Mr. Earnest Brewer was appointed to the Council in 2009 by Deputy Secretary Carlton D. Snipes for Medicaid in the Agency for Health Care Administration. He currently serves as a Field Office Manager for Florida Agency for Health Care Administration in Medicaid Area Two. Mr. Brewer earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Tampa College and a graduate certificate in Health Services Administration from Florida State University.

Billy R. Close, PhD
Assistant Professor
Florida State University
College of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Dr. Billy R. Close was appointed to the Council in 2007 by former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. Currently, he is an assistant professor in the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Florida State University. Prior to his faculty role at FSU, he served as the acting Director of the FSU Black Studies Program; Co-Principal Investigator and Director for the Brotherhood Pride Academy for Young Black Males and Research; President of Paradigm Consultants and Associates, Inc.; and as a Consultant to the Racial and Ethnic Bias Study Commission for the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, he is the founder of Beyond the Athlete, Inc. a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Dr. Close is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Florida and received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from Florida State University.



Richard D. Davison- Chair
Deputy Secretary
Department of Corrections

Richard Davison was appointed in 2009 to the Council by Secretary Walter A. McNeil. Currently, he is the Deputy Secretary within the Florida Department of Corrections. Prior to this, he has served in various legal and legislative positions including Assistant State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit; Staff Attorney for the Florida House of Representatives; Assistant Statewide Prosecutor for the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution; and Deputy Secretary for the Department of Juvenile Justice. Deputy Davison earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida.

Gypsy Gallardo
Publisher
Power Broker Magazine

Ms. Gypsy Gallardo was appointed to the Council in 2009 by Governor Charlie Crist. She is the publisher of the Power Broker magazine and e-zine, as well as being Director of Development for Urban Development Solutions, Inc., VP of Development of International Enterprise Development, and the Chief Strategy Officer for Concerned African Women and affiliated companies. Ms. Gallardo earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelor degree from the Whitney Young College of Leadership at Kentucky State University.



Lillian Lima- Vice Chair
Special Projects Coordinator
Department of Children and Families

Ms. Lillian Lima was appointed to the Council in 2007 by former Department of Children and Families Secretary Robert Butterworth and was subsequently reappointed in 2009 by Secretary George H. Sheldon. She is DCF’s Special Projects Coordinator of Youth Development Initiatives for Youth Aging out of Foster Care. Prior to her role as Special Projects Coordinator, she served as the Education Special Projects Coordinator of Educational and Mentoring Initiatives in the Office of the Attorney General and also served in the United States Coast Guard. Ms. Lima is a graduate of the University of South Florida and earned a Master’s Degree from Troy State University.

Anthony McCoy, PhD
Statewide Forensic Treatment Coordinator
Department of Children and Families

Dr. Anthony McCoy was appointed to the Council in 2007 by Director Kate Lyon of the Mental Health Program Office within the Department of Children and Family Services. He was subsequently reappointed in 2009. He currently serves as the Statewide Forensic Treatment Coordinator for the Department of Children and Families. Dr. McCoy earned a Doctorate from the University of Alabama.



Eddy M. Regnier, PhD
Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
Assessment and Psychotherapy Services

Dr. Eddy Regnier was appointed to the Council in 2007 by former Florida Senate President Ken Pruitt. Currently, he is an associate professor of the Sarasota School of Professional Psychology and Behavioral Sciences for Argosy University at Sarasota. Prior to his faculty role at Argosy University, he is in private practice at Assessment and Psychotherapy Services were he works as a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist. In addition, he serves on various community boards. Dr. Regnier is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and received a Master's Degree and a Doctorate from Boston University.



The Honorable Julio Robaina
State Representative, District 117

The Honorable Julio Robaina was appointed to the Council in 2007 to the Council by former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. Currently, he is the State Representative to District 117 and is the Chair of the Criminal & Civil Justice Policy Council. Prior to his elections to the Florida Legislature, he has served as Mayor of the City of South Miami and as a City Commissioner. Representative Robaina is a graduate of Miami-Dade Community College.



