Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Jacksonville for 2024. Jacksonville is the largest city in landmass in the continental United States. A rapidly growing metropolitan in Northeast Florida, with approximately 1,000,000 residents, The River City caters to some of the most profitable industries across the globe – with exceptionally talented women leaders at the helm of well-known companies and organizations.
The largest industry in Jacksonville is healthcare, with nearly 14% of the population working in this field. Among them is awardee Betsy Chapin Taylor, an award-winning author, speaker, and consultant drawing on 30 years of experience in healthcare. She serves as the CEO of Accordant, a philanthropy consulting firm specializing in working with hospitals and healthcare systems.
The next largest industry is retail, employing over 12% of workers, including honoree Claudia Keyes, the Senior Vice President of Operational Excellence and Sales Agency at Acosta. After learning the retail industry inside and out through top leadership positions at mega-retailers like Walmart and Sam’s Club, Keyes joined Acosta, a sales and marketing powerhouse behind some of the most recognized brands in the world.
Finally, we recognize women leaders in finance and insurance, the third largest industry in Jacksonville with nearly 10% of the workforce. Recognized for her mission-driven and tailored approach to client services, Diane Pauly is a senior executive at Morgan Stanley, a leading global financial services firm, where she brings her vast knowledge of the municipal bond trading industry.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Jacksonville for 2024.
3. Diana Sorfleet
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, CSX
Diana Sorfleet was named Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer in July 2018. Her responsibilities include aviation, facilities, human resources, people systems and analytics, and total rewards. She had a key role in orchestrating the company’s pandemic response, guided the development and implementation of a comprehensive social justice action plan, and, previously, as Chief Human Resources Officer, was responsible for managing the company’s workforce strategies during the scheduled railroading transformation.
Sorfleet joined CSX in June 2011 after many years in human resources with Exelon, where she rose to vice president for diversity and development. She is a member of the Conference Board’s Chief Human Resources Officers Council and has participated in several additional professional organizations during her career. In 2016, Sorfleet was recognized by Black Enterprise as one of the most influential, highest-ranking executives leading diversity initiatives among the nation’s largest companies. She was also recognized by Diversity MBA in 2012 as the Top 100 under 50 Diverse Executives.
Sorfleet is a graduate of the Loyola University of Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Subsequently, she earned a Master’s degree in Management and Human Resources from National Louis University, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
6. Dana Karzan
Chief Marketing Officer, VyStar Credit Union
With a profound focus on helping organizations deepen customer relationships, Dana Karzan is an innovative leader, product marketer, and brand strategist with over 20 years of experience across banking and fintechs. Currently, Karzan is Chief Marketing Officer at VyStar Credit Union, where she leads brand, marketing, advertising, social, and community engagement for this purpose-driven organization. At VyStar, their work is inspired by the people, businesses, and communities they serve every day.
Karzan is a consumer insight-driven global leader with deep experience in payments, fintech, commerce, and consumer strategy. She is a change agent who is highly collaborative, passionate, articulate, and able to achieve results others believe to be impossible. Prior to VyStar, Karzan has held leadership roles across marketing, digital, product management, and strategy for notable technology and financial services organizations, including Facebook, Citibank, Wells Fargo, GE, Lloyds TSB, and US Bank. Karzan is an active board member of Groundworks JAX and the Jacksonville Symphony. She earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and an undergraduate degree in international studies from American University.
8. Eleanor Lynch
Senior Vice President of Operations, Memorial Hospital Jacksonville, HCA Healthcare
Eleanor Lynch joined HCA Florida Memorial Hospital as the Senior Vice President of Operations in May of 2012. HCA Healthcare is one of the nation's leading providers of healthcare services, comprising 183 hospitals and over 2,3000 sites of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom.
