Clearwater, FL – Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties is proud to announce its Board of Directors for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

The Habitat Board of Directors recently elected the slate of officers to begin their service on July 1, 2023. These individuals will all serve on the Executive Committee of the Board for the next twelve months, with Ford as Chair serving for two.

• Chair – Heather Ford, CFO, Power Design
• Vice Chair – Frank Starkey, CEO/Founder, People Places LLC
• Treasurer – Ken Ginel, EVP, CFO & Treasurer, Raymond James Bank
• Secretary – Chris Hackney, SVP of Small Business Lending, Bayfirst National Bank
• Immediate Past Chair – Brandon Brayboy, Owner & CEO, Lakeland Liquidation
• At-Large – Ian Peterson, Founder & CEO, Dialed In Golf Solutions
• At-Large – Chris Majeski, SVP, Head of Private Client Group Supervision, Raymond James
• At-Large – Lynn Skelton, Owner, ProSource of Port Richey
• Mike Sutton, President & CEO (non-voting)

Habitat welcomes four new members whose terms begin on July 1, 2023. Their bios are included below.

• Carolina Conner, Luxury Real Estate Advisor, Engel & Volkers
• Jose Gomez, Architect, Harvard Jolly Architecture
• Iris Gonzalez. Founder/Principal, Links-G Consulting
• Alicia Tennell, Digital Strategy & Fintech Analyst, Americas, Franklin Templeton

“Our organization thanks these four individuals who are leaving the board this year,” said Mike Sutton, Habitat President & CEO. “All have been instrumental in Habitat’s growth and ability to serve families in our community during their years of service.”

• Alfredo Anthony, President, Numillennium Strategies, LLC
  • Seven years of service; served as a member of the Executive Committee and as Board Chairman from 2018-2020
• Patti Templeton, Executive Director, One Community Now
  • Seven years of service; served on the Executive Committee
• Rebecca Watson, Founder, Limitless Leader, Inc.
  • Four years of service
• Jarrett Dixon, Founder & CEO, Master Restoration
  • Two years of service

New Member Bios

 

Carolina Conner
Broker Associate, Luxury Real Estate Advisor, Engel & Volkers
Director, Board of Directors, Florida Realtors
Director, Board of Directors, Pinellas Realtor Organization (PRO)
Owner, Carolina Conner Construction

Carolina Conner is from Bogota, Colombia. She is the spouse of a retired U.S Military Officer. Carolina is a community builder with a strategic vision of leadership and growth and a professional with over 15 years of experience in Organizational Development, Training, Talent, and Career Development. She has experience working with multicultural teams and leading transition programs. Carolina provided career and employment services for over five years to 1500 service members per year in a transition program assisting service members move to civilian life for two of the largest military installations at Fort Hood and Fort Bragg. She was recognized for outstanding performance, academic scholar, and winner of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” award presented by former Governor of Texas Rick Perry.

Carolina graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Libre de Colombia. She obtained a Title of Specialist in International Business from the University of Bogota, Jorge Tadeo Lozano. She continued her studies in the United States with a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership, honor graduate Suma Cum Laude, Delta mu Delta from Webster University.

Carolina’s passion is helping people reach their educational, professional, and financial goals. Carolina serves on the Board of Directors at the Pinellas Realtor Organization & Central Pasco Realtor Organization, and Florida Realtors. In addition, she supports different local non-profit organizations and boards in different capacities serving as a Director, Mentor, Advisor, Entrepreneur, and Veteran Advocate such as the Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Pinellas County, FAVOB Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Business, Pinellas County Schools Hispanic Achievement Committee, PRO/CPRO DEI Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and Pinellas International Council at the Pinellas Realtor Organization & Central Pasco Realtor Organization.

Carolina found Real Estate an excellent career where she can continue helping families and specialize in Global Military Relocation. She owns a Construction Company with her husband providing residential and commercial services to her clients. Carolina lives in Indian Rocks, Pinellas County, with her husband Jason and two daughters, Alejandra & Gabriela.

 

Iris Gonzalez
Founder/Principal, Links-G Consulting

Iris Gonzalez is the Founder and CEO at Links-G Consulting LLC, a boutique Public Affairs firm that offers high-level public affairs strategies, facilitates strategic alliances, and provides branding, community, and media relations initiatives to achieve results successfully. Iris currently represents a few independently owned TV networks. Gonzalez has extensive experience in media relations and the telecommunication industry.

Most recently, Gonzalez worked for Charter Communications, where she was responsible for advocating public policy issues on behalf of the corporation that impacted the business and constituencies. In this role, she developed and implemented a strategic plan that engaged and mobilized external support, built and expanded relationships and alliances at all levels of government, developed public awareness initiatives, and educated the public to grow grassroots support.

