Sokoya Finch

Sokoya Finch is founder and Executive Director of Florida Family Network, Inc. (FFN). FFN's mission is to advocate, educate, and promote self-sufficiency among families by strengthening the family foundation. Ms. Finch has been working with minorities and very low- to-moderate income families across the Southern Black Belt region; specifically in Florida, for more than 30 years. Her areas of focus in disparities have included poverty and wealth, health, education, and incarceration disparities.

Ms. Finch's efforts in combating persistent poverty in the Southeast Region of Florida, along with other community-based agencies, i.e., Historical Black Colleges & Universities, and 1890 land grant institutions, have led to specific federal legislative efforts Ms. Finch and FFN are currently a leading agency for advocacy efforts of Florida in building a statewide Asset Building Coalition (FABC) with an interdisciplinary approach to asset creation among communities of color and low to-moderate income families who are impacted by recent disasters and families inability to gain, maintain, accumulate and grow their assets. Ms. Finch works as an advocate, convener, supporter, and technical assistance provider in asset-building issues that are presently being development for the Southern Regional Asset Building Coalition; including the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Ms. Finch has often used her many talents of advocating for systemic changes for the poverty stricken, low-income, working families in both rural and urban communities; she has also been the thread that has weaved through other services the common stitches in the social fabric of families healthy growth and stability; she has provided technical assistance to universities, community-based organizations, health care delivery agencies in organizational development, community-based participatory research, and developed strategic plans to dismantle poverty in the south. She was a major role-player, managing teams of community and health disparities experts in the development of the State of Florida's first health strategic plan for the state's racial and ethnic minorities. Ms. Finch brings grassroots health communication and experiential knowledge to risk communications, including patient and consumer perspectives, to her five-year appointment to the Food and Drug Administration Risk Communication Advisory Committee. On a county level, she sits on the Tallahassee Branch of NAACP's Health Committee, whose primary objective is racial health disparities and access to better healthcare services.

On behalf of FFN, Ms. Finch serves on the board of Florida Black Chamber of Commerce (FBCC). FBCC represents more than 5,000 members and 400 businesses across the State of Florida. Ms. Finch ensures that FFN's statewide outreach efforts intersect the basic components that strengthen the core of individuals and families. In the area of Education, Ms. Finch is a member of the Board of the George Washington Carver Humanitarian Institute. The Carver Humanitarian Institute is dedicated to advancing educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities and the introduction of technology as an equalizer. Ms. Finch's educational efforts reached the disenfranchised population -- incarcerated mothers. She has been teaching in state and federal prisons, and in public and private primary/adult education for over 15 years. She also serves as a national advocate on behalf of incarcerated mothers and the children and families left behind.

Ms. Finch is one of the founding members of the Black Belt Action Network (BBAN), a coalition comprised of community people, community activists, scholars and scholar-activists from the Black Belt/Delta South. BBAN has been working since 2004 through community-university partnerships to strengthen and extend the work of a region-wide and grassroots network that combats poverty.

Ms. Finch's credentials include a bachelor in Political Science/Journalism from Florida A & M University, masters in Education from The George Washington University and A.B.D in Education Policy from Florida State University. Ms. Finch is married and the mother of three adult children.

Karen Landry

Karen L. Landry is President/Executive Director of the War on Poverty - Florida, Inc., a 501(c)(3) Florida nonprofit organization. Karen is a Principal with Organizational Development Resources, Inc. and Village Architects, Inc.

Karen's experience as a practitioner in the asset development and community development arena has provided a fresh perspective in community revitalization; implementing customized strategies "asset building blocks," Turning Points and Assets for Change Forums for building wealth in target communities in Florida. She has assisted residents and community leaders in processes to determine their strategic vision, build collaborative partnerships, and establish and implement strategic objectives.

Karen also has designed and implemented leadership development programs, performance management systems, management information systems, and enterprise training solutions. She has led and managed teams to assess the organizational climate, and employee and customer needs through surveys, interviews and focus groups.

