Mr. Christopher Norwood
Chair
Director, Lawyers For Children America
Inspired to work in public service while attending Hampton University and working for the City of Hampton Youth Services Commission, Mr. Norwood learned the impact government and public policy have on the lives of children. After completing his degree in Social Work/Community Organization at Hampton, he went on to Graduate School at Cornell University’s Institute for Public Affairs (MPA). Mr. Norwood is a 2002 graduate of St. Thomas University Law School. Since then, Mr. Norwood has worked with various human service non-profit agencies in management and public policy advocacy. In 2007, the Speaker of the Florida House appointed him to serve on this Council.
Anthony McCoy, Ph.D.
Vice Chair
Statewide Forensic Treatment Coordinator
Department of Children and Families
Tony McCoy is the Statewide Forensic Treatment Coordinator for the Department of Children and Families. Mr. McCoy studied clinical psychology, psychology-law and statistics at the University of Alabama, and later earned a doctor of philosophy degree in 1989.
Torey L. Alston
Director
Office of Supplier Diversity
Department of Management Services
Torey L. Alston, a native of Fort Lauderdale, currently serves as the Director for the Office of Supplier Diversity which works to connect minority vendors with business opportunities in Florida. Mr. Alston was previously selected as a Gubernatorial Fellow serving under both Governor Crist and former Governor Bush, while at that same time completing his MBA degree. Before serving as a Gubernatorial Fellow, he was in the Communications Department in the Executive Office of the Governor.
Ms. Monesia Brown
Director
Agency for Workforce Innovation
Monesia Taylor Brown was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist in December 2006 as the Director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation. Ms. Brown earned her Bachelors degree from Illinois State University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Ms. Brown is a member of the Florida and Wisconsin Bar associations. Because Ms. Brown’s professional experience has brought her into frequent contact with Florida’s business community, she understands their need for a qualified and competent workforce and she is committed to marshalling Florida’s workforce and economic development resources to respond.
Billy R. Close, Ph.D.
Florida State University
College of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Currently an Assistant Professor in the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Florida State University, Dr. Billy Close is also the President of Paradigm Consultants & Associates, Inc. and Beyond the Athlete, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Dr. Close has served as both the Assistant and Acting Director of the FSU Black Studies Program, Co-Principal Investigator and Director for the Brotherhood of Pride Academy for Young Black Males, and Research Consultant to the Racial and Ethnic Bias Study Commission for the Florida Supreme Court.
Mr. William James
President and CEO
C&C International Computers and Consultants, Inc.
As the founder and driving force behind C&C International Computers and Consultants, Inc. (C&C International), Bill James provides the leadership that has made C&C International a success. Mr. James has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience in computer technology with industry leaders Dell, Xerox, Epson and Control Data Corporation. Mr. James has received the Florida Small Business of the Year Award, Broward County’s Outstanding Business of the Year and the 2001 Small Business of the Year Award from the
South Florida Business Journal.
Ms. Lillian Lima
Department of Children and Families
Appointed to the Council by Secretary Bob Butterworth, Lillian Lima serves as the Special Projects Coordinator of Youth Development Initiatives for youth aging out of Foster Care at the Florida Department of Children and Families. Ms. Lima previously served over seven years as the Education Special Projects Coordinator of Educational and Mentoring Initiatives under Crime Prevention and Victim Services Programs for the Florida Attorney General’s Office under both Bob Butterworth and Charlie Crist. Ms. Lima holds a Master’s degree in Management with concentration in Leadership & Development, and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, she received the Commandant’s Letter of Achievement during her five years of service.
Mr. Frank Peterman
Secretary
Department of Juvenile Justice
Frank Peterman, Jr. was elected to the Florida House in 2000. He currently serves as the Democratic Ranking Member for the Committee on Juvenile Justice and the Director of Development for Juvenile Services Programs of St. Petersburg. Additionally, Representative Peterman serves on the Committee on Economic Development, the Legislative Budget Commission and the Safety & Security Council.
Mr. David Pridgen
Deputy Secretary for Institutions
Department of Corrections
David Pridgen is a senior-level executive with 34-years of broad, in-depth experience in managing operations and programs at the institutional, regional and administrative levels. Mr. Pridgen began his career with the Department of Corrections in 1973, at Union Correctional Institution as a Classification Specialist, and was appointed to the position of Warden in 1997. In 2001, he was appointed to the position of Deputy Director of Institutional Programs.