In her current role, Lynch provides operational leadership to multiple ancillary departments. She recently spearheaded the establishment of a Level-II Trauma Center with the State of Florida. She led the team from start-up, including the development of clinical protocols, a formal site survey, and a legal challenge to achieve full certification with no deficiencies identified. She has executive responsibility for the Trauma Level II program, a 27-bed adult psychiatric unit, a 14-bed geriatric psychiatry unit, the Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Psych Program, rehabilitation services, the Outpatient Wound Care Center, the Bariatric Surgery Center, oncology services, the VA service line, food and nutrition, environmental services, transport, and laundry.
Prior to joining HCA, Lynch served as the assistant CEO of Carolinas Hospital System in Florence, South Carolina. There, she had direct administrative oversight of multiple departments, including the laboratory, wound care, the drug and alcohol unit, the inpatient rehabilitation unit, the comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation center, the transitional care unit, respiratory, the sleep lab, and occupational health programs. She was responsible for physician recruitment and worked closely with the CEO on physician selection, contract negotiations, practice development, and physician alignment strategies.
Lynch holds a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University, and she completed her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of the Philippines. She also served as a professor of physical and occupational therapy at the University of the Philippines and cherishes her long-standing, clinical career in the field of rehabilitation.
9. Aimee Boggs
Senior Vice President of Investments, Raymond James
Aimee Boggs is a Senior Vice President of Investments of Raymond James. She first joined the company in 2013. Founded in 1962 and a public company since 1983, Raymond James Financial is a Florida-based diversified holding company providing financial services to individuals, corporations, and municipalities through its subsidiary companies engaged primarily in investment and financial planning, in addition to capital markets and asset management. Through its three broker/dealer subsidiaries, Raymond James has approximately 8,400 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada, and overseas. The company has been ranked as one of the best in the country in customer service, as a great place to work, and as a national leader in support of the arts.
Previously, Boggs was a VP and financial advisor at Morgan Stanley, where she worked with clients to create and manage personalized investment and wealth management strategies to identify and pursue family and personal financial goals. Before that, she was a financial reporting manager at Koger Equity, Inc. Earlier in her career, she worked with Ernst and Whinney as a senior auditor. Boggs earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of North Florida, a degree in French studies from the University of Bordeaux, and a degree in international business from the University of Colorado Boulder.
11. Nancy Sabin
Vice President, US Marketing and Connected Commerce; Vision Care, Johnson & Johnson
Nancy Sabin is Vice President of US Marketing and Connected Commerce at Johnson & Johnson Vision. Johnson & Johnson is a leading producer of medical devices and pharmaceuticals and the owner of many well-known consumer brands. Sabin leads a US team of over 50 marketing, digital strategy, and connected commerce leaders to achieve excellence across marketing functions, elevating engagement with customers and consumers and delivering significant business performance for Johnson & Johnson Vision.
She first joined the company in 2002 as a marketing manager. She quickly moved through the ranks, being promoted to group product director and then to director of marketing. She then served as vice president of marketing and global franchise before accepting a role as marketing director of smoking cessation, where she was responsible for the end-to-end delivery of J&J Consumer’s global Smoking Cessation (SC) business. She drove growth agenda and strategic planning via key new product development, commercial innovation, and business models. From there, she was the global marketing leader of surgical vision, driving the strategic growth agenda for the industry-leading global cataract implant business, her final role before VP of US Marketing and Connected Commerce for J&J Vision.
Sabin is a global commercial leader with a track record of delivering innovation and sustained business growth across CPG and med-tech industries. She’s a results-oriented, decisive leader recognized for her ability to build and manage iconic brands, drive strategic transformation and innovation agenda, and inspire organizations to implement the vision. Sabin earned an MBA from The Wharton School and an undergraduate degree in civil and environmental engineering from Duke University.
12. Alexandra Geist
Vice President, Sales for Travel, Transportation, Hospitality, Salesforce
Alexandra Geist is the Vice President of Sales for Travel, Transportation, and Hospitality at Salesforce, a leading cloud-based CRM software that makes it easier for companies to find prospects, close deals, and connect with customers. Geist is a strong leader with a proven record of leading top-performing sales teams.
