Officers
Christopher is a Senior Wealth Strategist for Northern Trust. Throughout his 25+ years serving and advising successful individuals and families, he explores strategies to manage taxes and investment risk, offer family education on values and wealth, and provide insights to create a lasting legacy of financial protection. Christopher graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL, and is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor® who studied at the prestigious Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. Christopher is a leader in the community serving as Chair for the Tampa Bay BCA, American Cancer Society, and Rotary Club of Tampa Foundation. He’s a member of the Association for Corporate Growth, Rotary Club of Tampa, and GrowFL. Christopher is married with two college-aged daughters and lives in South Tampa. In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and watching his youngest daughter play softball for Belmont University in Nashville, TN.
Adam Unger is the Director of Oxford Creative Studio. In addition to providing for the ongoing creative needs of Oxford Exchange and its affiliates, Oxford Creative Studio offer services to clients who wish to tell their stories with the bespoke feeling and attention to detail for which Oxford Exchange has become known.
Ms. Carver is a finance executive for The Wilson Company, a privately held company offering a full range of property management, development and construction services.
Directors
Mr. Bertucelli is a Financial Advisor for Vantage Point Advisors of Raymond James. Damien develops comprehensive financial plans and sound investment strategies designed to manage clients’ wealth wisely and help move them confidently toward their goals. He joined Raymond James in 2001 and holds Series 7 and 66 licenses, as well as the professional designation of Wealth Management Specialist. Damien graduated with honors from the University of Florida, earning a Bachelor of Science in finance with a minor in economics.
With projects for sophisticated, discerning and loyal clientele, spanning throughout Florida, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Miami, and Sarasota, the Caribbean, and across the country from New York City to Malibu & Beverly Hills, unconventional ideas, distinctive style and creative thinking define the design team at Crespo Design Group. Lead by Enrique Crespo, Interior Designer, a graduate of the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design with over 15 years of professional experience, whose awards and recognitions include the Aurora Design Award for Excellence in Interior Design.
Ms. Czachor is Chief Financial Officer of Partners Asset Management.
Ms. Durdin is an independent consultant, focusing on leadership development and diversity and inclusion. She is also a successful painter and was named by Watercolor Artist as a 2013 One to Watch.
Chris Garvin currently serves as Dean of the College of the Arts at the University of South Florida. Prior to this appointment, he served as Director of the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia. He also served previously as Dean of the College of Media and Communication at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dean Garvin has had an active professional career as a user experience designer and creative director with his firm Educated Guess Work.
Stephen Gay is a certified accredited luxury home specialist with extensive knowledge of the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Beach markets. With over 14 years’ experience in real estate and over $400 million in sales, Stephen has consistently been a part of the top 4 sales teams at Smith & Associates Real Estate.
Troy Gross has lived in Florida since 2018 when he relocated to Saint Petersburg from Chicago. Troy is currently the Zone Finance Leader for the East Zone of Allstate Insurance Company where he has worked for the last five years, and prior to Allstate Troy worked in finance for several technology firms including 15 years at consulting firm Accenture. Troy has a bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College, an MBA from the University of Illinois of Chicago, and he completed the Certified Financial Planner tm certification program at Northwestern University.
David Gudelunas researches and teaches in the areas of emerging media technologies, gender, sexuality and communication, and communication industries. He is a widely published scholar and the author of “Confidential to America: Newspaper Advice Columns and Sexual Education” (Transaction) and co-editor of “RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Shifting Visibility of Drag Culture” (Palgrave). Gudelunas serves on the editorial boards of Sexuality & Culture and QED and has appeared in local and national media including MSNBC, THE AP, The Christian Science Monitor, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Mr. Hoek manages DeWitt Law Firm, P.A., Tampa. He focuses on foreclosure defense, short sale defense, and Florida real estate law. Andrew is also a licensed real estate agent with Smith and Associates and is a principal of Florida Property Title Services.
Leslie Wager Hudock focuses her multi-disciplinary practice on sophisticated business and real estate transactions. She advises clients on merger and acquisition strategies, real estate acquisition and dispositions, liquor licensing, corporate and real estate finance, project development and management, real estate leasing, and the nuts and bolts of operating a business during all of its various life cycles, from startup, to growth, and into maturity. Although Leslie’s core practice is in the corporate area, she is also Board Certified in Real Estate by The Florida Bar and is a licensed title insurance agent for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, First American Title Insurance Company, and Old Republic Title.
