Florida - Wednesday December 21, 2023: Governor DeSantis has appointed 15 people to various state boards and councils:
Five appointed to the Board of Accountancy
Michelle Maingot - Maingot is a Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. She currently serves on the board of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and the Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay. Maingot earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida State University.
Steven Platau - Platau is a Professor at the University of Tampa. He previously served on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Joint Trial Board and currently serves as a Circuit Court Mediator certified by the Florida Supreme Court. Platau earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University and his juris doctor from the University of Cincinnati.
William Blend - Blend is a Certified Public Accountant and Shareholder with MSL, P.A. He is a veteran of the United States Navy and currently serves as a member of the Florida Government Finance Officers Association, the Seminole County Chamber of Commerce, and the Seminole State College Advisory Board. Blend earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Long Island University.
Shireen Sackreiter - Sackreiter is the Office Managing Director of Accenture. She is a current member of the Project Management Professionals and is the recipient of the Governor’s Savings Award in 2015. Sackreiter earned her bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Florida State University.
Brent Sparkman - Sparkman is a Certified Public Accountant and Partner at Carr, Riggs, and Ingram. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and sits on the board of Ameris Bank. Sparkman earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Florida State University.
These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Five appointed to the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation Board of Directors
Bethany McAlister - McAlister is a Partner with Corcoran Partners. She currently serves on the board for Tree House of Tallahassee and is a Guardian ad Litem. McAlister earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida State University and her master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Tampa.
Stephanie Westerman - Westerman is a Senior Manager of Strategy, Planning, and Integration for Florida Blue. She is the Founder and current Executive Director of Down Syndrome Nation, an organization that supports families of children with Down Syndrome worldwide. Westerman earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from the University of North Florida.
Dr. Mavara Agrawal - Dr. Agrawal is the Director of the Agrawal Family Foundation. She is the former Medical Director for Florida International University and the University of Miami. Dr. Agrawal earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and immunology and her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Miami.
James “Chip” Byers - Byers is the Owner of Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard in Lake Buena Vista. He received the Employer of the Year for Persons with Disabilities award from the State of Florida in 2020 and currently serves on the Orange County Disability Advisory Board. Byers earned his bachelor’s degree from Pace University.
Laurie Sallarulo - Sallarulo is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Junior Achievement of South Florida. She is currently appointed to and serves on the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors. She is a member of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, and the Six Pillars Initiative in Broward. Sallarulo earned her bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from the University of Albany.
Five appointed to the Florida Independent Living Council
Amy Grissom - Grissom, of Monticello, is the Chief Executive Officer of Florida Agencies Serving the Blind. She is a former Contract Management Supervisor for the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Education. Grissom earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Leo University.
William “Brent” McNeal - McNeal, of Tallahassee, is the Director of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Florida Department of Education. He currently serves on the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors, the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation, the Florida Rehabilitation Council, and the State Advisory Committee for the Education of Exceptional Students. McNeal earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University and his juris doctor from Florida State University.
Rosemary “Rose” Miles - Miles, of Rockledge, is the Executive Director of the Space Coast Center for Independent Living. She is the current President of the Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living and a current member of the National Fair Housing Association. Miles earned her bachelor’s degree in organization management from Warner University.
Robert Melia - Melia, of Orlando, is a Spinal Cord Network Coordinator at Orlando Health. He is a member of the Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board and the Greater Orlando Spinal Cord Injury Network. Melia earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and his master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University.
Donald Moran - Moran, of Jacksonville, is employed by Numotion, a wheelchair and mobility equipment company. He is a volunteer with the Sulzbacher Center for Homelessness. Moran earned his bachelor’s degree in communication and advertising from the University of North Florida.
One appointment to the Lee Memorial Health System Board of Directors
Daniel Adler - Adler, of Fort Myers, is the Director of Legal Compliance for Millennium Physician Group. He was previously appointed as a Special Assistant General Counsel for the White House. Adler earned his bachelor’s degree from Rollins College, his master’s degree in law from George Washington University, and his juris doctor from Appalachian School of Law.
One Appointment to the Bay County Board of County Commissioners
Clair Pease - Pease, of Panama City Beach, is the Chief Executive Officer of Emerald View Resorts. She previously served on the Planning Board of Panama City Beach and is a current honorary board member of the Emerald Coast Division of the Children’s Home Society. Pease attended North Carolina State University.