Geist has spent over 20 years as a highly successful, process and results-oriented technology sales professional. As a sales leader, her focus is on helping companies transform the needs of their business into a technology strategy that gives them a competitive advantage and meets their financial goals, including revenue growth and cost containment. Her priorities are centered on developing a sales team that understands client workflow, identifying opportunities, and presenting strategic solutions that result in revenue growth and long-term client relationships.
She is highly adept in leveraging market research, coupled with industry directives, to develop strategies propelling businesses to the forefront of the market.
Geist studied journalism, German studies, and languages at The University of Georgia. She’s also volunteered in multiple leadership positions for the Junior League of Atlanta.
14. Tanya Johnson-Coomes
Vice President, Global Finance and Credit Trading Middle Office, Deutsche Bank
Tanya Johnson-Coomes is the Vice President of Global Finance and Credit Trading Middle Office at Deutsche Bank, a Germany-based financial institution that provides personal and commercial banking products and services for individuals and businesses.
Johnson-Coomes is a business executive guiding organizations to think broadly and strategically about the controlled implementation of their mission. She has over twenty years of experience in operational due diligence, SWOT analysis, process risk management, performance improvement analysis, and change management. She has the ability to manage across the broader organization through leadership and to inspire people at the highest level. She has excellent communication and influencing skills. A detail-oriented professional, she is focused on the implementation and structures necessary to move from vision into reality, utilizing a keen emphasis on financial performance, efficient operations management, and lasting solutions for minimizing losses from failed internal processes, inadequate controls, and emerging risks. She’s held several other leadership roles at Deutsche Bank, including assistant vice president and multiple VP roles.
Johnson-Coomes first got her start in 1998 as an educator and department chair at Duval County Public Schools. From there, she worked in business analysis for Allstate, operations for Artisan E-Learning, and then as an associate director of business and finance for the University of Florida. After nearly eight years in this role, she was appointed deputy director of MOCA Jacksonville, her most recent position prior to joining Deutsche Bank. Johnson-Coomes graduated from the University of North Florida with an MBA.
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15. Kay Fellows
Vice President of Enterprise Accounts, Innovation, and Solutions, Medtronic
Kay Fellows is the Vice President of Enterprise Accounts, Innovation, and Solutions for Medtronic, a leader in global healthcare technology that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.
Fellows first joined the company in 2002 as a senior business systems analyst. She was quickly moved through the ranks from product manager to territory manager and field trainer to district manager. She first attained director status in 2014 as the director of strategic sales and development. By the spring of 2015, she was promoted to the director of strategic sales and then to senior district manager a few years later. She joined the C-suite in 2021 as VP of the South Central Region and was appointed to her current role in late 2022.
As a talented commercial leader, Fellows has proven success in collaboration across multiple business units and diverse product categories with a goal of serving patients and customers. She recruits and retains diverse teams that use analytical tools, corporate resources, and collaborative experience to develop and execute strategies to win. Her personal mission is to connect, align, and perform, and she has a passion for evolving the Medtronic strategy and developing programs and solutions that strengthen the Medtronic value proposition to healthcare partners across all specialties of care.
Previously, Fellows was a senior management consultant at Smoak, Davis & Nixon, LLP. Before that, she was a management consultant at PwC. Fellows earned an MBA from the University of North Florida’s College of Business Administration and an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of South Florida.
16. Franchesca Williams
Senior Vice President and Director of Third Party Risk Management, Ameris Bank
Franchesca Williams is the SVP and Director of Third Party Risk Management at Ameris Bank, a financial services institution that provides personal banking, business banking, and loan solutions.
Williams has over 13 years in the third-party risk management field in financial services. She is a detail-oriented risk professional with extensive knowledge and application of risk management principles, program design, and implementation. She is proficient in establishing strong and successful policies, procedures, and processes to mitigate risk at each level of the organization, and her experience includes direct contact with all levels of internal clients, suppliers, subcontractors, and other key stakeholders for a variety of risk concerns for prevention and risk mitigation for financial products and services. She thrives on working collaboratively with internal and external clients to drive results and provide advisory guidance for sound risk decisions by the business.
