South Florida National Parks Trust

Trustees of the South Florida National Parks Trust

The South Florida National Parks Trust is governed by a volunteer board of individuals who donate their time to support South Florida's national parks.

Mr. Carlos F. Arazoza, Chairman
Arazoza & Company P.A.
Coral Gables, Florida

Ms. Crystal M. Connor
The Connor Group Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

Mr. Carlos Espinosa
Miami-Dade Dept. of Environmental Resources Management
Miami, Florida

Mr. Armando Guerra
Sedano’s Supermarkets
Miami, Florida

Ms. Corinne Guerra
Summit Group Properties
Coral Gables, Florida

Ms. Lacey Hoover
Hoover Environmental Group
Miami, Florida

Mr. Howard Isaacson
Merrill Lynch
Naples, Florida

Mr. Timothy J. Koenig
Feldman Koenig & Highsmith P.A.
Key West, Florida

Mr. Neal McAliley
White & Case LLP
Miami, Florida

Ms. Tamara D. McKeown
Tamara D. McKeown P.A.
Miami, Florida

 

Mr. Juan Mendieta
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

Mr. Jimmy Morales
Stearns Weaver Miller
Weissler Alhadeff Sitterson P.A.
Miami, Florida

Mr. Wayne H. Rassner
Kramer & Rassner, P.A.
Miami, Florida

Mr. Iñaki Saizarbitoria
Iñaki Saizarbitoria P.A.
Miami, Florida

Mr. Rainer W. Schael
RS Environmental Consulting, Inc.
Miami, Florida

Ms. Ellen Siegel
Ellen R. Siegel & Associates
Miami, Florida

Mr. Robert F. Skinner
Skinner and Associates Inc.
Key Biscayne, Florida

Mr. Patrick G. White
Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, LLP
Naples, Florida


Members of the Advisory Board

Mr. Robert Chisholm
R. E. Chisholm Architects Inc.
Miami, Florida

Mr. Jack Curlett
Card Sound Yachts Inc.
Key Largo, Florida

Dr. Allison DeFoor
Go Green Strategies
Tallahassee, Florida

Mr. Ross Fischer
Miami Air International
Miami, Florida

Ms. Cheryl Heeke Giattini
Public Relations & Marketing
Sanibel, Florida

Mr. Marc Giattini
EuroAmerican Technologies Inc.
Sanibel, Florida

Mr. Arsenio Milian
Milian Swain & Associates Inc.
Miami, Florida

Mr. Lloyd Miller
Environmentalist
Miami, Florida

Dr. Alberto Mitrani
Executive Health of Coral Gables
Coral Gables, Florida

 
Carlos Arazoza is a founding partner and principal of the law firm of Arazoza & Fernandez-Fraga P.A. and a principal of the accounting firm of Arazoza & Company, both of Coral Gables. Mr. Arazoza specializes in tax and corporate planning, estates and trusts, real estate, foreign investment, health care and entertainment law. Mr. Arazoza is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans and the University of Florida at Gainesville. Mr. Arazoza is an avid kayaker and a founder of the South Florida Bush Paddlers Association.  Jack Curlett is the owner of Card Sound Yachts at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, a founder of the Ocean Reef Rod & Gun Club and Bonefish and Tarpon Unlimited, and tournament director of the Ocean Reef Invitational Sailfish Tournament and the ORC/BTU Backbone Classic. Mr. Curlett is a graduate of the University of Baltimore and a United State Army veteran who attended the John F. Kennedy School of Special Warfare (Special Forces School). He worked for General Motors in Washington D.C. as a district sales manager for the Chevrolet Motor Division and owned his own dealership in Baltimore before relocating the Florida in 1984. Mr. Curlett sits on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and chairs the Biscayne National Park Fishery Management Plan Working Group. Ross Fischer is the founder and president of Miami Air International, a global charter company based in Miami. A graduate of the University of Delaware and a veteran of the United States Navy, Mr. Fischer worked for Continental Airlines before founding Miami Air International in 1990. Clients of Miami Air include professional and college sports teams, cruise line companies and presidential candidates, including President George W. Bush. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush flew over 300 flights on Miami Air during their first presidential campaign. Armando Guerra is vice president and director of Sedano’s Supermarkets, a family owned chain of supermarkets since 1962. Mr. Guerra founded Sedano's Pharmacy and Discount Stores in 1977 and for many years his companies have ranked among the largest Hispanic businesses in the United States. Mr. Guerra was appointed in 2005 by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to serve on the board of trustees of Florida International University.  Mr. Guerra also serves as a director of U.S. Century Bank in Miami. Glenn Harris is an attorney with more than 20 years of litigation and trial experience. Mr. Harris focuses his practice on commercial and business litigation, with a special emphasis on securities litigation and government investigations. Mr. Harris was a senior trial counsel and assistant chief litigation counsel for eight years at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also served as a trial attorney at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a member of the Wilkie B. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association. Lacey Hoover is the chairwoman of the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation of North Canton, Ohio, and the Hoover Environmental Group in South Florida. Ms. Hoover is the daughter of businessman Herbert W. Hoover Jr. and the granddaughter of the founder the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Co. Mr. Hoover was an early leader in the conservation movement, fighting to protect Biscayne Bay and leading the effort to create Biscayne National Park. Ms. Hoover has continued her father's legacy of environmental protection and philanthropy. Under her leadership, the foundation has funded a wide range of programs in South Florida focused on the environment, children’s issues and education. Howard Isaacson is a senior financial advisor in the Naples office of Merrill Lynch with more 25 years experience in working with individuals, families and companies in financial areas. Mr. Isaacson graduated from Columbia University School of Business with an MBA in Finance and International Management. He completed his BSBA at Georgetown University in Finance and Accounting. Mr. Isaacson is a former practicing CPA who worked with Deloitte & Touche for 15 years in various client service and managerial capacities in the US and abroad. He lives in Pelican Bay with his wife, Dijana, and their two children. Mr. Isaacson also serves as co-chair of the board of trustees of the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Florida, and is the past chairman of the board of the American Red Cross, Collier County Chapter. Additionally, he is a member of the Advisory Council to Make-A-Wish, the President's Council to Hodges University, and the SeaGate Elementary School Advisory Committee.