Prior to her role at Charter Communications, Gonzalez served as Corporate Director for Multicultural Strategies for Bright House Networks. Gonzalez joined Bright House Networks in 2005 with prior experience in sales, marketing, and public relations for the Spanish broadcaster Telemundo in Tampa, Florida.

Gonzalez received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of South Florida. She is also an alumna of the 2013 National Association of Multi-Ethnicity (NAMIC), Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP), from the Darden School of Business.

Gonzalez’s professional affiliations include the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity (NAMIC), the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), and Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT). Gonzalez was appointed in 2015 by Florida Governor Rick Scott to the Board of Trustees for Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and served as the Vice-Chair for the Board of Directors of the Florida Virtual School Foundation. Iris serves on the board of directors for the Youth Empowerment Alliance, which advocates for global literacy, and on the advisory board for the National Diversity Coalition.  Iris has been recognized by Cablefax Magazine as one of the most Influential Multi-ethnic Executives and CableFax Magazine’s Most Powerful Women 2020 in Regulatory.

 

Jose A. Gomez 
Architect, Harvard Jolly Architecture

Jose A. Gomez is a Florida native, born in Tampa, and has been working in St Petersburg for over 10 years. He is an Architect at Harvard Jolly Architects PBK based out of St Petersburg Florida. He has a master’s in Architecture from the University of South Florida ‘12.

As an architect, his primary focus is working on K-12 and higher education projects. He also works on the occasional government or municipal project. A lot of the projects he has worked on are in the Tampa Bay Area.

When he is not working, he is involved in the community by volunteering throughout the year. He has served on the planning committee for Leadership St Pete (Class of 2022), on the advisory council for Ronald McDonald House, and as a board member for St. Pete Young Professionals.

 

Alicia Tennell
Digital Strategy & Fintech Analyst – Americas, Franklin Templeton

Alicia Tennell is a Digital Strategy & Fintech Analyst for Franklin Templeton’s global Digital Strategy & Wealth Management Group. Franklin Templeton (FT) is one of the largest independent asset managers in the world, serving clients in over 155 countries.

She is responsible for fintech research and analysis of distribution and client experience opportunities where FT may have an interest in engaging in strategic investment partnerships, commercial agreements, or acquisitions.

Prior to this role, Alicia was selected to be a part of FT’s premiere Futures Associate cohort, where she rotated through different departments in a management trainee program. She has held various positions at FT during her 6-year tenure. Alicia is actively involved in her local community, supporting non-profits like EmpowHERment by hosting financial education courses, and is an alumnus of the Leadership St. Pete program.

In addition to her primary role, Alicia serves as the Marketing & Communications lead for Franklin Templeton’s Black Empowerment Network business resource group (BRG) and project-managed the firm-wide Inclusion Education Series supporting 8 internal BRGs. Alicia holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg in Marketing, International Business, and Management.

2023 – 2024 Board of Directors

Executive Committee

• Chair – Heather Ford, CFO, Power Design
• Vice Chair – Frank Starkey, CEO/Founder, People Places LLC
• Treasurer – Ken Ginel, EVP, CFO & Treasurer, Raymond James Bank
• Secretary – Chris Hackney, SVP of Small Business Lending, Bayfirst National Bank
• Immediate Past Chair – Brandon Brayboy, Owner & CEO, Lakeland Liquidation
• At-Large – Ian Peterson, Founder & CEO, Dialed In Golf Solutions
• At-Large – Chris Majeski, SVP, Head of Private Client Group Supervision, Raymond James
• At-Large – Lynn Skelton, Owner, ProSource of Port Richey
• Max Bosso, VP of Real Estate Development, Ryan Companies US, Inc.
• Carolina Conner, Luxury Real Estate Advisor, Engel & Völkers
• Tamara DeBose, Customer Service Specialist, Franklin Templeton
• Davisha Earley, Registered Nurse
• Caprice Edmond, School Board Member, Pinellas County School Board
• Andrew Fink, President, BayCare Medical Group
• Matt Godri, CFO, Mid Atlantic Finance
• Jose Gomez, Architect, Harvard Jolly Architecture
• Iris Gonzalez, Founder & Principal, Links-G Consulting
• David Longspaugh, Broker & Owner, RE/MAX Sunset Realty
• Dana Mayo, Founding Member & Executive Managing Director, Hunt Capital Partners
• Karl Nurse, Former St. Petersburg City Council Member
• Charles Rogers, Former Banking VP, Community Advocate
• George Spowart, Chief Marketing Officer, Red Rover, LLC
• Alicia Tennell, Digital Strategy & Fintech Analyst – Americas, Franklin Templeton
• Bruce Terwilliger, CEO, Terwilliger Brothers Residential
• Marilyn Turman, Director of Communications, Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition (CULC)