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Officers and Members
Broward County > Diversity > Officers and Members
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Steward J. Webster, Chair
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Dr. Reggie R. Lewis, Vice Chair
Dr. Reggie R. Lewis is the founder of Fusion Consulting Associates, a firm that specializes in providing customized solutions to businesses and governmental entities in the areas of organizational development and school performance management.
Prior to working as a consultant, Dr. Lewis worked as an Administrator/Behavioral Specialist with the Broward County School Board for over a decade. As a Behavioral Specialist, she developed and monitored essential programs to assist in the academic success of at-risk youth; the various strategies employed ranged from mentoring, academic enrichment, and behavior modification plans. Her hands on approach to working with parents, students and key stakeholders played a significant role in the overall success of those she assisted.
As a strong advocate in the community, Dr. Lewis has been a dedicated Council Member as the Vice Chair of Broward County’s Diversity Advisory Council; Board President of Life Skills Center Broward; Vice President of Life Skills Miami-Dade; Broward County Education Advisory (District 9) Chair. She is also a member of Nova Southeastern University’s Black Heritage Council.
Additionally, Dr. Lewis is the proud recipient of Life Skills Center’s Ray of Hope Award; JM Lexus Enterprises’ Annual African-American Achievers Special Recognition Award and in 2010 received a proclamation in her honor from the City of Lauderhill declaring May 10th, "Dr. Reggie R. Lewis Day" for her continuous community service and commitment to literacy, youth leadership, Mentorship and community engagement.
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Al Otero, Secretary
Al Otero has successfully promoted international trade in South Florida and abroad through a series of conferences, trade shows, seminars and trade missions. He has built strong strategic alliances with trade, business leaders and organizations in the US and abroad. From seminars, conferences ribbon cutting ceremonies and grand openings, to meetings with high-level government officials and international events. He has established a solid foundation to build a highly successful global organization to serve the international trade needs of the world business community and is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for his service to the business community.
Al Otero has many years experience in sales, marketing, business development, management and ownership of small businesses. Al has over 15 years experience in the development and operations of Chambers of Commerce, as International Chair of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber, as Vice Chair of The International Business Council of Florida, and Chairman of the Bolivian Business Council. Al has served on the Boards of the World Trade Center Ft. Lauderdale, the Florida Foreign Trade Association; He was the founding President of the South Florida Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director of the Broward County Chamber of Commerce, and the Lauderhill Regional Chamber of Commerce. Al was also an active member of Sister Cities International and serves on the Broward County Diversity Advisory Council.
Recognitions:
- Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Broward County “Hispanic Business Leaders Award”
- Broward County, Florida Hispanic Bar Association - Hispanic Leader Award
- Portada Magazine “Business Organization Empowering Hispanics in South Florida” Leadership Award
- Empresarios Magazine “South Florida Hispanic Business Organization Leaders”
- In Focus Magazine “Executive Champion of the Year Award”
- In Focus Magazine “Multi Cultural Organizational Leadership Award”
- Melgar, Colombia “Key to the City” for bringing the first U.S. tourism mission to the city
- Carmen de Apicala, Colombia “Key to the City” for bringing the first U.S. tourism mission to the city
- In Focus Magazine “Hispanic Achievers Award”
- Ms. Latina International Pageant “Man of the Year”
- Cronos Magazine “Movers and Shakers” Hispanic Community in Broward
- Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau & Cronos Magazine
- “Top Hispanic Leaders in Broward County”
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MEMBERS |
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Alison Adams |
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Andy Ansola
While Eisenhower was playing golf in Mexico and the world had its eyes set on the Civil Rights movement, Andy Ansola was born on a J’Ouvert morning in Trinidad and Tobago on a leap year day. From a humble birth to a humble upbringing, he has become a mover and shaker in the South Florida region.
At the tender age of 14 while living in Trinidad and Tobago, his leadership skills sprung into action and he formed Y.O.U.T.H. (Young Organization of United teenagers from Hickling Village). Under his leadership YOUTH performed plays directed by Ansola and hosted an annual sports meeting for the next three years during the Easter holidays. The event came to an abrupt end when at the age of 17 he left for the “bright lights’ of the City of San Fernando.
