Executive Committee: Treasurer
Patrick Mullen was appointed to the Diversity Advisory Council by Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin. He is a civil environmental engineer working as Regional Director for Project Development with MWH Americas, a global water engineering consulting firm.

Mullen was born in Germany and raised in Italy and came to the United States at the age of 18 to study engineering and political science at the University of Notre Dame where he was a leader in the antiapartheid movement and spent summers working with the homeless in a Washington, D.C., soup kitchen. After completing his studies, Mullen returned overseas where he traveled and worked for 15 years in the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He speaks Italian, French, German, and some Greek, Spanish and Portuguese. He is married to a South African high school teacher and dance instructor and they have two sons.

Executive Committee: Secretary
Ms. Smith-Tellez  has a wide range of cultural diversity and educational experience. Appointed by Commissioner Stacey Ritter, Smith-Tellez is a co-author of Super Parenting Child Rearing for the New Millennium, a founding director of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, and co-founder of the Vanguard of the Dawning Conference, which is devoted to empowering minorities through educational activities and international service projects.

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Smith-Tellez has lived in Portugal and Israel, traveled and lectured widely in the Americas, Africa, Europe and the South Pacific. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on radio and television in the United States and Africa. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Smith-Tellez earned her B.A. in English Literature from Illinois Wesleyan University and M.A. in Tourism and Special Event Management from Canterbury University, United Kingdom. She is currently teaching adults with disabilities and English as a Second Language for the Broward County School Board and is a Real Estate Sales Associate in Florida. Smith-Tellez has lived in Coral Springs for more than 10 years where she was named 2007 Volunteer of the Year for the Martin Luther King Committee and serves as vice chair and chair-elect for the 2009 celebration.

Linda Houston Jones  was appointed to the board by Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion in 2002. A native Floridian, she has a B.S. in library science from Florida A & M University and a masters's degree in Learning Resources from Nova Southeastern University. She is the
founder of Ashanti Cultural Arts, Inc., and President of EJ'S Company, her late husband's band.

Houston-Jones has received numerous awards for her service to youth, the arts and community service. Among these awards are the Price Waterhouse Up & Comers, Women of Distinction, Soroptomist  Woman of the Year, JM Family African-American Achievers in the Arts, to name a few. Houston-Jones has been featured in many newspaper, magazine and media journals. She holds membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The North Broward County Chapter of The Links, Inc., Cultural Executives of Broward, and Friends of the African-American Research Library & Cultural Center.

Michael Everett was appointed to the Diversity Advisory Council in April 2001 by Commissioner Ilene Lieberman. Everett has a wide range of education and experience in the arts with a specialty in drama. He is a graduate of Excelsior High School, the Jamaica School of Drama known as the Edna Manley School of the Performing Arts, and he has an advanced degree from the Eugene O’Neil Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut.

Everett has a depth of experience working in various arts schools and drama centers, and he has received awards of excellence at local, state and national levels as well as in his native Jamaica. He has received numerous “Best Actor” awards in theatrical productions and was dubbed “Mr. Magnifique” by the New York Post Theatre Critic.

Bloneva A. Jones was appointed to the Council by Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin in 2005. Mrs. Jones is a South Florida native and a retired Miami-Dade County Public School teacher, where she was a three-time winner of Teacher of the Year honors. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona and a Master of Science degree in elementary education from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.

In addition to serving on the Diversity Advisory Council, Mrs. Jones’ civic and community affiliations consist of the Koinonia Worship Center FCAT Tutorial Program, Founder/Director; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Retired United Teachers of Dade; American Federation of Teachers; Parent Teacher Student Association; Parkview’s Parent Advisory Committee; Dade Reading Council; Carver Ranches Homeowner’s Association Member; West Park Educational Advisory Council; NAACP Educational Summit – Reading Facilitator for Parents; Broward County Community Action Agency Advisory Board; Broward County Friends of The Library, Vice-President and a Mentor for Broward County Schools. She has received numerous awards for dedication and commitment, especially in the field of education and counseling.

She and her husband, City of West Park Mayor Eric H. Jones, Jr., who is also Senior Pastor at Koinonia Worship Center, have three sons and three grandsons.

Sam Subramani, an Indo-American was born in Guyana and lived in New York for about 20 years before relocating to South Florida just
over 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.

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 Andy Ansola 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 Mr. Ansola and hosted an annual Sports meeting for the next 3 years during the Easter holidays.  The event came to an abrupt end when at the age of 17 Mr. Ansola left for the “bright lights’ of the City of San Fernando.

Mr. 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.  Mr. Ansola 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.

Mr. Ansola has over 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.

Mr. Ansola has a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy and certifications in Anger Management, Grief and Loss, Train the Trainer in Diversity, and Train the Trainer in Disaster Management.  He began his Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy at Nova Southeastern University in 2003.  Mr. Ansola 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.

Mr. Ansola is well known in the Human Services field and Academia by all levels of government, the media, public schools, and social service agencies.  Mr. Ansola 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 Ft. 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.

Mr. 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.  Mr. Ansola has 7 children and 2 grandsons, 4 sisters, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and hundreds of close associates.  Mr. Ansola loves all sports and feels at times that he could have made it to the NBA.  Mr. Ansola is an unpublished author, poet, and a general all rounder.  Mr. Ansola has done almost everything from delivering newspapers, to painting houses, to cab driving, to cooking, to cleaning floors-you name it.

Mr. 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 Andy Ansola to join your team and make it happen.  He can “hit the ground running by any means necessary” one of his favorite lines.

Favorite quote
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere”
Martin Luther King Jr.