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LEADERSHIP BIOS
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Directors
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James
W. Davidson,
Chairman
of the Board
of Directors
James W.
Davidson
is a founding
general
partner
of Banyan
Mezzanine
Fund, L.P.
in Miami,
Florida,
which currently
has over
$220 million
under management.
He is a
general
partner
of South
Atlantic
Private
Equity IV,
L.P. and
has been
affiliated
with this
fund group
since 1993.
Prior to
that time,
Mr. Davidson
was an investment
banker for
20 years
with Goldman,
Sachs &
Co. in New
York. Mr.
Davidson
moved to
Miami and
established
Davidson
Capital
Partners,
an NASD
member firm
that provided
corporate
finance
and management
advisory
services
to emerging
growth companies
and family-owned
businesses
in 1991.
He has previously
served as
a director
of American
Savings
& Loan Association
of Florida
and Equinox
Systems,
Inc., Ft.
Lauderdale,
as well
as three
private
companies,
and is currently
a director
of two private
companies.
He also
served as
a director
of the Florida
Venture
Capital
Forum from
1995 to
2000, and
as its Chairman
in 1998.
He is member
of the Board
of Directors
of the Plymouth
Congregational
Church Foundation,
Inc. and
is currently
a Trustee
and member
of the Executive
Committee
of Palmer
Trinity
School,
Miami. Mr.
Davidson
holds a
BA degree
from Vanderbilt
University
and an MBA
from the
Wharton
School,
University
of Pennsylvania.
He resides
in Pinecrest,
Florida.
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Allan
J. Pekor,
Vice Chairman
of the Board
of Directors
Allan J.
Pekor retired
from Lennar
Corporation,
a national
homebuilder
and financial
services
company,
where he
served as
a senior
executive
for 29 years,
18 of which
as CFO,
7 of which
as CEO of
Lennar Financial
Services
and 4 of
which as
CEO of the
Lennar Foundation,
on whose
Board he
continues
to serve.
Prior to
joining
Lennar,
Mr. Pekor
held senior
management
positions
with the
Rockefeller
organization,
where he
was involved
in international
housing
and real
estate development,
primarily
in Puerto
Rico, Mexico
and Brazil,
and with
Hovnanian
Enterprise,
a national
homebuilder.
He is a
CPA, having
earned a
bachelors
degree from
Pace University
in New York,
where he
also served
as a faculty
member and
as a Trustee.
He is a
member of
the Board
of Directors
and the
Executive
Committee
of the Community
Partnership
for the
Homeless,
Inc., with
responsibility
for overseeing
development
efforts.
He has also
co-chaired
an annual
fundraising
campaign
of United
Way of Miami-Dade
County and
served as
Chairman
of its Finance
Committee.
Mr. Pekor
resides
in Miami
Beach, Florida.
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Willard
L. Wheeler,
Jr.,
Chairman
of the
Trust
Administration
and
Investment
Committee
Willard
L. Wheeler,
Jr. served
in several
capacities
for Northern
Trust Bank
of Florida,
N.A. from
1984 until
his retirement
in 1996,
including:
member of
its board
of directors
for 9 years,
vice chairman
and chief
investment
officer,
and as chief
investment
officer
of the Northern
Trust of
Florida
Corporation.
Mr. Wheeler
was responsible
for direction
of the bank's
investment
strategy
and portfolio
management
in the State
of Florida.
He also
served on
the investment
policy and
stock selection
committees
of the Northern
Trust Company.
Prior to
joining
Northern
Trust Bank
of Florida,
N.A., Mr.
Wheeler
was employed
by Manufacturers
Hanover
Trust Company,
where he
served as
senior vice
president
in charge
of investments
for all
employee
benefit
funds and
executive
vice president,
chief investment
officer
and director
of the Lionel
D. Edie
& Company
subsidiary.
He currently
serves as
an independent
consultant
to Northern
Trust Bank
of Florida,
N.A. Mr.
Wheeler
holds a
Bachelor
of Arts
degree from
Cornell
University
and an MBA
degree from
the University
of Chicago.
He resides
in Coral
Gables,
Florida.
