in all.

Alice Kokodis

OF COUNSEL, LITTLER

Alice A. Kokodis provides practical advice to clients in a broad range of employment law matters. She has extensive experience litigating employment disputes of all types, including defending employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, and wage and hour violations. She has appeared in over 15 jurisdictions on behalf of her clients, and before federal and state courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

She draws on that litigation experience to counsel employers on effective strategies for avoiding litigation when possible, and preparing for litigation when it is unavoidable. Alice often partners with her client’s legal and HR teams, to provide advice at every stage of the employment relationship, ranging from the initial hiring, to every facet of daily operations, including compensation, performance management and terminations. Alice regularly drafts and negotiates executive employment contracts and severance agreements.

Alice is committed to pro bono activities and has dedicated her time as pro bono counsel to a Boston area nonprofit that provides programs and services aimed at preventing suicide.

In 2019, Alice was also appointed by the Town Moderator to serve on the Human Resources Board for the Town of Wellesley, MA.

Roxanne Martinez

Chief People Officer, CSI

Roxanne Martinez serves as CSI’s chief people officer (CPO). In this role, she leads the organization’s talent strategy, culture and employee experience in order to support a highly engaged workforce. She is accountable for talent acquisition and management, total rewards and recognition, DEI&B, employee relations, talent systems and analytics, internal communications and empowering CSI’s Human Resources business partners to successfully implement talent strategies to drive business results and create value.

With over 25 years of experience, Roxanne has enabled complex business and talent transformations and helped leadership teams build and sustain the highest levels of performance. She solves problems through an integrated business and talent lens and ensures employees experience an environment where they feel engaged, empowered and motivated each day.

Prior to joining CSI in 2023, Roxanne served as executive vice president and chief human resources officer of DentaQuest Ventures, LLC. She also served in several executive HR leadership roles for Liberty Mutual Insurance, where she led the talent strategy for several strategic business units’ transformation efforts.

Roxanne serves on the board of directors and advisors for multiple organizations, such as the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), Boston’s Dimock Center and the D’Amore-McKim College of Business at Northeastern University in Boston, where she serves as co-chair. She is also a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA). Roxanne has received numerous accolades during her career, including being acknowledged several times as one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas (MPL) in the U.S. by ALPFA and is now a member of the MPL Hall of Fame. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, attending concerts, and engaging in several sporting activities, including soccer and Pilates.

Roxanne received a B.A. in politics from Brandeis University and a J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law

Mim Minichiello

Chief Performance and Talent Officer, HUB International

Mim Minichiello serves as Chief Performance and Talent Officer at HUB International New England, where she leads HUB International’s human capital performance efforts which are intended to allow each employee to achieve the excellence they aspire to. In addition, Mim oversees HUB’s innovative Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) approach in the East region, focusing on designing and delivering meaningful regional DE&I initiatives for employees and clients alike. With over 25 years of experience, Mim provides leadership and implementation of employee benefit initiatives across the New England Region, building and expanding the HUB New England’s offerings as the top employee benefits solution provider.

Mneesha Ohri Nahata

Senior Vice President, Legal & Chief Sustainability Officer
American Tower Corporation

Ms. Nahata joined American Tower in 2005, where she focuses on corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and compensation matters, sustainability, public disclosures and investor outreach, risk management and public affairs initiatives. Prior to American Tower, Ms. Nahata was a business law associate at Locke Lorde, working with public and private companies on equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and other general corporate and securities matters. Ms. Nahata holds a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Tufts University. She is a frequent panelist on sustainability and governance matters. Ms. Nahata serves on the Board of the American Tower Foundation and is on the Advisory Board for the Eastern New England Chapter’s Society for Corporate Governance. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Board of the Brookline Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving excellence and innovation in public school education, the Leadership Council of the Posse Foundation, Boston, a nonprofit organization that partners with select colleges and universities to provide student scholarships and leadership training and the Technology Advisory Board of UP Education Network, a nonprofit organization focused on transforming the lowest performing schools in Massachusetts into exceptional learning environments.

