Staff and Board

Staff of The Community Foundation

Nina Waters, President
Grace Sacerdote CPA, Executive Vice President
Saunie McLaughlin, Executive Assistant

Grantmaking

Cheryl Riddick, Vice President of Grantmaking Services
Pam Paul Dopf, Vice President of Community Initiatives
Kathleen Shaw, Program Director
Katrice Williams, Grantmaking Associate

Philanthropic Services

John Zell, Vice President of Donor Services
David L. Pierson, Vice President of Development
Bob Roberts, Planned Giving Officer
Jeneen Sanders, Development Associate
Carol Nieves, Donor Services Associate

Finance

Yan Cumper CPA, Accounting Manager
Jackie Werner, Senior Accountant

Staff Photos

2007 Board of Trustees

C. Daniel Rice, Chairman, has served as President and CEO of Mayport Venture Partners, LLC since its founding in 2000. Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Rice was a partner in the law firm McGuireWoods LLP and served as Chief Administrative Partner at Mahoney Adams & Criser, P.A., prior to the merger of the two firms. Mr. Rice currently serves on the Board of Directors of American Pet Resort, Inc. and M 2 M Imaging and has been an adviser to other portfolio companies on issues such as strategic partnerships, fundraising, business plan development, operational issues and restructuring. Mr. Rice received a BS in Financial Management from Clemson University and both his MBA and JD degrees from the University of Florida. While at the University of Florida, he served as a computer programming and research assistant at its Bureau of Economic and Business Research. He is active in various philanthropic endeavors, including service on several not-for-profit boards of directors.

William D. Brinton is an attorney with the law firm of Rogers Towers P.A. A long-time opponent of visual pollution, he spearheaded a petition drive in 1987 to put a strong billboard ban on the ballot for vote by the citizens, which passed by a landslide. In 2000, he launched yet another successful petition drive calling for developers to plant, or pay to plant, a tree for every one of a certain size they cut down. Currently, he serves on the board of directors of Scenic America, Inc., based in Washington, D.C., and is the present and past chair of Scenic America’s Billboard Control Committee. He is the co-founder of Citizens for a Scenic Florida, Inc. and Scenic Jacksonville, Inc. and served as chairman of the Jacksonville Landscape Commission. In addition to his environmental work, Mr. Brinton also organized an initiative that successfully placed a two-term limit on Jacksonville City Council members. In 2007. Mr. Brinton received The Community Foundation’s first Prize for Civic Engagement. He has served on numerous boards and in 2005, he received Jacksonville Community Council, Inc’s first Milestone Award for Citizen Advocacy in recognition of his efforts over the past three decades. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and received his law degree from the University of Florida.

The Right Reverend Frank S. Cerveny served as the Sixth Bishop of Florida for the Episcopal Church from 1974-1992. During his episcopacy, the Diocese increased church membership, built Camp Weed and the Cerveny Conference Center, established the Episcopal Foundation and created a Partners in Mission and Companion Diocese relationship with Cuba. Bishop Cerveny established the Christian Healing Ministries, an international healing ministry under Drs. Francis and Judith MacNutt. The ministry brought hope and healing to thousands. In 1992, Bishop Cerveny became the Executive Vice President of the Church Pension Group in New York City and later he returned to Jacksonville, where he served as a trustee of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund until February 2004.

Cindy Edelman received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and her Master's from Jacksonville University. An active community volunteer, Ms. Edelman has served on the boards of the Cummer Museum of Art, Leadership Jacksonville, Youth Leadership Jacksonville, and as president of Congregation Ahavath Chesed. Currently, Ms. Edelman is also serving as a board member for Hebrew Union College and the Institute for Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, Mississippi. Ms. Edelman is an active arts advocate and chair of the Cultural Council's Arts Education Initiative. For the past two years, she has served as an adjunct instructor of Art History at Florida Community College of Jacksonville and is an AP Art History Instructor at the Bolles School. Ms. Edelman has also lectured on Art History at The Cummer Museum, the Jacksonville Art Museum and Florida State University. She is also a founding member of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and an active supporter of the Holocaust Institute for Teachers at FSU.

Eleanor J. Gay is a community leader and activist. After working for Florida Community College at Jacksonville for 18 years as a counselor and then as Director of Equal Access/Equal Opportunity, she joined the staff of The Community Foundation, where she was instrumental in implementing the Foundation's first initiative-based grantmaking program. Later she served as principal instructor for the Foundation's Philanthropic Initiative program. She retired from the Foundation in 2003. She is a member of the Jacksonville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a community service organization. A recipient of the Florida Times-Union EVE Lifetime Achievement Award, she has served on numerous not-for-profit boards and is an active member of The Historic Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church.

Robert W. Helms recently retired as the Florida CEO of Wachovia Bank of Florida. Mr. Helms joined First Union National Bank in 1969 and has served in a variety of capacities including General Bank Executive, First Union, Mid-Atlantic Region; regional executive for both the Western and Piedmont regions in North Carolina; and city executive for Wilmington and Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Helms has served as chair of United Way of Northeast Florida, WJCT-TV Public Broadcasting and the Florida Chamber Foundation and has worked on the boards of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens and the FCCJ Foundation. Mr. Helms receive his bachelor’s degree in business and psychology from Western Carolina University and completed the Executive Management Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Charles D. Hyman (Chuck), is the president/founder of Charles D. Hyman & Co., a private, registered investment management firm located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The firm primarily manages assets for individuals and families, as well as pension and profit sharing plans. Charles D. Hyman & Co. believes in a relationship driven approach to portfolio management and strives to achieve long-term investment objectives on behalf of its clients.Chuck has a Bachelor of Arts degree, with distinction, from The University of Virginia (1981) and a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Florida (1984). He has 25 years experience in the investment business. He is involved civically with the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville (former Board/Treasurer), The Police Athletic League (PAL), The River Club of Jacksonville (Board/President), and The Greenwood School (Board/President).Chuck was born in Charlottesville, Virginia on January 17, 1959. He has been married to Janet Healy for nineteen years. They have two children, Joe (11) and Lainie (13).

