Jodi Reichman

Chair

Born, Raised and Educated in Chicago, Illinois she attended the Chicago Art Institute on scholarship and University of California, Berkeley. Employed for over 25 years in the HIV/AIDS arena. After retiring from the Florida Department of Health in Broward County she held the position of the Transgender Program Coordinator working “hands on” within the transgender community, educating medical/health providers, community based organizations and AIDS service organizations on how to create a culturally sensitive and competent environment for transgender individuals. To increase the capacity of medical providers to deliver competent medical care for FTM and MTF at all stages of their transition and life afterwards she created the South Florida Transgender Medical Consortium which holds an Annual Transgender Medical Symposium, a 2 day intense education series of workshops geared towards educating licensed medical/mental health providers, as well as students and support staff to ensure that there is familiarity with the important needs of the transgender individual. The symposium continues to feature the Nation’s leading subject matter experts.

Jodi has previously served as an active member of Safe to Be Me Coalition, addressing the needs of the GLBTQ youth and their families in the school system,Children’s Services Council for Cultural Diversity, which strives to create culturally competent services in equal access paramount to appropriate services and equitable outcomes for all children in Broward County and the Joint Client/Community Relations board of the HIV Planning Council advocating fair and increased access to health treatment for all communities and cultures.

She presently serves as a member of State of Florida Department of Health Transgender advisory workgroup committee and NASTAD, the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors, and has presented at many conferences and webinars.

Jodi also serves as Chairperson/President NAMES Project South Florida chapter of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Founded in 1987, The AIDS Memorial Quilt is dedicated to memorializing the lives of loved ones who have lost their battle to AIDS.

Jodi left the corporate accounting field where she \was mentored by Arthur Anderson in both mergers and acquisitions and recognized cost accounting for local Florida corporations to begin her career in nonprofit. She has never regretted it!

Mitchell Bloom

Vice Chair

Mitch Bloom is a Fort Lauderdale Banker from South Florida (Miami Killian High School) who after living in southern California for 21 years, moved back in 2001 to be closer to family. He’s worked at Wells Fargo in Wilton Manors since 2005. He was recently named Volunteer of the year by Wells Fargo, Florida, garnering the center thousands of dollars for his efforts.

Julie Carson

Treasurer

Julie A. Carson is a Paralegal with Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, a national company based in Boca Raton,
Florida where she coordinates legal matters related to the acquisition and leasing of cellular and radio
towers. Prior to assuming her current position, Ms. Carson was a real estate paralegal for the Law Firm
of Nichols, Newman, Logan Grey and Lockwood, PC in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands where she
prepared and coordinated real estate closings for properties in the Territory. Ms. Carson has more than
35 years of experience as a real estate and transactional paralegal, including facilitating real estate
acquisitions, sales and related transactions in connection with the ownership, development and
management of shopping centers, apartment complexes, and income producing portfolios. A 1983
Summa Cum Laude graduate from Middle Tennessee State University, Ms. Carson majored in Spanish with
minors in Political Science and Women’s Studies.
Ms. Carson has a distinguished career as a public servant. She was first elected to the Wilton Manors City
Commission in 2010. She was re-elected in 2012, served as Vice Mayor from 2012 through 2014, and was
again re-elected in 2016, serving until November 2020. This year, she was recognized by the City of Wilton
Manors for her 10- year tenure as a Commissioner.
She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Mental Health America of South East Florida; is a member
or supporter of the Wilton Manors Historical Society; Wilton Manors Friends of the Library; the NAACP;
Pride Center at Equality Park; PEO Chapter CV; and Congregation Etz Chaim. In 2018, Ms. Carson was a
foster parent to a 4-year old boy who was ultimately adopted by her brother and his family in Tucson,
Arizona. During this seven-month period, she delighted in her time as a “foster Mother” and continues to
be involved with ensuring that children are included into the fabric of daily community life. Ms. Carson
served on the Broward County Democratic Party Management Committee from 2014-2016 and was a
member and former Vice President of the Dolphin Democrats. From 2009 – 2011 she was Vice Chair of
the Broward County Management and Efficiency Study Committee (MESC) and Chaired the MESC
Subcommittee charged with reviewing the Broward County Sheriff’s Office for interdepartmental
efficiencies. She previously served as Vice President of the Wilton Manors East Neighborhood Association
and on the Board of Directors of Congregation Etz Chaim. Ms. Carson is committed to animal welfare,
and she champions for the rights of the elderly, transgender, marginalized, and disabled in the City and
beyond.
In 2015, Ms. Carson was honored with the Equality Florida Community Partner for Equality Award and the
Achievements in Excellence Award from the South Florida Gay News; she earned both the Dolphin
Democrats Political Trailblazer and the Jamie Bloodworth Awards; is a 2014 recipient of the Trans Equality
Award for her care of and service to the Community; is a 2012 National Voices for Equality, Education,
and Enlightenment Voices of Leadership Honoree, and was given the 2012 Community Award for
Outstanding Service by The Aqua Foundation for Women.
An athlete, Ms. Carson has successfully completed more than 150 triathlons. She enjoys horseback riding,
working out, and spending time with family and her adored pet children, dogs Ceiba and Nine-Nine, and
horse, Sunrise Song.