Terrie Perella

Social venture partners

Terrie Perella is a marketing, business development and communications leader, experienced at driving brand awareness, marketing innovation, and demand generation within professional services and technology companies, from start-ups to global consulting firms. Most recently, she led national marketing teams for Deloitte and RSM US, delivering strategic marketing plans and revenue growth for these global professional services firms. Earlier in her career she held marketing and technology leadership roles within the technology sector, with expertise in strategic partnerships, information technology, and mergers and acquisitions.

Terrie has a passion for venture philanthropy and is enjoying her work as a board member and partner with Social Venture Partners. Terrie is also on the board of The Commonwealth Institute (TCI), where she is chair of the marketing committee; a member of Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Executive Council for the Susan Smith Center for women’s cancers; and is an advisory board member of Samaritans, Inc. Terrie is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston College, earned her MBA at Boston University, and lives in Southboro, MA with her family.

Colette Phillips

Colette Phillips Communications

Colette A.M. Phillips is president and CEO of Colette Phillips Communications, Inc., and founder and president of The GK Fund and the multicultural professional and business networking organization Get Konnected! For 30 years, Colette has been a powerful voice and effective agent of change in one of America’s oldest cities. An immigrant Black woman from the Caribbean island of Antigua described by Boston Magazine as “Boston’s Great Connector” and cited by Boston Globe for “changing the conversation about diversity in Boston,” she was the subject of a Harvard Business School case study for creating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ecosystem. Colette has brought her passion, power, and wisdom to publications and C-suites around the globe. She has spent a lifetime making workplaces more inclusive, opening them to new markets, talent, and possibilities.

Marcel V. Quiroga, RMA

Founder & CEO
TQM Wealth Partners, LLC

Marcel founded TQM Wealth Partners in 2016 with the purpose of providing objective advice through comprehensive financial and legacy planning to clients who value personalized counsel. As CEO, Marcel sets the strategic direction for the firm. She is also on TQM’s front lines as a Retirement Management Advisor (RMA) and financial advisor; her primary focus is on advanced planning to help clients protect, grow, and transfer their wealth to efficiently drive towards their goals while remaining grounded in their personal and family values.

Marcel holds a BSc in Business Administration from the Universidad Privada Boliviana. She is also a Certified RMA with over 25 years of experience. Marcel has held numerous positions in the financial planning and advisory industry as Chief Relationship Officer at Capital Formation Group, as well as at both Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley as a financial advisor. She has also held leadership positions at several financial institutions in Bolivia.

Marcel is heavily involved in her community. She is the founder of The Legacy Dialogues, which she created with the purpose of inspiring others to pursue philanthropy. She is also an active volunteer for the Alpha in Spanish program at her Church, on the Board of Overseers at Salem State University, and a founding member and former Chair of the Latino Council for Boston Children’s Hospital. When Marcel is not in the office or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with family, reading, meditating, and doing yoga.

Jeff Swartz

Morgan Stanley

Jeff brings valuable experience to his role as a leader at Morgan Stanley. A Managing Director, Complex Manager and PWM Regional Manager, Jeff is proud to be a vital member of the firm’s history for nearly 30 years. He has earned the reputation of being a strong and collaborative leader to the many teams of financial advisors he serves. He enjoys providing them with the skills, tools and resources to further develop their business, while advocating for them internally and as they work directly with their clients.

For his experience and dedication to his firm and community, Jeff has received numerous distinctions and professional accolades throughout his career. In 2017, he was named to the Advisory Board on the City of Boston’s Women’s Work Force Council. Most recently, he was recognized as Morgan Stanley’s first male recipient of the firm’s MAKERS Award in 2018. MAKERS is a national program dedicated to identifying and celebrating women of accomplishment across all fields of endeavors.

Kim Walsh

Chief Growth Officer, impact.com

Kim helps companies in building and leading best-in-class GTM sales and partnership organizations. Kim spent 11.5 years building an enterprise sales team and GTM partnership organization at HubSpot. In 2018, she founded harper ventures, an investment company with the thesis to responsibly invest in the best operator-led companies, and deploy at least 50% to underrepresented founders.  She is active with organizations that promote women and diversity in leadership and on boards. Kim is a speaker on the topics of Go-To-Market, Startups, Investing, GTM, Partnerships, Product led growth, Sales, High-Performance Teams, and Culture.