Wilford C. Lyon received a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Institute of Technology, and earned a Master's Degree in Actuarial Science from Georgia State College. In 1958 he joined Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company in Jacksonville, a company that was co-founded by Harry H. Lyon, Sr. During his 38-year career he worked his way through the company from serving as a full-time employee in the actuarial department to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, a position that he held from 1984 until his retirement in 1996. In addition to his professional activities, he has served on numerous boards and committees in the community, chaired several boards and community-wide fundraising campaigns and served as District Governor of Rotary International 1985-1986.

Dr. C. B. McIntosh has been a respected pediatrician in Jacksonville for 46 years and has experience in the management of acute and chronic illnesses in children. He has served on the Board of Directors for Wolfson Children's Hospital and Shands Jacksonville and has received several awards including: "The Brotherhood Award," from NCCJ in 1980; the Florida Medical Association's "A. H. Robbins Award;" the "Outstanding Afro-American Leadership Award" from FCCJ; and the National Medical Association "Chairman's Award" for pediatrics. He is an active member, Trustee and Treasurer of the Historic Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, and, along with Dr. James Burt and others, was instrumental in establishing the Volunteers In Medicine Clinic.

Joan W. Newton is Chairman Emeritus of Regency Centers Corporation, a publicly traded real estate investment trust. Mrs. Newton has been honored as Jacksonville's Business Woman of the Year, served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and on the Board of Barnett Bank of Jacksonville, N.A. Mrs. Newton was appointed by former President George H. W. Bush to the National Advisory Council for Historic Preservation and served four years of her six-year term as Vice Chairman. She recently retired from the Board of Trustees of the Cummer Gallery of Art, where she still serves as Chairman of the Garden Restoration Committee. She also has served on the Board of Trustees of the University of North Florida. Mrs. Newton currently serves on the Board of the Episcopal Foundation, and the Executive Board of Bok Tower Gardens.

Deborah S. Pass is president of ATS Servies, a staffing and executive recruiting organization with 35 offices located in 14 states. Ms. Pass also chairs the Kesler Mentoring Connection and serves on the board of the Delores Pass Kesler Foundation. A native of Jacksonville and graduate of Leadership Florida, Ms. Pass is very involved in the community and serves or has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Hope Haven Children’s Clinic & Family Center, United Way of Northeast Florida and Dignity U Wear. She is a member of the inaugural class of the Philanthropic Initiative program at The Community Foundation and has served on the steering committee of the Women’s Giving Alliance, an initiative of The Community Foundation.

Susan Remmer Ryzewic, is the President/CEO of EHR Investments, Inc. and EHR Aviation, Inc., as well as a Director of The Remmer Family Foundation. Susan is Advisory Faculty Emeritus to the Institute of Private Investors and participates in the Investment Committee of Asset Management Advisors. She serves on the Board of the Jacksonville Museum of Science and History and is active in the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. She is the vice chair of the Investment Committee for the University of North Florida Foundation Board. Susan holds a B.A. degree in Sociology from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from the University of Chicago.

The Honorable Harvey E. Schlesinger is a U.S. District Court Judge serving the Middle District of Florida. In 1968, after serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army, he moved to Jacksonville to work as corporate counsel to Seaboard Coastline Railroad. In 1970, he became Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida and later was appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge for the same district. He has received many awards, including NCCJ's Silver Medallion Humanitarian Award, the George Washington Medal of Honor for Patriotism, the Franklin N. Flaschner Award from the American Bar Association as the Outsanding Trial Judge in the United States and the Green Award from the University of Richmond for professional excellence. Judge Schlesinger has served on many not-for-profit boards and is a member of Congregation Ahavath Chesed

James Van Vleck has served as assistant to the president at the University of North Florida, interim executive director of the Jacksonville Symphony, and now spearheads Mayor John Peyton's literacy initiative. He enjoys mentoring students and is active in our community's mentorship program. For 35 years he worked for the Mead Corporation, serving as president of several Mead businesses, Mead's executive in Europe, and International Senior Vice President.

Tracey Westbrook Mrs. Westbrook is the founder of Threads and More, a uniform distribution company. Previously, she worked for King Provision Corporation, where she was instrumental in creating and developing King Uniform, the primary uniform distributor for Burger King. Currently, she serves as a trustee of the David A. Stein Family Foundation. Mrs. Westbrook led the successful capital campaign to establish a permanent campus for the Greenwood School, which specializes in educating students who learn differently or have specific learning disabilities. She also has been recognized by the Jewish Community Alliance for her outstanding service as a board member and is an active member of Congregation Ahavath Chesed. Mrs. Westbrook was a member of the inaugural class of the Philanthropic Initiative, a program designed by The Community Foundation to give young community leaders an opportunity to learn about the history and practice of philanthropy and engage them in a strategic-giving practicum that enhances the work of the Foundation in building community assets. Also, she is currently a member of the Women's Giving Alliance.

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