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Alberto R. Cardenas
Mr.
Cardenas
is a
partner
in the
law firm
of Tew
Cardenas
LLP, has
been
named
top of
his
field in
the
areas of
law,
business
and
politics
and is
featured
in
numerous
state
and
national
publications.
He is
admitted
to
practice
before
the
United
States
Supreme
Court
and has
been
counsel
of
record
in a
number
of
precedent-setting
and
published
court
decisions.
Cardenas
was
selected
by his
peers as
one of
"The
Best
Lawyer
in
America
"from
2007
through
2009. A
few of
his many
honors
include
being
named as
one of
"Florida
Super
Lawyers
2008"
representing
government,
cities
and
municipalities;
featured
in
Latino
Leaders
magazine
and also
named as
one of
"The
Most
Influential
Leaders
in the
Latino
Community
Today"
in 2008;
named
one of
the
"Legal
Impact
Leaders
2008" by
the
South
Florida
Business
Leader;
one of
the "100
Most
Influential
Hispanics
2007" by
Hispanic
Business;
and
consistently
named as
"The 100
Poderosos"
in PODER
magazine
in
Business
and
Movers &
Shakers.
Mr.
Cardenas
serves
as a
trusted
advisor
to
Associated
Industries
of
Florida,
known as
'The
Voice of
Florida
Business'
representing
the
principles
of
prosperity
and free
enterprise
before
the
three
branches
of state
government
since
1920. He
is also
a
representative
on the
National
Advisory
Committee
for
Labor
Provisions
of Free
Trade
Agreements
(NAC)
through
the
United
States
Department
of
Labor.
He is
currently
Chairman
of the
Board of
Washington
Bancard,
a credit
card
merchant
services
company
based in
Miami.
He is
also
Chairman
of the
Board of
Cardenas
Investments
I and
Cardenas
Investments
II, with
marine
project
investments
in
Monroe
County
and
Miami-Dade
County,
Florida.
He
formerly
served
on the
Board of
Directors
of
Capitol
Bank
from
1988 to
1991.
President
George
H. W.
Bush
appointed
Mr.
Cardenas
to the
Board of
Directors
of the
Federal
National
Mortgage
Association
from
1985 to
1990. He
also
served
on the
President's
Trade
Policy
Commission.
Mr.
Cardenas
was
elected
to the
Board of
Directors
in
October
2009 and
resides
in Key
Biscayne,
Florida.
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Janet
Risi Field
Janet Risi
Field has
served as
president
and CEO
of the Miami-based
Independent
Purchasing
Cooperative
since 1996.
In that
position,
she oversees
purchasing
for approximately
17,000 Subway®
stores in
the U.S.
and Canada.
Previously,
she served
for three
years as
senior director
of purchasing
for Restaurant
Services,
Inc. Ms.
Risi has
served the
food service
industry
as a purchasing
consultant,
and she
was a purchasing
executive
for the
Ralston
Purina Company
and Chef
America,
a frozen
foods manufacturer.
She holds
a Bachelor
of Science
degree from
DePauw University
in Indiana.
Ms. Risi
resides
in Pinecrest,
Florida.
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Humberto
Gonzalez
Humberto
Gonzalez
is Vice-Chairman
of the Board
of Miami-based
Tallard
Technologies
Inc. (TTI),
which he
joined in
1994 and
guided from
an Apple
computer
distributor
into a multi-tiered
enterprise
known for
value-added
distribution
and systems
integration.
His 25-plus
years in
international
management,
financial
systems,
and marketing
for firms
in Venezuela,
Spain, and
the U.S.
have given
him a global
business
perspective.
His fourteen
years as
an executive
with Caracas-based
Organization
Diego Cisneros
(ODC) contributed
to the firm’s
growth in
Venezuela
and abroad.
He has served
as a director
of several
South Florida
banks, and
is a member
of Epiphany
Church.
Mr. Gonzalez
and his
family reside
in Coral
Gables,
Florida.
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William
H. Holly
William
H. Holly
founded
Holly Real
Estate in
2002 to
focus on
private
clients
and commercial
real estate
projects
in the Florida
marketplace.
