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: 2021-2022
Chair
Raymond Royce, Executive Director
Highlands County Citrus Growers Association
Chair-Elect
David Royal, Nutrient Stewardship Director
The Nature Conservancy, Altamonte Springs
Secretary/Treasurer
Yessenia Irizarry, Staffing Manager
Sunshine Staffing of Highlands County, Inc
Board Members
Russell Brown, Campus President-Dixon Hendry
Dixon Hendry Campus – Indian River State College
Mary Kay Burns, Owner
Brian Burns Citrus
Kevin Cundiff, Operations General Manager
Florikan
Elizabeth Densmore, Human Resources Director & HRBP
AdventHealth
Mary Dow, President
Dow Realty, Inc.
Meridith Durastanti, Superintendent Representative
Hardee County School District
Joshua Exendine, Union Treasurer, Executive Board
Hardee County Professional Firefighters Union, Local 3471
Denise Grimsley, Vice-President of Administration
AdventHealth
Sondra Guffey, Economic Development Director
Desoto County Economic Development Council
Heather Harshman, Financial Advisor
Edward Jones
Lois Hilton, Human Resources Director
DeSoto Memorial Hospital
Kaylee King, Business Manager
Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporation
Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, President
South Florida State College
Wayne Olson, Area Director
Florida DOE/Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Gary Ritter, Assist. Director of Govt. & Community Affairs
Okeechobee City Administrator
Donald Samuels
American Legion Post 2, Representing Military Veterans
Lisa Thomas, Senior Vice President I / Regional Manager
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union
Angel Wiggins, Director of Marketing and Operations Manager
Royal Care of Avon Park
Amanda Wilson, Community Development Administrator, Circuit 10
Dept. of Children & Families