Prior to her role at Ameris, Williams served as the VP of third-party risk management at VyStar Credit Union. She currently holds the Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager IV (CRVPM IV) certification, and she has a CCM Advanced Practitioner (CCMAP) certification. She’s also a Certified Third Party Risk Professional with experienced knowledge of compliance and regulatory requirements for a successful risk management program aligned with applicable laws and regulations. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Phoenix.
22. Tara Travieso
Strategic Growth, National Accounts, Carrot Fertility
Tara Travieso is a Lead strategist dedicated to strategic growth in national accounts at Carrot Fertility, the leading global fertility healthcare company. She serves national and international employers, focusing on growth for the leading global fertility benefits solution in the world.
She previously served the firm as a consultant relations executive. In this role, Travieso partnered with employee benefits consultants across the country and developed key strategic partnerships. With more than 15 years in the employee benefits consulting space, working at prestigious multinational firms, Travieso brings innovative ideas and strategies to help clients improve the employee experience, manage budgets, and navigate the complexities of benefits legislation.
Travieso authored and published two children’s books, one of which was an Amazon #1 Hot New Release. She was featured on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, Good Morning America, and many other national media outlets. As a mother of two young girls, Travieso spends much of her time outdoors and cooking with her family.
24. Jannet Walker-Ford
Senior Vice President and Principal Director, National Transit and Rail Business Line Leader, WSP
Jannet Walker-Ford is a nationally recognized transportation industry executive with WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy. A tireless advocate for equity in transportation and the power of public transit to transform communities, Walker-Ford has more than two decades of diverse expertise including management consulting, technology, mobility, and transportation systems. With a focus on equity, sustainability and community building she has served in executive leadership and strategic advisor roles on ground-breaking programs and projects for large transit and transportation agencies across the US. She regularly draws on her two decades of experience for national consultancy firms and as the Deputy General Manager/Deputy CEO and CIO at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
In her role with WSP, she serves as the senior vice president & national transit and rail business leader, responsible for leading and growing the firm’s business in national transit and rail markets including the national practices for freight delivery, passenger rail, systems, technical project delivery, bus rapid transit and zero emissions. At every opportunity, Jannet leads with gratitude – continually recognizing her team, clients, and industry partners for their contributions and accomplishments.
Recognized by Railway Age as a 2023 Woman-in-Rail, she serves on multiple international and national boards including the current Chair of WTS International, the APTA Executive Committee, ENO Transportation, Jacksonville Board of Trustees, and the NFI Corporate Board. She has received numerous awards recognizing her success and advocacy including the 2022 American Public Transportation Association’s Business Member of the Year; 2021 WTS Northeast Florida Woman of the Year, 2019 Women of Color STEM Technology All-Star Award; and a 2019 Conference of Minority Transportation Officials’ Women Who Move the Nation honoree.
25. Danielle Leiby
Lead HR Business Partner, World Insurance Associates
Danielle Leiby is the Lead HR Business Partner of World Insurance Associates, a unique insurance organization offering top products and services from all major carriers, combined with personal service from local professionals. Leiby is a retired 20-year Navy veteran, where she served as a helicopter pilot. She learned so much during her time in the Navy, and she’s very proud of the sailors that she had the opportunity to lead. In April of 2023, she began her transition into a corporate role.
As Lead HR Business Partner, she uses her leadership skills to support the employees and teams as they continue to grow and excel. Her leadership pillars include empathy, agility, operational excellence, collaborative team building, strategic planning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Leiby graduated from the University of San Diego with an MS in international and global studies and from the United States Naval Academy with an undergraduate degree in mathematics.
26. Allishia Bauman
Vice President and Executive Director, City Year
Allishia Bauman is the Vice President and Executive Director of City Year. City Year helps students and schools succeed while preparing the next generation of civically engaged leaders who can work across lines of difference. Bauman is passionate about people and is experienced in building strong teams, culture, deep collaboration, inclusivity, and equity at every level; she has held many positions professionally and as a volunteer, where she has deeply contributed to these aspects of work.
