Anthony Abbate
Board Member
Licensed Architect
Anthony Abbate, is Associate Provost for Florida Atlantic University Broward Campuses, and Professor at the School of Architecture. He is also an NCARB certified architect registered in Florida and New York, with a Master of Architecture from Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Catholic University of America.
Abbate received the William G. McMinn Award for Outstanding Architectural Education from the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects in 2014, the Arango Design Award in 2000, Washington University's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1995, and 22 awards from the American Institute of Architects for design excellence as well as the President’s Award for Distinguished Service.
He is a past chair of the Broward County Cultural Council and former chair of the County’s Public Art and Design Committee. He served on the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Board of Adjustment, chaired the City’s first Sustainability/Green Committee, chaired the Sustainability Advisory Board, and chaired the Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board (BRAB). He is past president of the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale and is the President of the Rotary Fort Lauderdale 1090 Foundation.
With a long record of community service and leadership, he currently serves on the board of directors of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF). He is a member of Leadership Florida; and is also a regular contributor to the Sentinel’s South Florida 100 opinion page. Appointed in 2019 by then Commissioner Tim Ryan, Anthony Abbate serves as a member on the Historic Preservation Board and fills the licensed architect category.
Jonathan Axler,
Board Member
Historic architecture, architectural history, or related profession
Jonathan Axler is a South Florida native who is Programs and Education Coordinator at the Stranahan House Museum, Broward’s oldest known house, where he’s developed new and expanded existing programs. He formerly worked at Plantation Historical Museum in exhibit development, tours and in trainings. Jonathan also worked as Gallery Curator at Flamingo Gardens wildlife, botanical, horticultural sanctuary, one of Broward’s oldest attractions. He has had an extensive past of working in support of natural history and historical museums and sites. Appointed by Commissioner Nan Rich, Jonathan Axler serves as a Member of the Board and fills the professional category of Historic Preservation.
Damian Brink
Board Member
Archaeology, anthropology, or cultural anthropology
Damian Brink is a Senior Project Manager at Bowman Consulting Group. He has over 13 years of experience in land use and urban planning, project management, land entitlements, and urban design working in both the public and private sectors. He has worked as an Urban/Land Planner and Project Manager obtaining land entitlement approvals for residential, commercial, and mixed-use development projects throughout South Florida and Mid-Atlantic regions. Damian recently assisted the City of Mount Dora, Florida with their Historic Site Survey and updating their Master Site Files.
Damian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public and Urban Affairs with a concentration in Urban Affairs and Planning from Virginia Tech. He is a member of the American Planning Association; Former Board Member for the Building Board of Adjustment & Appeals (City of Boynton Beach, FL); Former Member of the Downtown Action Committee (DAC) (City of West Palm Beach, Florida); Former Board Member for the Florida’s First Coast of Golf (Jacksonville, Florida); and Former Board Chairman for The Academy for International Studies Charter School (North Palm Beach, Florida).
Jeff Schwartz
Board Member
Jeffrey Schwartz is the President of the Parkland Historical Society. In this capacity, he was directly involved with creating and burying the Parkland time capsule, scheduled to be opened on the city’s 100 year anniversary. He initiated the city’s historical marker program, identifying and marking sites as well as educating public visitors, and was critical in getting the city’s first book on the History of Parkland, Florida, written and published; he wrote the acknowledge for the final publication.
A world traveler, he has been to almost 100 countries, for both work and personal enjoyment. He received his Bachelors of Geology from City University New York, York College, and followed up with a Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory Fellowship in Geophysics at Columbia University. Reappointed in 2017 by then Commissioner Michael Udine, Jeff Schwartz currently serves as a Member of the Historic Preservation Board and fills the professional category of historic preservation.
Daniel J. Stallone, Esq.
Board Member
Historic Preservation Planning and Land Use
Daniel J. Stallone is the Town of Davie Police Code Compliance Official, a former legal advisor to the Davie Police Department with experience in red light camera infraction program, forfeiture actions, false alarm enforcement program coordinator, and code enforcement of zoning and land use codes, lien and fine mitigation, and author of municipal ordinances.
Daniel Stallone holds a Bachelors in Geology from the University of Dayton, Ohio; Master’s in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University; Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University and admitted to practice law in Florida; and completing a dissertation on complaint analysis for a Ph.D. in Conflict Resolution, also from Nova Southeastern. Reappointed in 2017 by then Commissioner Steve Geller, Danny Stallone currently serves as a Member of the Historic Preservation Board and fills the professional category of historic preservation planning and land use.
Cynthia Strachan-Saunders
Board Member
Historian, Folklore
Cynthia Strachan-Saunders is a vocalist, songwriter, actress, and author. As a vocalist, known as “Jus’ Cynthia”, her debut CD is a collection of smooth jazz and contemporary songs. Her debut book, a pictorial and written oral history of the first decade of Carver Ranches, stemmed from her grandparents, who were original pioneers of the area.
She currently owns, occupies, and maintains the first Broward County Designated Historical Site, her family home of Bowles-Strachan House, and operates the associated museum on-site. Reappointed in 2017 by then Commissioner Barbara Sharief, Cynthia Saunders currently serves as a Member of the Historic Preservation Board and fills the professional category of history or folklore.