Clark Wycoff

Director

Clark Wycoff is a Partner in KPMG’s Audit practice, with more than 17 years experience planning and performing financial statement audits and quarterly reviews for publicly and privately held companies across a variety of industries.  He received his MAc and BS degrees from the University of Florida, and has experience as a people management leader and delivering national trainings to other KPMG professionals.  As a native South Floridian, Clark has supported KPMG’s citizenship efforts centered on lifelong learning within the Broward and Palm Beach county communities including volunteering experience with Junior Achievement, and KPMG’s Family for Literacy.

Dr. Precious Skinner-Osei

Director

When Professor Precious Skinner-Osei brought 17 students from one of her Social Work classes to Poverello for the first time, she didn’t realize how impactful the experience would be for everyone involved. A firm believer in combining the study of social work in the classroom with work in the field, Professor Skinner-Osei now exposes her students to the work and mission of Poverello as part of their social work curriculum each semester.

A native of Pompano Beach and currently a Coral Springs resident, Skinner-Osei is an Adjunct Professor at the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University. She did her undergraduate work at Florida State University, her post-graduate work at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and received her Ph.D from Barry University. Her focus at FAU is in the areas of Community Organizing, Policy and Research.

For about a half day each semester, Poverello become a working classroom for Professor Skinner-Osei’s students. Through observation, questioning and participation, they learn about the vital services that Poverello provides to its participants, and how this important social services organization works with the community. “I keep bringing my students back and keep myself involved as well,” she commented, “because of Poverello’s strict adherence to its mission and goals. This is not always the case with social service agencies,” she continued. Professor Skinner-Osei, as well as her students, is also impressed by the dedication and hard work of Poverello volunteers. “If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were all employees, as they demonstrate such a high level of commitment to what they are doing,” she remarked.

In addition to using Poverello as a teaching “lab” for her students, Professor Skinner-Osei also gets them involved in some of Poverello’s fund-raising events and activities. For example, this past year 12 of her students participated in the annual Associated Grocers’ event at the Miami Merchandise Mart, joining Poverello volunteers and staff in collecting three truck-loads of food, diapers and household goods for those in need in various south Florida communities. Her students also joined Poverello volunteers this past summer in packing food bags for youths in Palm Beach County.

Precious Skinner-Osei’s husband is also an academic who is doing research in health. They have two children, a nine-year-old daughter (who she brought into Poverello this past summer to help pack food
bags, “an experience she loved,” she related), and a five-year-old son who keeps them on their toes. And as if she wasn’t busy enough, Profession Skinner-Osei is also doing research on incarcerated fathers.

The relationship between the Professor and Poverello is yet another example of how the forces of good join together to benefit the community.

Raul G. Cantu

Director

Raul Cantu is a highly skilled medical sales professional and membership growth consultant for Oakland Park Chen Medical Senior Center with an emphasis on superb customer service and reliability. With over 30 years in hospitality management, food and beverage operations, including 21 years of restaurant ownership Raul’s entrepreneurship has allowed him to gain experience in numerous aspects of operating and running successful businesses. A highly resourceful and passionate leader respected and trusted by staff and professionals within the industry, Mr. Cantu’s strong interpersonal skills in guest relations and leading personnel have helped him effectively organize, assemble and arrange resources to meet goals within in his own businesses and in his recent volunteer work and event planning with Diversity Richmond, Inc. Raul spent much of the pandemic helping Diversity Richmond with fundraising, creating food drives for families facing food insecurities, and helping to ensure revenues continued in the face of shutdowns. With many awards, service on committees, and leadership roles held, he’s well suited to help guide Poverello into the future.