A SHRM Certified Professional through the Society for Human Resource Management, Bauman most recently served as the managing director of people, operations, and strategy at City Year Jacksonville, where she has worked for almost eight years. She has been on the executive leadership team, leading human potential efforts, as well as the leader of the operations department and leader of strategic planning and goal setting. She has also sustained an effective support structure for the director-level leadership team. She leads internal communications, all of which puts people first and results in the advancement of City Year Jacksonville's mission to put students first.
A proud Jacksonville native and product of Duval County Public Schools, Bauman earned her associate's degree from Florida State College of Jacksonville and later earned her Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Studies from the American Women's College at Bay Path University. In the past, she has been an engaged community steward supporting organizations and groups, such as the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, TEDxJackosnville, and the Women's Giving Alliance.
27. Angie Langlois
Partner, Ascendo Resources
Angie Langlois is an entrepreneur, staffing industry leader, and active philanthropist. She currently serves as a Partner at Ascendo Resources, a leading staffing and consulting solutions firm.
Langlois earned a Bachelor of Arts from East Carolina University. As a fresh graduate, she ran her own successful sales and marketing company in South Florida. Langlois then joined a large international staffing firm, where she quickly became a top producer. Langlois rose through the ranks to become a senior manager in Jacksonville. Langlois eventually opened Angie's Staffing and built it into a very profitable staffing firm. She sold her business to Ascendo Resources in 2019, and she has remained a Partner at Ascendo since the acquisition. Her motto is, “Work hard, have fun, and give back.”
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28. Caral Edelberg
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Edelberg & Associates
Caral Edelberg, CPC, CPMA, CAC, CCS-P, CHC, Founder and Chairman, Edelberg & Associates. Caral is a widely recognized expert on revenue cycle management, on-site process improvement, coding and compliance. E&A provides coding and compliance support for many medical specialties/sub-specialties. Caral has personally managed coding, billing and compliance improvement projects for hundreds of facilities across the country. She develops training, auditing and monitoring tools while providing on-site analysis of process flows and oversees compliance audits used to identify coding and billing problems for many medical specialties.
Caral has been awarded Honorary Lifetime Membership in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) for her outstanding work in the medical profession and the Association. This is a unique honor for a non-physician. She is a long-term member of the Coding and Nomenclature Advisory Committee for the American College of Emergency Physicians and chairs the ACEP Sub-Committee tasked with the development of ACEPs Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on coding and reimbursement. She is also the longest-service faculty member on the Coding and Reimbursement conferences sponsored by ACEP. Caral is a recipient of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Faculty Award for exceptional faculty performance and the “Over the Top” Outstanding Faculty Award for teaching excellence, which she has received twice.
In addition, Edelberg serves as faculty for courses hosted by state and national organizations and is a frequent speaker for audio conferences sponsored by numerous medical organizations. She was chosen as one of Jacksonville, Florida’s 25 Top Women Business Leaders in 2023.
Caral has published extensively in areas of compliance, coding, and revenue cycle management. She was a columnist for ED Management; is a frequent contributor to ACEP Now; is on the editorial advisory board for ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert published by The Coding Institute; is a co-author of ED Coding for Emergency Medicine Volumes 1 and 2 published by ACEP; is a co-author of Emergency Department Management Volumes 1 and 2 published by McGraw Hill as well as numerous additional publications and texts. She also co-authored the Emergency Medicine Study Guide and Emergency Medicine Specialty Examination for the Advanced Board of Medical Coding (ABMC); authored the Emergency Medicine Study Guide and Emergency Medicine Competency Examination published for Ingenix/AAPC; served as author/editor of the Emergency Department Answer Book published by United Communications; and co-authored the current Emergency Medicine Study Guide and Competency Examination for the AAPC.