Tami Blanco

VP Strategic Sourcing & Site Services, Carnival Cruise Line

Tami Blanco joined Carnival Cruise Line in 2011 in Accounting Operations – after a number of different roles in Finance Operations, she was promoted to Vice President – Finance Operations in 2014; she moved to Human Resources in early 2018 before accepting her current role in early 2020 leading the Strategic Sourcing and Procurement efforts for the Food, Beverage and Hotel categories along with managing the Carnival HQ facilities and site services. She has been the leading force in developing Women in the Workplace initiatives and creating Carnival’s women-based networking group, Aspiring Women at Carnival. Prior to joining Carnival, Tami held various roles at Royal Caribbean Cruises (corporate treasury, revenue management/itinerary planning and sales support) and at Ryder System (cash / interest expense management and general financial reporting). A Certified Public Accountant, Tami holds a BS in Accounting from University of Florida and a Master’s Degree from FIU’s School of Accounting. She is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals, the National Association of Professional Women and Society for Human Resource Management; and, holds leadership roles in a number of other non-profit organizations: Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida (Advisory Board), Miami Women’s Panhellenic (Secretary), and Girls’ Inc.’s 150+ Women Strong.

Kirsten Dolan

Chief Executive Officer, One Parking, Inc.

As the owner of One Parking, Kirsten specializes in helping owners recognize the revenue potential of their parking assets. She co-founded One Parking 16 years ago. Prior to that, Kirsten worked for over 15 years for the largest transportation management company in the world, Central Parking. She has over 30 years of experience operating and maximizing the revenues of parking assets.

Formerly responsible for the profitability and operations of over 200 locations on the West Coast, Kirsten now oversees the operational and financial aspects of the One Parking portfolio at the corporate level. As CEO, she drives results of both the financial and service aspects of our client’s parking assets and creates the strategic vision for One Parking’s future. She specializes in the marketing of parking locations, as well as the implementation of control, utilizing her unique educational combination of Marketing and Accounting.

Kirsten holds a B.S. Degree in Marketing from Arizona State University. Additionally, she holds a Business Analytics Certification from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Business School, and a Negotiation and Influence Certificate from MIT Sloan Executive Education. Kirsten is a Member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), The Commonwealth Institute, a Member of Women In Parking, and the Commercial Real Estate Women Network (CREW) Palm Beach/Treasure Coast Network. Kirsten was voted South Florida’s Most Influential Businesswoman in 2014 and honored by The Commonwealth Institute (TCI) as one of Florida’s Top Women-Led Businesses from 2014-2021.

Margalit Edelman

Director (Head), Latin America Public Affairs
Novartis

Margalit Edelman has spent most of her career focused on international relations and public policy through a variety of roles in the pharmaceutical industry, the media and the not-for-profit/think tank world.

At Novartis, Margalit leads the company’s Latin America public affairs and policy function, driving our government relations strategy in the region, spearheading various regional initiatives around access and innovation, representing the company in trade associations and other fora, and partnering with in-country colleagues to support Novartis’ presence in the region.

Prior to joining Novartis, Margalit served as Pfizer’s international public affairs lead for the company’s oncology business unit. In this role, she was the company’s primary liaison with international cancer patient organizations and policy stakeholders and was instrumental in advancing Pfizer’s engagement and reputation with the global oncology patient community. Some of her accomplishments include creating the SPARC Metastatic Breast Cancer Challenge with UICC in 2014; collaborating with the Max Foundation to develop the Max Access Solutions partnership to provide 4 Pfizer oncology medicines to patients in low-income countries; and leading public affairs activities in support of the launch of more than 7 new oncology medicines in 5 years.

Margalit has had other roles in the pharmaceutical industry including managing Latin America public policy and outreach at both Pfizer and previously at Merck. In another role at Merck she managed Merck’s HIV/AIDS grants to not-for-profit partners outside the US engaged in advocacy, awareness and community outreach, and spearheaded a women’s health access initiative to expand access to contraceptive products in sub-Saharan Africa.

Margalit also worked as an associate producer at the Associated Press TV News in Washington, DC, where she interviewed politicians and covered various news events (such as the 2000 Presidential election). And she has worked as a researcher, editor and media director at various public policy think tanks in Washington, DC and London, and has published more than 100 articles and opinion pieces in major media.