Ansola became a police officer at the age of 19 and once again his leadership skills and desire to help the underprivileged gained him early recognition. He first traveled to Miami in 1984 and then returned to Brooklyn, New York, in 1989 to further his education. In 1992 he relocated to Hollywood, Florida, and returned to school in 1996 as an adult learner. At St. Thomas University, he graduated valedictorian in the class of 2000 with a triple major. This is the first in the history of St. Thomas University and has never been duplicated.
Ansola has more than 10 years experience in the human services field with a concentration on marriage and family therapy, thanatology (grief, loss and healing), mental health, social services, program development, crisis counseling, disaster management, and event planning.
Ansola has a masters of science degree in marriage and family therapy and a certifications in anger management, grief and loss, train the trainer in diversity, and train the trainer in disaster management. He began his doctoral work in marriage and family therapy at Nova Southeastern University in 2003. He has undertaken a clinical project where he developed a model of grief and loss for minority families but has taken some time off since 2005.
Ansola is well-known in the human services field and academia by all levels of government, the media, public schools, and social service agencies. He is entrenched in the South Florida community as a member of the Broward County Diversity Advisory Board, the Broward County Nutrition Task Force, past member of the City of Hollywood Education Advisory Board, member of the City of Hollywood African Advisory Council, the chairperson of Volunteers for Fort Lauderdale Sister City, a member of the Million Meals Committee, the president of Broward Caribbean Carnival Inc., the chair of the Diaspora of Trinidad and Tobago, the president of Sesame Flyers of South Florida Inc., the president of N.I.C.E. (National Intercity Cultural Exposition) member of 50th Anniversary Planning Committee for the City of Lauderhill, board member of TATTI Inc., member of the City of Lauderhill Sister Cities Committee, sits on many other boards and has received numerous awards.
Ansola is a Christian and confronts his challenges with spiritual guidance at the helm. He has been married to his wife, Karen, for 15 years. He has seven children and two grandsons, four sisters, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and hundreds of close associates. Ansola loves all sports and feels at times that he could have made it to the NBA. He is an unpublished author, poet, and a general all-rounder. Ansola has done almost everything from delivering newspapers, to painting houses, to cab driving, to cooking, to cleaning floors-you name it.
Ansola sets high goals and standards for himself and those that he leads. He is one of the most prominent leaders in the Caribbean/African American community, and a shaker and mover. If it addresses community, youth, the underprivileged, culture, injustice, and economic empowerment you can count on Ansola to join your team and make it happen. He can “hit the ground running by any means necessary,” which is one of his favorite lines.
Favorite quote
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King Jr. |
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Adarius Q. Billingsley |
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Patricia Duaybes |
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Michael Everett |
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Ian Hamilton |
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Carolyn Kennedy |
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Alice Catherine Levy was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. As the only daughter in a career military family she traveled and was educated nationally and internationally. She moved to Boston to attend college, then in the 1970s to Richmond Virginia to attend the Medical College of Virginia. At MCV she met and married Jeffrey Levy. The young Levys continued traveling while working and teaching at institutes including Harvard Hospitals, Brown University, Northwest and Michigan Cancer Foundation.
In 1988 Alice and Jeffrey moved to Florida. In 1990 they purchased and settled into their current home in Hollywood Florida. They raised their three children in south Florida. Rebecca a graduate of McGill University in Montreal now attends University College of Dublin. Benjamin and Murray attend university in Pennsylvania.
Alice continues to enjoy traveling, meeting and working with a diverse group of individuals. She remains active in several volunteer organizations and currently is serving as President of the League of Women Voters of Broward County.
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Daniel Nicolas |
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Abraham Rashid has been living in Cooper City for nine years, and a total of 29 in South Florida. He is 51 years old, married for 15 years with two children, ages 14 and 9, and both are attending public schools.
He currently is working as a Controller/Accountant for a large entertainment facility and speaks 5 languages. Rashid has a bachelor's degree in hospitality management from Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale. |
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Sam Subramani, an Indo-American was born in Guyana and lived in New York for about 20 years before relocating to South Florida more than 17 years ago. He is a supervisor with the Florida Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Services and a part-time college instructor.
In addition, he has a weekly radio show, The Indo-Caribbean Showcase, that is aired on WHSR-980AM every Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. As president of Anna Devi Promotions, he promotes multicultural and East Indian cultural programs free to the community. He has been an active member of the Advisory Council since 1993.
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