She has authored articles and columns in many national publications including “HFM” published by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and Coding Edge published by the AAPC. She is the founding editor and currently serves on the editorial advisory committee of ED Coding Alert. She served on the editorial advisory board of ED Management for whom she also authors a quarterly column on ED coding and compliance issues. In addition, she served as a consulting editor and advisory board member for OPPS Insider and APC Advisor. She is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Emergency Department Practice Management Association (EDPMA). Caral is also AHIMA certified Instructor in ICD-10 diagnosis coding.
30. Sharon Fletcher, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Birdsong Hearing Benefits
A three-time CEO, Sharon Fletcher is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Birdsong Hearing Benefits, a third-party administrator for hearing health benefits. She’s a highly accomplished CEO with a track record for being thrust into completely new businesses, quickly determining the leverage points, developing a plan to grow shareholder value, staffing the organization for success, and motivating the team to deliver the plan. She is deeply steeped in the healthcare sector but has also demonstrated the same approach and results in industries ranging from technology to consulting to airlines. Fletcher is considered to be an outstanding coach by the thousands of people she has touched.
Formally, Fletcher has served as the president of Fluent Health, a technology-enabled application platform delivering cost-effective value to the healthcare sector. Fluent Health is a for-profit entity of Presbyterian Health System, a $4 billion premier integrated health delivery and plan system. Her hi-flying career also includes eighteen years of experience in airlines. Her many achievements include being nominated to be a member of Women Business Leaders of the US Health Care Industry Foundation and being recognized as one of Oklahoma’s Outstanding 2018 Chief Executive Officers of the Year. Her extensive board experience includes several United Way chapters, The American Heart Association, Tulsa’s Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Fundraising Committee, and the Healthcare Advisory Board. She is also a member of The National Association of Corporate Directors.
Fletcher holds a PhD from Northcentral University, an MBA from the University of Mary, an MS from La Roche College, and a Bachelor of Science from Point Park University. She also obtained an Executive Leadership Program Certificate from Cornell University in Finance. She resides with her family in Saint Augustine, Florida, enjoys travel, and reads five books a month.
31. Lauren Hayes
Chief Experience Officer, Jaid
Lauren Hayes joined Jaid as Chief Experience Officer in 2023. Jaid is an AI-powered platform that identifies and extracts critical data from across diverse company and customer communications. Hayes is a targeted and visionary executive leader who drives client excellence across large client-facing teams, balancing innovation and pragmatism to achieve positive outcomes and growth. She delivers results through problem-solving, relationship-building, and championing employee engagement.
In her current role, Hayes champions the customer experience for all facets of client engagement post-sale, including onboarding, training, customer support, and customer success. She moved to the early-stage start-up after 10 years at FIS, where she held various leadership roles ranging from risk and information security and regulatory compliance to M&A and global operations. She spent the last five years at FIS as a VP in the global client engagement organization, leading various CX and client relations teams focused on client product training, product onboarding, client support, client communications, and reporting and governance. She also served as chief of staff to the chief customer officer. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Management from the University of Florida.
32. Amanda Baggett
Partner and Founder, Baggett Law
Amanda Baggett is a Partner and Founder of Baggett Law. Baggett is not only a personal injury attorney, but she is also an expert in construction law. This unique background gives her specialized expertise in cases involving roadway design and construction issues, including work zone accidents. Prior to Baggett Law, she spent many years working as defense counsel for engineers and contractors in personal injury and wrongful death cases arising from car accidents on Florida roadways. Baggett became Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar in 2012.
Baggett is a leading female attorney in Northeast Florida. In 2014, she received the Jacksonville Business Journal’s “Women of Influence” award. A longtime advocate of women’s rights and advancement, Baggett is a member of the Jacksonville Association of Women Lawyers and the Florida Association of Women Lawyers. She received an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, an honor given to only 10% of all attorneys. She has been named to the Super Lawyers List every year since 2009 and has repeatedly been recognized for excellence in her profession by Florida Trend Magazine. Baggett earned a JD from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law and an undergraduate degree in advertising from The University of Georgia.
