About the Board of Directors
The Heartland Workforce Investment Board, Inc. d/b/a CareerSource Heartland, Board of Directors provide policy and guidance along with the general direction of CareerSource Florida, Inc. the state's chief policy organization for all CareerSource Heartland's activities affecting DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Okeechobee counties. The Board is mandated legislatively to have representatives from the following categories: private sector, education, labor, community-based organizations, economic development, veterans, and non-public post-secondary educational institutions.
All CareerSource Heartland Board Members, as well as the organization’s President/Chief Executive Officer, file Financial Disclosure Information Forms with the Florida Commission on Ethics. Verification of filing may be found at http://public.ethics.state.fl.us/search.cfm.
Board Members
Local Elected Officials – the Executive Board
The Honorable Kelly Owens – Chair / Chief Elected Official
Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners
The Honorable Kevin Roberts – Vice Chair
Highlands County Board of County Commissioners
The Honorable Judith George
Hardee County Board of County Commissioners
The Honorable Jerod Gross
DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners
Board Officers: 2023-2025
Chair
Raymond Royce, Executive Director
Highlands County Citrus Growers Association
Officer Term: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2025
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – 12/31/2026
Chair-Elect
David Royal, Nutrient Stewardship Director
The Nature Conservancy, Altamonte Springs
Officer Term: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2025
Membership Term: 7/01/2021 – 6/30/2028
Secretary/Treasurer
William Allbritton, Highlands Market President
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union
Officer Term: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2025
Membership Term: 6/15/2022 – 6/14/2030
Board Members
Leigh Ann Bellamy, District Administrator
Division of Blind Services
Membership Term: 6/15/2022 – N/A
Andrea Broomfield, Senior HR Business Partner (HRBP)
HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital
Membership Term: 1/26/2022 – 12/31/2029
Russell Brown, Campus President-Dixon Hendry
Dixon Hendry Campus – Indian River State College
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – N/A
Mary Dow, President
Dow Realty, Inc.
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2024
Joshua Exendine, Union Treasurer, Executive Board
Hardee County Professional Firefighters Union, Local 3471
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2028
Don Garner, Owner/President/CEO
Suncoast Trucking Academy
Membership Term: 1/24/2024-1/24/2032
Denise Grimsley, Economic Development Director
American College of Healthcare Executives
Membership Term: 7/5/2022 – 7/4/2030
Sondra Guffey, Economic Development Director
Desoto County Economic Development Office
Membership Term: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2024
Skylar Harrison, Project Director
The AARP Foundation
Membership Term: 4/27/2022 – 4/26/2030
Fred Hawkins, President
South Florida State College
Membership Term: 7/3/2023 – 6/30/2031
Lois Hilton, Human Resources Director
Desoto Memorial Hospital
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2025
Dawn Hoover, HR Director
Gilbert Family of Companies
Membership Term: 10/25/2023 – 10/25/2031
Yessenia Irizarry, Staffing Manager
Sunshine Staffing of Highlands County
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2027
Christen Johnson, Executive Director
AdventHealth Wauchula
Membership Term: 6/15/2022 – 6/14/2030
Jeff Jones, CEO/General Manager
Jones Supply A.I. Sales & Service Inc.
Membership Term: 10/25/2023 – 10/25/2031
Kaylee King, President
Okeechobee County Economic Development
Membership Term: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2024
Dr Brenda Longshore, Superintendent
School Board of Highlands County
Membership Term: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2024
Deborah Mancini, Vice President
Mancini Foods
Membership Term: 10/25/2023 – 10/25/2031
Lindsey McCain, Human Resource Speciality
Profile Products
Membership Term: 10/25/2023 – 10/25/2031
Wayne Olson, Area Director
Florida DOE/Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – N/A
Gary Ritter, Assist. Director of Govt. & Community Affairs
Okeechobee City Administrator
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – N/A
Glenn West, Representing Military Veterans
Veterans Council of Highlands County
Membership Term: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2031
Angel Wiggins, Director of Marketing and Operations Manager
Royal Care of Avon Park
Memberhip Term: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2029
Amanda Wilson, Community Development Administrator, Circuit 10
Dept. of Children & Families
Membership Term: 7/1/2021 – N/A
- As defined in Florida’s Reimagining Education and Career Help Act (REACH) and as adopted in CareerSource Heartland’s (CSH) by-laws, “Members of a local workforce development board shall serve staggered terms and may not serve for more than 8 consecutive years, unless such member is a representative of a governmental entity. Service in a term of office which commenced before July 1, 2021, does not count toward the 8-year limitation.” Therefore:
– Start dates for members whose service began prior to July 1, 2021 are indicated as July 1, 2021.
– End dates for members representing governmental entities are indicated as N/A.
– Per CSH Board policy, to ensure that each county’s workforce priorities remain a strong focus of the CSH Board, certain economic development and education members rotate annually.