Tim Koenig is the managing partner of the law firm of Feldman Koenig & Highsmith in Key West. Mr. Koenig is a past chairman of the Monroe County Planning Board and the Key West Planning Board and a member of the Military Affairs Committee of the Key West Chamber of Commerce. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Koenig teaches middle school algebra part-time and is a member of the Monroe County Workforce Housing Committee. A native of Key West, Mr. Koenig is a graduate of Florida State University. Neal McAliley is a partner with the law firm of White & Case LLP in Miami, where he practices environmental law and commercial litigation.  Prior to joining White & Case, Mr. McAliley worked for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division where he spent four years prosecuting environmental crimes nationwide, and for five years represented federal agencies in civil litigation relating to efforts to protect and restore the Everglades. A native of Miami, Mr. McAliley is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall School of Law). Tamara D. McKeown is an attorney in private practice and is the principal of Tamara D. McKeown, P.A.  An honors graduate from Florida State University College of Law, she specializes in commercial and complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy and insurance coverage disputes.  A Dade County resident since 1988, Tamara grew up in southwest Florida and from childhood learned to treasure Florida's wild spaces.  Juan Mendieta is the director of communications for Miami Dade College in Miami. Mr. Mendieta is a former television reporter who went to work for Miami-Dade County in July 1998 as chief spokesman for Mayor Alex Penelas. Mr. Mendieta became director of the Miami-Dade County Communications Department in July 2001. He joined the college in July 2004. Mr. Mendieta holds a master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University. Dr. Alberto Mitrani is the managing partner of Executive Health of Coral Gables. A graduate of Harvard College and the University of Miami School of Medicine, Dr. Mitrani previously served as a full-time faculty member of the Department of Medicine at UM and director of the Cardiac Transplant Clinic at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the university. Dr. Mitrani is a founding member and the director of educational programs at the University of Miami Cardiovascular Center. Dr. Mitrani is the former president of the UM Medical Alumni Association and has been listed in Best Doctors in America since 1996. Wayne Rassner is a native Floridian and the managing partner of the law firm of Kramer & Rassner P.A.  He specializes in complex commercial and real estate transactions, and his partner of 30 years specializes in personal injury.  Mr. Rassner is AV-rated with Martindale-Hubbell and he received both his BBA and JD from the University of Miami where he also served as an adjunct professor.  Mr. Rassner is a volunteer park ranger for Everglades National Park with concentration on guiding visitors into the back country by canoe, and leading groups from the community on swamp walks.  He is an Eagle Scout, as are both of his sons.  Mr. Rassner credits much of his success to his wife Deborah of 30 years.  He is one of the original members of the Board of Directors of ENV Magazine, which has recently converted to a non-profit “green” magazine.  Mr. Rassner has been passionate about the Everglades and its future for over four decades and continues to devote all of his available time to bringing awareness of the importance of the Everglades to the community and beyond.  Mr. Rassner has been awarded the District Award of Merit from the Boy Scouts of America, served as Vice-Chairman of the Tequesta District and served as both a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader.  He is an amateur herpetologist and a former member of and attorney for the Everglades Herpetological Society.  Mr. Rassner has recently founded Rassner Rescue, LLC, an animal rescue organization, and has been a dedicated supporter of the SFSPCA. Adventurer, fashion model, television personality and Miami native, Hunter Reno has been known to do everything from wrestling alligators in the Everglades to jumping off cliffs in Iceland.  An avid kayaker, mountain biker and distance runner, Hunter has graced the covers of Vogue, Shape, Mirabella, Mademoiselle, and Fitness.  She was the television host of WAMI-TV’s Ocean Drive, Oxygen Sports, Travel Channel’s Exotic Islands series, WPBT’s New Florida and recently concluded filming three seasons of WPBT’s Wild Florida, a show that focused on Florida’s native wild life and habitats.  She is a member of Slow Food Miami, an avid gardener and founder of “The Growing Green Garden Club,” an organization that teaches children how to grow their food.  Hunter lives in South Miami with her husband Peter Rabbino and their two daughters.  Iñaki Saizarbitoria is an attorney in private practice in South Florida. Mr. Schael is the President of RS Environmental Consulting, Inc., an environmental services company based in South Florida, with development and restoration projects throughout southern and central Florida. A South Florida native and avid outdoorsman, Mr. Schael enjoys spending time camping and hiking in Everglades National Park and fly-fishing in Biscayne and Florida Bays.  