Brooke Palmer Kuhl is the creative mastermind behind r.s.b.p. Events +PR. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Ms. Palmer has committed the last fifteen years pursuing philanthropic endeavors with charitable organizations including The Arts Center, the Tampa Theatre, Florida Aquarium, and Lowry Park Zoo and others. As President of r.s.b.p. Events+PR, Ms. Palmer handles high profile clients, public relations efforts, social media management, and foundation events for professional athletes and celebrities as well as hospitality and lifestyle clients, and sponsorships management, high-end weddings and private events. Prior experience includes as columnist for Tampa Bay Metro Magazine, work with TBT* and Bay News 9, and Daytime, Tampa’s NBC Affiliate’s syndicated morning show in over 100 markets, and ABC’s Tampa Bay Morning Blend. Ms. Palmer graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Molecular Biology, earned a Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing at the University of South Florida and has completed work for her masters at USF.
Ms. Luikart is a partner with Anthony and Partners law firm. Her legal practice is in the area of business law with a focus on real estate, finance, leasing and other commercial and business transactions.
Ms. May recently retired as attorney specializing in labor and employment for the firm, Greenberg Traurig.
Dependable and results-oriented, Ashley is part of the Corporate, Tax and Transactions Service Line, where she focuses on general corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law. She has experience dealing with both public and private offerings, as well as advising clients on their day-to-day corporate needs. With her training from her undergraduate degree in public relations with a minor in communication, Ashley prides herself on her high level of interaction and commitment to her clients.
While at Stetson University College of Law, Ashley served on the Moot Court team, as well as a teaching assistant for both Torts Law and Commercial Transactions. She also served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Richard A. Nielsen. Additionally, Ashley earned Book Awards in Research and Writing II, Pre-Trial Practice, Arbitration, and Survey of Florida Law.
Jeff Nowak is Chief Solutions Officer for Premier Eye Care, where he is focused on addressing short and long-term business challenges and opportunities with technology solutions. Nowak has more than 25 years of experience, including high-level operational roles at MedHOK, Inc., Elsevier, WellCare Health Plans, and CIGNA. Nowak earned his bachelors of fine arts from University of South Florida and MBA cum laude, University of Tampa. He is also a visual artist.
Mr. O’Reilly is the Marketing Director for the Tampa Bay Times, Florida’s largest newspaper.
Pam Overton is an insurance professional with the Allstate Insurance Company, where as Senior Claim Field Director she leads approximately 800 auto and home claim professionals across the state of Florida. During her career with Allstate, she has held several leadership positions outside the state, including the Allstate Corporate office in Northbrook, IL as Vice President of Auto and Property Claims. Pam earned her Master of Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. She served on the Board of Trustees of the ICAR Education Foundation. Pam is a native Floridian who grew up in the Orlando area. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Central Florida.
As a senior director of brand strategy, Hunter leads and builds marketing programs for clients by engaging his expertise in digital and social strategy. He serves clients across a diverse array of industries, including financial services, education, nonprofit and economic development. As a certified SEO, he also spearheads many of the agency’s website and content marketing initiatives. Hunter is a University of South Florida alumnus and a John & Jerry Wing Alexander Endowed Scholar with degrees in English and public relations. Hunter gives back by serving on the Feeding Tampa Bay Fork Fight committee.
Peter Zinober is a labor and employment lawyer and shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Tampa office. He specializes in serving as the defense in cases involving employment discrimination, disability discrimination and wage and hour cases. Pete Zinober is also an accomplished musician, and together with his wife, Cynthia Gandee Zinober, Executive Director of the Henry Plant Museum, strong supporters of arts and cultural organizations in our community.
In Memoriam
Melinda Chavez, former longtime TBBCA Executive Director, passed away after a long illness on August 21, 2018. Melinda received her undergraduate degree in History from Emory University and her graduate degree in Medieval British History from the University of Virginia. She had a long career in education and the cultural arts in Tampa, Florida. Melinda was a teacher and administrator at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa from 1965 through 1985. She served as Curator of Education at H.B. Plant Museum, followed by Executive Director positions at Ybor City State Museum, Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts, and Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. She was Chairman or a board member of nearly twenty cultural arts entities in the Tampa Bay area over the course of her professional career. Melinda Chavez will be remembered for her dedicated service as a true champion of arts and education.