Margalit received her MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business in 2010. Previously, she completed her MSc in International Relations: Politics of the World Economy (with distinction) at the London School of Economics and received her BA in Hispanic Studies and Political Science from Brown University, where she was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa honor society and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

In her spare time, Margalit is an active hiker, plays tennis regularly, and enjoys seeing live music. She sits on the advisory board of Florida International University Masters in International Business program and is active in other civic and academic activities.

Dorothy Eisenberg

Partner, Gerson, Preston, Robinson, Klein, Lips & Eisenberg, P.A.

Dorothy S. Eisenberg, a prominent certified public accountant, brings a wealth of taxation experience to Gerson, Preston, Robinson & Company, and is highly regarded by the clients she serves.

Jerry Haar

Professor and Executive Director, The Americas, Florida, College of Business, Florida International University

Jerry Haar is a professor of international business and Executive Director for the Americas as well as Faculty Advisor for Executive Education in the College of Business, Florida International University. He is also a Global Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a non-resident senior research fellow at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He has held visiting appointments at Wharton, Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, and the American Enterprise Institute and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in Brazil. A former director of Washington Programs for the Council of the Americas, Dr. Haar holds graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins, Columbia and Harvard and has authored 17 books and numerous articles. A consultant to multinational firms, he has appeared in media such as the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Miami Herald, The Hill and CNN.

Babette Hankey

CEO, Aspire Health Partners

Babette Hankey is the Chief Executive Officer of Aspire Health Partners, one of the largest behavioral health care companies in the Southeast, with a budget of nearly $100 million and a staff of 1,300.

Ms. Hankey has worked in the field of behavioral healthcare for over 25 years, of which 5 years she worked in the White House Drug Policy Office under the Bush and Clinton administrations. Ms. Hankey has been recognized for her innovative program designs that blend resources for some of the most vulnerable and underserved children and their families at the local, State and National levels.

She is recognized in the field as a leader amongst those working with victims of human trafficking, juvenile justice youth, LGBT programming, veteran initiatives, child welfare and other vulnerable populations. Ms. Hankey is a Certified Prevention Professional, Certified E-Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. Ms. Hankey is the President of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, Board Member of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, Project Opioid and Central Florida Cares Health Network, and a past Board Member of HEAL Trafficking, a national health, education, advocacy and linkages trafficking organization in which she served as the chair of the Direct Services committee.

Ms. Hankey was named as a 2020 CEO of the Year by the Orlando Business Journal and was recognized as a 2021 Women Who Mean Business awardee by the Orlando Business Journal. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, Smith School of Business and her Master’s degree from UCF School of Public Health and earned a certificate in Leadership for Senior Executives from the prestigious Harvard Business School.

Sherese McGriff

CEO & President, The Desoto Group

Mrs. McGriff is the Chief Executive Officer and President of The Desoto Group. She brings over 20 years of operational and administrative leadership experience, including the skills necessary to cultivate a dynamic corporate environment that is driven to achieve customer satisfaction. As CEO, she is fully immersed in overseeing day-to-day operations for Desoto’s multiple business lines, and maintaining strong relationships with Desoto’s public and private partners.

Mrs. McGriff’s expertise is derived from her experience in policy development and review, over 20 years of business management, 15 years of storm damage restoration management, and 10 years of contract management and construction project management. Her extensive training in emergency management and public safety and security gives her the organizational and management skills necessary to excel in the EPC industry. Mrs. McGriff is a licensed General Contractor in multiple states, certified in FEMA Level III Emergency Management, and a certified SHRM Human Resources Manager.

Veronica Millares

Group Director – Sales Strategy & Operations
Ryder System, Inc.

My passion is Sales – developing solutions to drive their success, performance, and growth. I demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills in to develop relationships across the functional areas to ensure efficiency in a competitive environment.

My career has equipped me with proven success in sales operations, strategy development, revolutionary sales initiatives, and overall business evolution. Moreover, I have been consistently characterized by my unwavering perseverance and desire for excellence in not only developing strategy, but implementing it – streamlining processes and innovating functional change to increase sales productivity that optimize revenue growth. I am recognized as an innovative and strategic thinker that also flourishes in project execution – meeting and exceeding sales goals, controlling expenses, and improving metrics for the company through effective leadership, training, coaching, and general management expertise.