Eddy M. Regnier, Ph.D.
Dr. Eddy Regnier, born in Porte Au Prince, Haiti, is an Associate Professor of the Sarasota School of Professional Psychology and Behavioral Sciences for Argosy University at Sarasota. Dr. Regnier has worked in the community by serving on various boards and is a practicing alumni member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Dr. Regnier is a member of the American Psychology Association and the Florida Psychology Association, and is also listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers.
The Honorable Julio Robaina
State Representative, District 117
Born in Miami and raised in the City of South Miami, Julio Robaina was first elected to the Florida House in 2002. He has been employed with BellSouth for over 26 years, servicing the citizens of Miami-Dade County. Running unopposed, Representative Robaina was re-elected in 2004 and again in 2006. He is currently the Chair of the Committee on Urban & Local Affairs and also serves on the Committee on Health Quality and the Government Efficiency & Accountability Council.
Rev. Albert Simpson, Jr., Ph.D.
Philemon Missionary Baptist Church
Dr. Albert Simpson, Jr. is an experienced pastor skilled in pastoral counseling, conflict resolution, marriage counseling, critical incident stress management, domestic violence intervention, professional ethics and executive leadership training. Dr. Simpson also serves as an advisor to Florida State Senator Stephen R. Wise and is the founder of The Share, Care, and Dare Development Program, Inc., and the Philemon Evangelistic Outreach Ministries Bible Institute. Dr. Simpson received his doctorate of philosophy in counseling from Suffield University.
Eric Smith, Ph.D
Commissioner
Florida Department of Education
Eric Smith began his career in Florida more than 30 years ago as a classroom teacher. His commitment to affecting positive change in the field of education led him to several administrative positions in Florida school districts and eventually to 16 years of serving as a district superintendent in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. Mr. Smith received his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University, his master’s degree in school administration from the University of Central Florida, and his doctorate of curriculum and instruction from the University of Florida.
Representative Perry E. Thurston, Jr.
Florida State Representative, District 93
Perry Thurston, a Florida born native, is married to the former Dawn Board, and proud parent of two children: daughter Alison: 15, and son Perry, III: 13. Representative Thurston received his B.A. from Morehouse College in 1982, and his J.D. form The University of Miami in 1987. He is Co-Counsel for the Broward County NAACP, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Sistrunk Historical Festival. He is also a member of the Department of Juvenile Justice Board of Directors, the Broward County Bar Association, and the Broward County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and is the owner of the Law Office of Perry E. Thurston Jr., P.A., Fort Lauderdale practicing in the areas of Criminal Law, Public Finance and Real Estate Law. Representative Thurston was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in November 2006.
Dr. Shairi Turner
Chief Medical Director
Office of Health Services
Department of Juvenile Justice
Dr. Shairi Turner is an Internist and a Pediatrician. In 2005, she was named the first Chief Medical Director in the eleven-year history of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Dr. Turner directs the Office of Health Services and is responsible for the oversight of the medical, mental health and substance abuse services for nearly 8,000 youth.
Mr. Levi Williams
Fertig and Grammling Law Firm
Levi Williams was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1968, and immigrated to the United States at the age of seven. He graduated from the University of Illinois with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing and organizational behavior, and later received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida. In 2007, Attorney General Bill McCollum appointed Mr. Williams to serve as his designee to the Council. Mr. Williams was subsequently elected as the Council's inaugural Chair by the members.
The Honorable Frederica Wilson
State Senator, District 33
Frederica Wilson was elected to the Senate in 2002. She serves as 2007 Chair of the Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation and was elected Minority Leader Pro Tempore of the Florida Senate. Senator Wilson is the founder and Executive Director of the nationally recognized 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program for Black boys and men. Launched 15 years ago, the program is currently operating in more than 150 Miami-Dade County, Pinellas County and Duval County Public Schools.
The Honorable Stephen R. Wise
State Senator, District 5
Stephen R. Wise obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Florida Southern College in 1963, his Masters’ degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1968, and his Doctorate from the University of Alabama in 1970. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2001. Representative Wise was recently appointed to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Standing Committee on Legislative Effectiveness & State Government, and the Education Commission of the States (ECS).