Karen has lead, managed and delivered projects in:

• Community asset analysis
• Financial and Business literacy education
• Instructional design
• Workforce education (capacity and skill building workshops, technical and sales training, business simulation)
• Management information systems
• Customized learning interventions
• Management and leadership development
• Capture management, grant writing and proposal development, including GSA and NMTC

Karen is a graduate of Jacksonville University with a Bachelors degree in Business and Computer Information Systems. She is a Certified Instructional Designer and Competent Toastmaster. Karen currently serves on the Board of Directors for the City Kids Art Factory, Women of Color Cultural Foundation Auxiliary, and has served on the Florida League of Cities NMTC Fund LLC Advisory Board.

Larry Williams

Mr. Williams currently serves as Founder and Executive Director of a community-based nonprofit organization in Orlando, FL -- Simeon Resource and Development Center for Men, Inc. (SRDCM). SRDCM provides an array of services for males, 12 yrs. and up, in an effort to assist them in becoming productive citizens. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director at Simeon, Mr. Williams served as the Director of the Office of Minority Health for the Orange County Health Department. He spent 25 years in public health, helping to identify and address factors that disproportionately impact racial and ethnic populations in Central Florida.

As an avocation, Mr. Williams is a classically trained actor. His prior performances include: Ibsen's "A Doll House"; Shakespeare's "Othello," "Hamlet," "MacBeth," and "Richard III"; "Driving Miss Daisy"; "A Raisin in the Sun"; and "The Elephant Man." He has written and produced several one-act plays and educational videos, including a script for an independent film. Mr. Williams has also authored a children's book dealing with race relations.

Carolyn Ford

Carolyn Ford is the founder and Executive Director of the North Florida Educational Development Corporation, based in Gretna, the chairperson of Florida Black Chambers of Commerce, and the former mayor of Quincy, Florida. She is a former teacher in Gadsden County and a former instructor at Florida State University. In addition, she has served as program supervisor at Apalachee Community Mental Health Services, Inc. At the North Florida Educational Development Corporation, Ms. Ford manages several community-based programs: the Jericho Organizing Project; the Retro-Fix Program, which employs youth and low-income workers while providing repair services to low-income homeowners, especially senior citizens; the Entrepreneurial Program for middle- and high-school students at W.S. Stevens School; and Home Buyers Clubs offering counseling and support for low-income residents seeking mortgages. North Florida Educational Corporation also is involved in housing programs through SouthSprings, the Rural Home Loan Partnership, Hamilton Places and the WellSpring Initiative.

Ms. Ford earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Florida A&M University and a specialist degree in Counseling and Human Systems at Florida State University.

Dreamal I. Worthen, Ph.D

Dreamal Worthen is a professor in the College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at Florida A & M University. One of Dr. Worthen's areas of concentration is in the field of Agricultural Research, an interdisciplinary field that focuses on multiple areas of agricultural and rural research. Dr. Worthen's research has focused on environmental justice, the elderly, poverty and health issues in rural communities of color. Her latest article on elderly health-related issues is published in a book chapter titled "Critical Issues in Rural Health". Dr. Worthen currently serves as a member of the University-wide Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) committee. The QEP's purpose is to improve freshman level student learning in the area of critical thinking.

Worthen is the former chair of the FAMU Faculty Senate, as well as a former member of the Board of Trustees. She is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors for Elder Care Services. She has also served on boards and conducted research looking at how social decisions and responses impact the environment.

Worthen received her undergraduate degree from FAMU and her master's degree in urban and regional planning and doctorate in adult education from Florida State University.

Feliciano Zayas

Feliciano Zayas brings to Florida Asset Building Coalition his experience in accounting and fiscal management.

Feliciano Zayas was born in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, and grew up in the rural areas of the island. In the early years of childhood his parents were self-supported thru the farming business. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration; Major in Accounting; University of Puerto Rico; Río Piedras, Puerto Rico; December 1983. Also completed one year of post graduate studies in Financial Planning at City University; Bellevue, WA. He served in the US Army for eight years.

He has been serving as the Financial Officer for The Farmworker Association of Florida for the last two years. Feliciano has over 25 years of experience in Government accounting and financial management and more than 20 years as independent consultant, providing consulting services to small businesses and individuals.

Feliciano has lived an extensive experience working with the less fortunate; he understands the struggles that most families go through since he has been there also, and is committed to work for the social justice causes for every human being.

He is very knowledgeable in computer Accounting and Financial applications such as Excel, Lotus, SAP, QuickBooks and Acuity Financials. Also he is fluent in the English and Spanish languages.