Previously,
Mr. Holly
founded
the Miami
office for
Insignia/ESG
in 1999;
was a Director
at Cushman
& Wakefield
and began
his real
estate career
at Codina
Bush Group.
He has been
active in
the real
estate industry
since 1990.
Mr. Holly
was recognized
as the top
South Florida
Real Estate
executive
under 40
by Ernst
& Young,
has been
named the
Office Broker
of the Year
in Miami,
and was
named one
of the top
ten office
brokers
in the United
States by
Commercial
Property
News. Recently
the firm
was awarded
the 2006
Business
of the Year
Award by
Regions
Bank and
the South
Florida
Business
Journal
for Commercial
Real Estate
Firms under
$25 million.
Mr. Holly
is a founding
principal
of Holly
Real Estate
and Miami
Apartment
Building
Investors.
He is also
a founding
shareholder
of the Company
and Florida
Gulf Bank
in Fort
Myers, Florida.
Mr. Holly
resides
in Coral
Gables,
Florida.
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Dean C. Klevan
Dean C.
Klevan is a founder of The Coral Gables Trust Company. He has enjoyed a 25 year career in the financial services industry with extensive experience in private wealth management, trust banking, and commercial banking. Prior to founding the Company, Mr. Klevan served as Executive Director and Branch Manager, Private Wealth Management for Morgan Stanley, Miami, Florida. He was also previously First Vice President and Senior Director at Merrill Lynch International Private Finance and was responsible for that company's high net worth private client lending in the United States. Prior to that, Mr. Klevan was with Citibank/Citicorp, where he served as president of Cititrust and Banking Corporation in Tokyo, Japan, along with other positions for the bank in Uruguay, Argentina and Ireland. Mr. Klevan served in the U.S. Army and achieved the rank of Captain. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is a past member of the Trustees of Plymouth Congregational Church and the Executive Committee of the Florida International Bankers Association and is a past trustee of the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. He currently serves on the advisor to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and is a member of numerous environmental/marine Organizations. Mr. Klevan resides in Coconut Grove, Florida.
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George
D. Mekras,
M.D.
George D.
Mekras,
M.D., is
retired
from the
Miami Urologic
Institute
in South
Miami, which
he co-founded
in 1990.
Dr. Mekras
has been
a member
of the Dr.
John T.
MacDonald
Foundation
for more
than 15
years and
served as
Chairman
of the Board
for 5 years.
Dr. Mekras
is a business
and medical
consultant
through
GDM Consulting,
Inc. and
is the National
Chairman
of the Orthodox
Christian
Network.
He holds
a Bachelor
of Arts
degree in
biology
from Harvard
University
and an M.D.
degree from
the University
Of Miami
School Of
Medicine.
He is a
native of
Miami and
resident
of Coral
Gables,
Florida.
Dr. Mekras
resides
in Vero
Beach, Florida.
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Carlos Palomares,
Member
of the
Trust
Administration
and
Investment
Committee
Mr.
Palomares
is
President
and CEO
of SMC
Resources,
a
consulting
practice
providing
advice
to
senior
executives
on
business
and
marketing
strategy,
and a
member
of the
Board of
Directors
of the
Pan
American
Life
Insurance
Group.
He also
serves
as
Director
of the
National
Association
of
Corporate
Directors
(Florida
Chapter).
Mr.
Palomares
has held
senior
management
positions
in the
consumer
financial
services
industry
spanning
the US
and
international
markets
for more
than
three
decades.
Most
recently
he
served
as Chief
Operating
Officer
of
Capital
One
Federal
Savings
Bank;
his
responsibilities
included
marketing
credit
card
products
to the
US
Hispanic
population,
management
of the
unsecured
personal
lending
lines of
business
and
enterprise
risk
management.
Prior to
joining
Capital
One, Mr.
Palomares
served
with
Citigroup
in both
domestic
and
international
senior
management
roles.
He was
Country
Manager
for
consumer
banking
in Saudi
Arabia
and the
Philippines,
Chairman
and CEO
of
Citibank's
consumer
bank in
Italy,
President
and CEO
of
Citibank-
Florida,
and
Chief
Operating
Officer
for
Citibank,
Latin
America.
