Gov. DeSantis appoints 9, reappoints 5 to Florida Developmental Disabilities Council

Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed 14 people to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC), a 30-person panel responsible for spending federal funds and advocating for state legislation benefiting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Nine are new members. Five are existing ones whose terms the Governor extended Wednesday.

All bring expertise on developmental disabilities to their volunteer roles.

The new members include:

— Denise Anderson, a co-founder, former executive director and current board member of ScentsAbility, an artisan candle-making nonprofit based in Coral Springs that prioritizes hiring individuals with developmental disabilities. A licensed practical nurse, Anderson is also a current participant in the FDDC’s Stakeholder Work Group.

— Christina Cordova, executive director of Posability Inc., a Spring Hill-headquartered, faith-based organization dedicated to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through inclusion, ministry, play, advocacy, community and training (I.M.P.A.C.T.) programs and events.

— Enrique Escallon, Chair of the Miami-Dade County Superintendent’s Advisory Panel for Exceptional Student Education and a former member of the Disability Rights of Florida Board of Directors. A retiree, Escallon previously worked as Vice President of Truist Bank.

— Arizona Jenkins, President of New Horizons Support Group for People with Disabilities, a Tampa Bay area-based nonprofit that supports individuals with disabilities through mentoring, education and encouraging independence and self-advocacy.

— Danielle McGill, a Medicaid waiver specialist for Aging in Broward. She is a past advocacy coordinator for the Ann Storck Center, Broward County’s oldest nonprofit dedicated to serving adults and children with developmental disabilities.

— Carla Mercer, a member of the Autism Society Board of Directors. She also works as a student records specialist at Florida State College at Jacksonville and is a U.S. Army veteran.

— Lauren Modawell, a consultant, performing artist and instructor for People Like Us, a Florida nonprofit that helps educators use the arts to create more inclusive and effective learning environments for neurodivergent students.

— Michael Sayih, a board member of Special Compass, a Pembroke Pines-based nonprofit that helps children and families with disabilities in education, sports and housing. A graduate of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council Partners in Policymaking program, he works as a greeter for the Florida Panthers, Miami Dolphins and the Kelley Kronenberg Law Firm.

—  Charlotte Temple, Vice President of Advocacy at the Arc of Jacksonville and member of the Duval County Exceptional Student Education Advisory Committee and Northeast Florida Healthcare Coalition. The President of C. Temple Enterprises Inc. in private life, she is a past appointed member of the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged and State Advisory Committee for Exceptional Student Education.

The five FDDC members DeSantis reappointed are:

— Andrea Gary, division director for Children’s Medical Services at the Florida Department of Health. She is also an appointed member of the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Board of Directors and a member of the American and Florida Nurses Association.

— Taylor Hatch, director of Florida’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities and a former deputy secretary and assistant secretary for economic self-sufficiency at the Florida Department of Children and Families.

— Yolanda Herera, a board member of The Family Café, a Tallahassee-based advocacy and community collaborative focused on empowering and supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. A retiree, she is a past Vice Chair of the Florida Rehabilitation Council.

— Jean Sherman, President of the Florida Lifespan Respite Alliance Board of Directors and an associate professor at the University of Miami. She is the 2014 recipient of the “Distinguished Service Award” from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

— Kali Wilson, a registered nurse case manager at ILS Healthcare. She previously served as the director of nursing for Behavioral Health at HCA Healthcare and associate executive director of the Arc of Tampa Bay.

They will join (or rejoin) FDDC members Beth Boone, Conney Dahn, Jennifer Dugar, Sara Goldman, Elly Hagen, Eddie Hall, Laurie Harlow, Dennis Hart, Kira Houge, Kevin Johnson, Jack Kosik, Catherine McGrath, Brent McNeal, Lisa Miller, Thomas Moon, Frank Shalett, Peter Sleasman and Victoria Vangalis Zepp.

Congress created the FDDC through the Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. Its funding comes through the Administration for Community Living.

In Florida, the FDDC is the only funded, independent entity with authority to facilitate collaborative partnerships among all state agencies, universities and disabilities organizations. It also has authority to advocate for policy and legislation with the Executive Branch and the Legislature.