35. Betsy Chapin Taylor
Chief Executive Officer, Accordant
Betsy Chapin Taylor is an award-winning author, speaker, and consultant drawing on 30 years of experience in healthcare, philanthropy, and board governance. She serves as CEO of the healthcare consulting firm, Accordant, which focuses on advancing philanthropy and board governance.
Taylor is the author or editor of multiple books, including Healthcare Philanthropy: Advance Charitable Giving to Your Organization’s Mission, Boards & Philanthropy: Developing the Next-Curve Revenue Source, Redefining Healthcare Philanthropy, Advancing the CEO’s Role in Healthcare Philanthropy, Transforming Health Care Philanthropy, and Systemization & Regionalization of Health Care Philanthropy. Her work has also been featured in trade publications, including Healthcare Executive, BoardRoom Press, Modern Healthcare, Trustee, STAT, Wharton Healthcare Quarterly, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Forbes, FierceHealthFinance, Healthcare Philanthropy Journal, Chief Executive Officer, Becker’s Hospital Review, and more. She has also contributed more than 40 resources to the American Hospital Association’s trustee website.
In addition to leading Accordant, Taylor is a faculty member for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), a faculty member for The Governance Institute, and a frequent speaker at conferences for healthcare, philanthropy, and governance in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the National Speakers Association, and the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. She holds the highest level of certification in health philanthropy as a Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP) and was recognized with AHP’s highest professional honor, the Si Seymour Award, in recognition of her contributions to the profession.
She received a Master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University and an MBA from the University of Georgia. Advancing healthcare is also deeply personal to Taylor – she’s a breast cancer survivor, and her personal and family health experiences fuel her authentic passion and purpose to elevate health and well-being for all people.
38. Dana Mattera
Founder and CEO, First Coast Service Solutions
Dana Mattera is the Founder and CEO of First Coast Service Solutions, where she brings an unparalleled wealth of expertise in steering organizations toward operational efficiency and success. First Coast Service Solutions, Inc. helps government agencies and corporations function efficiently by providing supplies needed for their maintenance, repairs, and operations.
Mattera’s leadership is grounded in a strong foundation of hands-on experience across various facets of business development, marketing, and government contracting. At First Coast Service Solutions, she spearheads a team dedicated to enabling government agencies and private corporations to thrive through the seamless procurement of maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies. Her vision ensures the accurate and compliant delivery of essential supplies encompassing electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and building equipment, all while maintaining an unwavering focus on precision, efficiency, and quality.
Mattera has honed her expertise as board chair and contract manager at Global Empire Logistics, Inc., where she showcased her proficiency in managing substantial contracts, guaranteeing the timely delivery of top-tier products. Notably, she proactively secured city, state, and private MWBE contracts conducted in-depth market research, rebranded and employed innovative business development strategies, and established lasting client relationships that fostered repeat business. Mattera earned an MS in computer science and data science from Nova Southeastern University and an undergraduate degree in integrative neuroscience from Binghamton University.
43. Rhode Meone-Malangwasira
Human Resources Director, PACE Center for Girls
Rhode Meone-Malangwasira is the Human Resources Director, PACE Center for Girls, an organization that provides year-round safe and supportive academic and counseling programs to help girls understand their past and prepare for their future. Meone-Malangwasira has been immersed in the world of human resources since 2004, accumulating over 20 years of experience across corporate and nonprofit sectors. Adept in all facets of HR, she excels in employee relations, total rewards, compensation, talent development, recruiting, and strategic planning.
For over a decade, Meone-Malangwasira has navigated the corporate landscape, earning a reputation for strategic thinking and a genuine concern for employee well-being. As she climbed the ranks, her proficiency in diverse HR domains solidified, leaving a proven track record in cultivating positive workplace cultures. In the last two years, she successfully transitioned to the nonprofit sector, broadening her expertise and showcasing adaptability. This move reflects her commitment to contributing to diverse workplace cultures and overcoming unique challenges in nonprofit organizations.