Mr.
Palomares
was
elected
to the
Board of
Directors
in
October
2009 and
resides
in Coral
Gables,
Florida.
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William D. Pruitt
Mr.
Pruitt
is
President
of
Pruitt
Enterprises
and its
general
partner,
Pruitt
Ventures,
Inc. He
was with
Arthur
Andersen
& Co.
for 33
years,
retiring
as the
managing
partner
for
Florida,
the
Caribbean,
and
Venezuela.
Mr.
Pruitt
is a
past
president
of the
Florida
Institute
of
Certified
Public
Accountants
and a
Member
of
Council
of the
American
Institute
of
Certified
Public
Accountants.
He is a
founder
and the
first
Chairman
of
Adjoined
Consulting,
Inc, and
has
served
as an
Independent
Director
on The
PBSJ
Corporation
Board of
Directors
since
2005
where he
serves
as the
Audit
Committee
Chairman.
He also
has been
an
Independent
Director
on the
Mako
Surgical
Corp.
Board of
Directors
since
2008,
and
currently
serves
as the
Audit
Committee
Chairman.
He
served
on the
board of
KOS
Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
until
its sale
in 2006.
Mr.
Pruitt
also
serves
on the
Boards
of
Greensmith
Energy
Management
Systems,
LLC and
United
Trust,
LLC. He
has
served
as a
trustee
or board
member
for the
University
of
Miami,
the
University
of Miami
Citizens
Board,
the
University
of Miami
Alumni
Association,
the
Miami
Bankers
Club,
the
Florida
Chamber
of
Commerce,
the
Greater
Miami
Chamber
of
Commerce,
the
Greater
Miami
Free
Zone,
the
Miami
Ballet,
and the
Tropical
Girl
Scout
Council.
He is a
founding
board
member
for the
Florida
Chapter
of the
National
Association
of
Corporate
Directors
and
served
as
President
until
2009.
Mr.
Pruitt
graduated
from the
University
of Miami
with a
bachelor's
degree
in
Accounting
and was
selected
by the
University
of Miami
Business
School
as the
Alumnus
of
Distinction
in 1997.
Mr.
Pruitt
was
elected
to the
Board of
Directors
in
October
2009 and
resides
in Coral
Gables,
Florida.
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Peggy
Sapp
Peggy
Sapp is
President
of the
National
Family
Partnership,
a
national
network
of
parenting
organizations
headquartered
in
Miami,
Florida.
She is
President
and CEO
of
Informed
Families/The
Florida
Family
Partnership,
an
agency
she
helped
to
develop
from six
volunteers
into a
multi-million
dollar
agency
with
statewide
and
national
outreach
to
families,
schools
and
communities.
The
mission
of
Informed
Families
is
“Helping
kids
grow up
safe,
healthy
and
drug-free.”
Informed
Families
trains
4,000-6,000
families
annually.
Mrs.
Sapp is
a
recognized
leader
in drug
prevention
through
grassroots
involvement
and is
the
recipient
of
numerous
honors
and
community
service
awards.
She was
honored
as one
of the
historic
leaders
in the
field of
parenting
and
prevention
with the
1999
National
Parents’
Day
Award,
“Lighting
the Way
to a New
Millennium,”
from the
White
House
Office
of
National
Drug
Control
Policy
and the
Center
for
Substance
Abuse
Prevention.
She
serves
on the
White
House
Office
of
National
Drug
Control
Policy
Advisory
Council,
the
National
Institute
of Drug
Abuse
Advisory
Council,
and the
Governor’s
Statewide
Drug
Policy
Advisory
Council
and on
the
Board of
Directors
of the
Miami
Coalition
for Safe
and Drug
Free
Communities.
Mrs.
Sapp has
developed
the Red
Ribbon
Campaign
into an
annual
national
event
that is
a major
force
for
raising
awareness
and
mobilizing
communities
in the
fight
against
drugs.
Mrs.
Sapp has
testified
before
Congress
and has
been
featured
on
television
and
radio
talk
shows.
She
resides
in
Coconut
Grove,
Florida.
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