Jose Camino

Director

Jose Camino has his Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from, and is pursuing his Master of Science in Management at, St. Thomas University. An insurance agent and former account executive at the Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, as well as AT&T’s “Las Verdaderas Pajinas Amarillas,” Jose worked with both United healthcare and for Simply Healthcare/Clear Health Alliance now as their Community Relations Manager. He has been active in the community since the late 80’s and has collaborated with Poverello on Fuel Pack distributions, sponsorships, and ensuring volunteers and pointing us toward resources from the Anthem Foundation.

Ariela Eshel

Director

Ariela Eshel serves as Simply Healthcare Plans’ Health Equity Director. She has been with Simply since 2014 and, during this time, has managed multiple initiatives aimed at improving members’ health outcomes. Prior to her roles at Simply, Ariela worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention and the Ryan White Program’s Quality Management teams in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

Ariela holds a Master’s degree in Medical Anthropology and a graduate certificate in Public Health from GA State University along with a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) certification from the National Association for Healthcare Quality. She brings to her role a strong understanding of the impact of nonclinical factors on overall health and a commitment to data driven interventions that eliminate barriers to achieving optimal health.

The projects she leads as Health Equity Director address multiple health priorities including maternal and infant health, chronic conditions, and behavioral health. In addition, she has been leading efforts to develop and implement unconscious bias trainings for providers and has collaborated to make Simply one of the first nine health plans nationwide to achieve the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Equity and Health Equity Plus accreditations.

Ariela is a strong believer in the mission and values of the Poverello Center and is honored to bring her public health, grant writing, program evaluation, and strategic planning experience to the Board.

Justin Apiazu

Director

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Justin Azpiazu is an experienced video producer and content creator with a deep understanding of the local culture. In addition to his video production skills, Justin has also honed his talents in podcasting, writing, and marketing, making him a well-rounded and versatile content creator.

Throughout his career, Justin has worked with brands to help them achieve their video, podcasting, and marketing goals from ideation to execution. His passion for storytelling has allowed him to capture and showcase the essence of the city through various mediums.

Justin’s experience in video production and content creation includes his current role as Senior Director of Editorial & Content at RockOrange – a creative agency in Miami, FL, where he leads teams in creating content for brands from pre-production to delivery. Prior to that, Justin worked as a Video Lead at the Miami Herald, where he developed and executed the newspaper’s video strategy with a focus on live video, news, sports, social media, and short-form documentaries.

Justin also owned his own video production company, JRA Sports Media, where he produced video highlight packages for high school sports in South Florida and led a team of 10 videographers. With his diverse background and experience, Justin continues to innovate and contribute to the creative industry in Miami and beyond.

Candy Sicle

Director

Candy Sicle is Vice President of Consumer Sales & Retention at
AvMed where she has
Provided leadership for development and execution of acquisition and retention strategies across consumer segments to achieve company’s growth and profitability objectives.

Andrew Sine

Director

Andrew Sine, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, is the Director of Ambulatory Nursing at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. He received his diploma of nursing from George Brown College, Toronto, Canada, BSN from Chamberlain College of Nursing, and MSN from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
Andrew began his nursing career on an infectious disease (AIDS)/oncology unit at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada. His career continued teaching at George Brown College. Andrew started his leadership career at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson, on a phase 1 clinical trial step-down unit, then oversaw a neurosurgery unit. Andrew is currently with Cleveland Clinic Florida as the Director of Ambulatory Nursing.
Andrew participates on numerous hospital committees and was instrumental in initiating the pride employee resource group at CCF Weston, FL. Since 2014 he has served as a course director and chair for the endocrinology, LGBTQ, oncology, and wound ostomy symposiums

Meet our dedicated volunteers who make up our Board of Directors. We’re proud and grateful to have this high level of professional leadership leading and directing our organization.

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