Epilepsy Foundation Florida is guided by a local community engagement board that reports up through the national Board of Directors. The Advisory Board ensures that the needs of people in Florida are being met and helps provide the resources to deliver the mission in Florida.
Valerie Atohi | Neuroscience Account Manager SK life science
Valarie Atohi
Neuroscience Account Manager
SK life science
5 time President’s Club winner
MBA – Florida Atlantic University
B.S. – University of Florida
Michelle Barth | Jacksonville Symphony, Assoc. VP of Advancement & External Affairs
Michelle Barth
Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Jacksonville
Served the U.S. Senate as the Northeast Florida Regional Director for Bill Nelson
Development Professional in Major Gifts, Individual Annual Fund, and Business Partnerships
Community Engagement and Government Relations Strategist
Dr. Selim Benbadis | USF, Neurologist
Dr. Selim Benbadis
Professor of Neurology at the University of South Florida.
Director of the USF /Tampa General Hospital Comprehensive Epilepsy Program
Has authored over 100 article and book chapters.
Serves on several Editorial Boards.
Dr. Naomi Boyer | Education Design Lab, Education Strategist
Dr. Naomi Boyer
President, NOME, LLC.
Director, Credentialing Products, Education Design Lab
President, of Public Education Partnership
Chair, Polk County Career Academies Advisory Board
Judge Kevin Carey | JK Law Firm, Attorney
Judge Kevin Carey
President, Hillsborough County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
Most Productive Young Lawyer Award, Hillsborough County Bar Association
Outstanding Board Member Award, Florida Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
Board of Directors, Hillsborough County Bar Association
Angela Cuba-Diaz | RSC Diagnostic, Regional Account Executive
Angela Cuba-Diaz
Executive Sales leader at a fortune 500 company
Top customer service leader and coach award
Sales Excellence achievement award top 1%
Multi-Year President’s Club award winner
Vanessa Duncan | Graduate Student
Vanessa Duncan
Florida State University – Public Administration MPA Graduate Study Program
Epilepsy Foundation Florida Events Committee
Toastmasters International Member
Professional Artist -Solo and Group Exhibitions
Kevin Fitzsimmons | Manfitz Law Firm, Attorney
Kevin Fitzsimmons
Board Certified Trial Attorney
Top rating of “A-V” from the national Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
Selected as a 2008 Florida Super Lawyer
Author: Discovery in International Arbitration Vol. 7:5
Maggie Fitzsimmons | Florida State University, Student (Pre-Clinical Professions)
Maggie Fitzsimmons
Senior at Florida State University majoring in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences
First Responder through FSU Medical Response Unit
Research assistant in the Cognitive Affective Neuroscience lab of Dr. Li
Research assistant in the Evolutionary Psychology lab of Dr. Maner
Dr. LaTeya Foxx | Memorial Neurology, Medical Director, Neuro-hospitalist
Dr. LaTeya Foxx
Medical Director of Memorial Neurology
American Academy of Neurology
American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists
Northeast Florida Medical Society
Risa Hayward
Risa Hayward
Case Manager for LLIS
Long-term Client for EFSCF
Dr. Diane Hernandez | Pharmaceutical Laboratory Dept, R&D Scientist
Diane Hernandez, M.D.
Core Rx Pharmaceuticals, R&D Scientist, Pharmaceutical Laboratory Department
Biomedical research experience in the areas of Immunology, Neurosciences, Cardiovascular Medicine, Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry
Member of Assoc. of Medical Science Graduate Students (AMSGS) at USF
Member of National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)
Member of Society for Neurosciences (SFN)
Fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Italian
Dr. Stephanie MacIver | USF, Neurologist
Stephanie Maclver
Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida
Member of the Epilepsy Surgery Team at Tampa General Hospital
Tampa General Hospital out-patient clinic (for under serviced patient populations)
Dr. Jaivir Rathore | Watson Clinic-Lakeland, Neurologist
Jaivir S. Rathore, M.D.
Director, Epilepsy Division, Department of Neurology, Watson Clinic
Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)
Former Vice-Chair, Johns Hopkins Clinical Fellows Council, Baltimore, MD
Alumnus Fellow, Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Co-Chair (Events) & Member, Florida State Professional Advisory Board, Epilepsy Foundation
Member, American Academy of Neurology & CME Committee, American Epilepsy Society
Julianne Raymond | Gainesville Chamber, Membership/Development
Julianne Raymond
Former Regional Advancement & Education Manager for Epilepsy Florida
Champion of Epilepsy Award Winner 2015
Epilepsy Advocate since diagnosis in 2008
Shanon Rego | USF, Student (Cell and Molecular Biology)
Shanon Rego
B.S Candidate Cell and Molecular Biology
USF Honors ‘22
Undergraduate Researcher at Kang Lab – USF Health Neuroscience Institute
Dr. Joseph Sirven | Mayo Clinic, Professor of Neurology and Chair Emeritus
Dr. Joseph Sirven
Neurologist, Mayo Clinic
Editor in Chief of Epilepsy.com (The EF National website for 10 years.
Chair of the Epilepsy Foundation National PAB)
Member of the Board of Directors of the American Brain Foundation.
Former Chair of Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona BOD
Francesca Yabraian | Diversity Staffing, Inc, President
Francesca Yabraian
CEO of Diversity Staffing, Inc. – Advocate for the hiring of veterans and people with disabilities
Emergency Management Specialist – Department Homeland of Security
First Epileptic and Dyslexic Class graduation speaker- University of Tampa, December 2007