He and his wife Noël live in the Village of Palmetto Bay. Mr. Schael is a graduate of the Ransom Everglades School and Rollins College, where he received a B.A. in Environmental Policy and a minor in Business. Ellen Siegel is the president of Ellen R. Siegel & Associates in Miami, a financial planning firm. Before founding her own firm, Ms. Siegel worked as a comprehensive financial planner with The Enrichment Group and as a life insurance agent with Berkshire Life, both in Miami. Ms. Siegel is a volunteer park ranger and naturalist at Everglades National Park and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Goddard College. She has served on the boards of Temple Beth Or, the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, the Miami Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and the Miami Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. She was a founding member of the Miami chapter of Women in Financial Services and she currently serves on the local board of the Financial Planning Association. Robert Skinner is the president of Skinner and Associates in Miami. A native of Connecticut, Mr. Skinner began his career as a financial consultant in 1959 with Prudential Insurance Co. in Miami and Midland National Life Insurance Co. in Munich, Germany and Miami. He has been an active environmentalist since the 1960s, serving as president of the Mangrove Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America in Miami and as a director of the league´s Florida Keys Chapter. Mr. Skinner was invited to speak in 2003 before the Congressional Committee for the Environment in Washington and has served as a volunteer mediator in Florida for private organizations, environmental groups and government agencies to settle disputes. He is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University. Mr. White is presently Of Counsel with Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, Attorneys & Counselors at Law, where his primary practice is in the areas of land use and local government law.  He is a Florida Bar Board Certified City, County, & Local Government Attorney who has worked extensively with planners, architects, engineers, contractors, and other land development professionals throughout his career.  Prior to moving to private practice in December 2005, he served as an assistant county attorney for over twelve years in Lee and Collier Counties, practicing in the area of land use law.  Mr. White obtained his B.A. from the State University of N.Y. at Buffalo, where he majored in Environmental Design and Biology, and is a graduate of Stetson University’s College of Law.  He is a member of the Florida Bar’s Environmental and Land Use Law Section, the Real Property and Probate Trust Law Section, and the City, County, & Local Government Law Section, as well as being a member of the Collier County Bar Association’s Real Estate Section.
During his off work hours, Mr. White has focused on efforts to create a National Memorial for the Forty Heroes of Flight 93 lost on 9/11/2001; and he is presently the Vice-President of the Families of Flight 93 as well as the Co-chair of the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force.  Mr. White also enjoys scuba diving and sailing. Crystal M. Connor is president of The Connor Group Miami and a former associate at the law firms of Tew Cardenas and Becker & Poliakoff in South Florida. She has served as interim city manager for the Village of El Portal, chief of staff to Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jimmy Morales and general counsel to the Black Economic Development Corporation. Ms. Connor is an alumnus of the Miami Fellows Initiative, a leadership development program of the Miami Foundation; she is a graduate of Temple University and the William Mitchell College of Law. Carlos Espinosa is director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM). He joined DERM in 1985 as Chief of the Water Management Division and was appointed Director in December 2006 to oversee a department that regulates and manages activities impacting natural resources in the county. Mr. Espinosa is a licensed professional engineer and certified general contractor. He graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Miami. Corinne Guerra is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Summit Group Properties, a real estate management company in Coral Gables. Ms. Guerra graduated from Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and the University of Miami, where she received a BSC in Public Relations and Psychology and a minor in Marketing. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Public Relations from the University of Miami. Ms. Guerra is also a member of the Junior League of Miami. Jimmy L. Morales is an attorney in the land use, environment and government affairs department at Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff Sitterson P.A. in Miami, and also serves on the Firm’s Board of Directors.  Among his clients, he serves as City Attorney for the City of Doral and Special Counsel for the City of Miami Gardens. Mr. Morales was elected to the Miami-Dade County Commission in 1996 and served two terms before resigning to run for county mayor in 2004. He is active in the South Florida community through such organizations as the DadeFund, the American Red Cross, the WLRN Citizen’s Advisory Board and Autism Speaks. He is the recipient of the Bill Colson Colson Leadership Award from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the McClaskey Leadership Award from the Guardianship Program of Dade County and the Ambassador of the Arts medal from the Dade Cultural Alliance. He is a graduate of Miami Beach Senior High School, Harvard University and Harvard Law School.