At the core of her HR journey is a deep passion for helping people. As an HR director, Meone-Malangwasira thrives on creating environments that nurture personal and professional growth, embodying the transformative power of HR to elevate individuals and organizations. Throughout her career, she’s remained committed to strategic HR practices. From crafting talent development initiatives to innovative compensation structures, she consistently aligns HR practices with organizational goals, driving success at every turn.
Looking ahead, Meone-Malangwasira remains dedicated to HR as not just a career but a calling – a guiding force in fostering excellence by recognizing that an organization's heart lies in its people. She continues to illuminate the path toward success in the ever-evolving landscape of human resources.
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45. Lindsay Williams
Director of Development Pipeline, US and Canada, Firehouse Subs
Lindsay Williams is the Director of Development Pipeline in the U.S. and Canada of Firehouse Subs, a restaurant chain with a passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service, and public safety. Founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994 by two brothers and former firefighters, Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire and police service, hot and hearty subs, and its commitment to saving lives through the establishment of the nonprofit Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation®.
Williams is an experienced senior administrative professional with over 20 years of experience. She has a demonstrated history of working in the restaurant industry, as well is an accomplished legal professional skilled in sales, management, contracts, franchising, and customer service.
Williams first got her start in 2003 as a branch manager and licensed loan officer at Allied Home Mortgage. From there, she went on to the Law Offices of Christopher M. Bohne/Rocky Point Title & Insurance and then to Insured Title Agency as a marketing representative. She eventually rose to the role of franchise development coordinator at i9 Sports Corporation, her most recent position prior to joining Firehouse Subs. Williams graduated from West Liberty University with an undergraduate degree in business and sports management.
47. Samantha Kwiatkowski
Regional Director of Prevention, CAN Community Health
Samantha Kwiatkowski is the Regional Director of Prevention for CAN Community Health, a nonprofit founded in 1991 whose mission focuses on contributing to the health and well-being of people living with HIV, Hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections. Since joining CAN in 2017, Kwiatkowski has provided strategic leadership and operational oversight for the organization's efforts in North Florida to prevent new cases of the aforementioned conditions through comprehensive education, health screenings, community outreach, and linkage to treatment and prevention medications. Additionally, Kwiatkowski is key in supporting the organization's fiscal sustainability through the writing for and programmatic management of federal and state grants. Kwiatkowski is a subject matter expert on sexual health education with over a decade in the field and has presented at numerous state and national conferences on the topic. She has also been published in several academic journals.
Kwiatkowski possesses a Master of Public Health from Montclair State University, where she received an award for outstanding graduate student research. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany, and she’s a Certified Health Education Specialist. She ultimately aims to address and mitigate health disparities rooted in social injustice through her leadership, advocacy, and education practices and is particularly passionate about the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals. In 2021, she was named a Rainbow Awards honoree for her outstanding work and advocacy for the Jacksonville LBTQIA+ community. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and stepdaughter.
48. Kimber McCafferty
Director of Marketing, LiveOak Fiber
Kimber McCafferty is the Director of Marketing of LiveOak Fiber, a telecommunications company with a mission to provide broadband services to homes and businesses in Florida and Georgia. It’s a start-up with $ 150 million in funding that will begin laying a superior fiber optic solution for rural America along the Florida/Georgia line from I-95 east through the panhandle.
In this role, McCafferty is tasked with disrupting the market, as the company will offer no contracts, no data caps, and simple pricing with plans to fit every budget and the best fiber optic option available around the world today. LiveOak Fiber will also be hiring all local people. McCafferty will serve as the marketing helm of bringing this concept to market.
Previously, McCafferty was an executive at McCafferty Communications. Before that, she was an expert host and product spokesperson at HSN Expert Host. Earlier in her career, she worked with Newstalk 690 WOKV as a reporter and anchor. McCafferty earned an undergraduate degree in mass communications, specializing in broadcast journalism, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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