Ana Maria Sanchez
Assistant Director
Division of Education
Department of Juvenile Justice

Ms. Ana Maria Sanchez was appointed to the Council in 2009 by Florida Secretary of Juvenile Justice Frank Peterman. Currently, she is the Assistant Director of Education with the Department of Juvenile Justice. Prior to her role, she has served as the Legislative Assistant to former State Representative Frank Peterman and Senator Arthenia Joyner. Ms. Sanchez is a graduate of the University of South Florida and received her Juris Doctorate from Florida State University and a Masters of Law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.



Lois A. Scott
Program Manager
Office of One Stop and Program Support
Agency for Workforce Innovation

Lois A. Scott was appointed to the Council in 2009 by Cynthia Lorenzo,Director Agency for Workforce Innovation. She currently serves as Program Manager in the Office of One Stop and Program Support. She administers training, technical assistance, programmatic oversight and performance reporting for Florida's Workforce Development System. Ms. Scott also serves as a member of the Department of Corrections Re-Entry Advisory Council. She is a graduate of Bethune Cookman University.



Rev. Albert Simpson, Jr., PhD
Philemon Missionary Baptist Church

Reverend Albert Simpson, Jr., was appointed to the Council in 2007 by former Florida Senate President Ken Pruitt. Currently, Dr. Simpson is the pastor of Philemon Missionary Baptist Church and is also an advisor to Florida State Senator Stephen R. Wise. In addition, he is the founder of The Share, Care, and Dare Development Program, Inc., and the Philemon Evangelistic Outreach Ministries Bible Institute. Dr. Simpson is a graduate of Revelation Message Bible College and earned a Master’s Degree from Jacksonville Theological Seminary and Doctorates from Suffield University and Jacksonville Theological Seminary.



Andre Smith
Director
Florida PK20 Education Data Warehouse

Mr. Andre Smith was appointed to the Council in 2009 by Florida Commissioner of Education Eric J. Smith. Currently, he is the Director of Florida’s PK20 Education Data Warehouse. In addition, he is an Oracle Certified Professional Database Administrator. Mr. Smith is a graduate of Florida State University and received a Bachelor’s in Management Information System and a Master’s in Educational Leadership & Administration.

Representative Perry E. Thurston, Jr.
Florida State Representative, District 93

The Honorable Perry E. Thurston, Jr. was appointed to the Council in 2007 by former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. He is currently a State Representative to District 93. Prior to serving in the Florida Legislature, he has a private law practice. He has also served as Co-Counsel for the Broward County NAACP, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Sistrunk Historical Festival. In addition, he is a member of the Department of Juvenile Justice Board of Directors, and the Broward County Criminal Justice Defense Lawyers Association. Representative Thurston is a graduate of Morehouse College and earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami.



Levi Williams, Esq.
Fertig and Grammling Law Firm

Mr. Levi Williams was appointed to the Council in 2007 by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. Currently, he is a partner with Fertig and Grammling Law Firm. Mr. Williams is a graduate of the University of Illinois and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida.



The Honorable Frederica Wilson
State Senator, District 33

The Honorable Frederica Wilson was appointed to the Council in 2007 by former Florida Senate President Ken Pruitt. She currently serves as a State Senator to District 33 and has served in the prestigious position of Senate Democratic Leader Pro Tempore, the second highest position within the Democratic Caucus. Prior to serving in the Florida Legislature, she served as a Miami-Dade County School Board member, and Principal of Skyway Elementary for 12 years. She is the founder of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, providing role models for at-risk boys attending Miami-Dade public schools. Senator Wilson is a graduate of Fisk University and earned a Master’s degree from the University of Miami and received an Honorary Doctorate from Florida Memorial College.

The Honorable Stephen R. Wise
State Senator, District 5

The Honorable Stephen R. Wise was appointed in 2007 to the Council by former Florida Senate President Ken Pruitt. He currently serves as a State Senator for District 5 and as the Chair of the Education Pre-K -12 Appropriations Committee. Prior to serving in the Florida Legislature, he was a consultant and a retired educator. Senator Wise graduated from Florida Southern College and earned a Master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Doctorate from the University of Alabama.