Sharon Prolow

Wealth Advisor, Alliance Bernstein

Sharon L. Prolow is a Vice President and Wealth Advisor with Bernstein Private Wealth Management and is located in the West Palm Beach office of the firm. She works with high-net-worth families and individuals, non-profits and small businesses and, together with their other professional advisors and Berntesin’s portfolio and wealth management specialists, she helps clients make investment decisions optimized to meet their goals. Prior to joining the firm, she was CFO of Prolow-Biden Partners, LLC, an investment banking firm focused on energy-related companies. Before that, she was portfolio manager and head of the asset allocation program for JP Morgan’s private client group in New York. Sharon earned a BS in finance and accounting from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and she has done course work for an MBA in Finance at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Sharon is a Chartered Financial Analyst and charterholder. She is active in her community and has served on many boards and committees, including Baptist Health Foundation, Susan B. Komen South Florida, Breastcancer.org, Joe Namath Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Palm Beach American Heart Association, Jupiter Medical Center, the Dreyfoos Schools of the Arts, the Florida Philharmonic and the Jewish Women’s Foundation. She started the local chapter of the Blessing in a Backpack in Palm Beach, has served as a Girl Scout Leader, and has been involved in fundraising for the Benjamin School, The Pine School,, and Oxbridge Academy. Sharon is a tennis and gold enthusiast.

Teresa Rogell

SVP, Employee Benefits Consultant, HUB International

Teresa Rogell serves as SVP, Employee Benefits Consultant with HUB International Florida. In her role, Teresa partners with organizations to align their human capital goals and business objectives to execute their employee benefit’s vision. Teresa is a creative problem solver and leverages data and analytics to help her clients achieve long-term outcomes with their talent and financial resources.

Earlier in her career, Teresa spent over 10 years in regional banking; predominately in Treasury Services before transitioning to Human Capital Management Consulting.

Teresa holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from Cornerstone University.

Sue Romanos

CEO Emeritus, CareerXchange

With over 20 years of experience in the Human Resources and personnel recruitment field, Sue has built CAREERXCHANGE® into the 28th largest diversity business in Florida. In 2004, CAREERXCHANGE was also named the 172nd top diversity business in the US.

In 1988, Sue founded CAREERXCHANGE in Miami, Florida. Through a combination of internal growth and acquisition, she has built CAREERXCHANGE into one of the most prominent organizations in its field. CAREERXCHANGE serves the South Florida market, and also provides staffing solutions to over 500 companies ranging from mid-size to large Fortune 500 corporations. The company’s success stems from its business philosophy as well: increasing performance, reducing cycle times, and improving return on investment in its client’s core business through use of a contingent workforce and qualified direct hire candidates. Last year CAREERXCHANGE provided jobs for over 2000 employees.

Sue is a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), a Certified Temporary Specialist (CTS), and a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP). Currently, she serves on the Executive Committee and is a founder of ANSERTEAM, the Alliance of National Staffing and Employment Resources. Enterprising Women Magazine has just honored Sue as Enterprising Woman of the Year for 2005. In 2002, she received the Business Woman of the Year Award from the South Florida Business Journal, in the Corporation category.

Sue has published numerous articles, and has been cited in both newspapers and national magazines. She has lectured at Nova, FIU and Miami Dade College. Sue is a resident of Weston, FL.

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Teresa Salemi

Commercial Market Leader, SOutheast Florida, Senior Vice President, PNC

Teresa Salemi is the Market Leader for PNC’s Southeast Florida Commercial Banking Group. She leads a team of Relationship Managers and together they deliver impactful advice and customized solutions to optimize the financial performance of lower middle market companies located on Florida’s East Coast. Teresa’s 30+ year career has been spent working in many aspects of banking. For the last 20 years, she has focused exclusively on working with business owners helping them grow their businesses. Teresa and her team work directly with companies in the $5-50MM revenue space.

Teresa is also part of a team leading Women’s Financial Development for PNC Bank, supporting PNC’s Project 257 (pnc.com/women) as well as leading a program for PNC’s Women’s Business Advocates (WBAs) continuing education. Teresa is the President of the market’s EBRG-Women Connect, as well as the market champion for Women’s Business Development locally.

Teresa supports PNC”s Grow up Great Program, a bilingual initiative that helps prepare preschool children to succeed in school and life.

Teresa is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University. She is a 45-year resident of Broward County.