Chapter Advisory Board

Epilepsy Foundation Florida is guided by a local advisory 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.

Valarie Atohi
Neuroscience Account Manager
SK life science
5 time President’s Club winner
MBA – Florida Atlantic University
B.S. – University of Florida

 

 

Michael Brown
Operational Leader, Data-Driven Strategist, and Change Agent
27+-year track-record of success in enabling achievement of non-profit organizational growth providing a diverse background across operational excellence, financial stewardship, and strategic leadership. Focused and mission-driven stakeholder, with a strong understanding of the voice and pulse of the community. Called on repeatedly to lead transformation initiatives and organizations to accelerate growth and drive change through strategic leadership and merger/acquisitions nationally.

 

 

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
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
President, NOME, LLC.
Director, Credentialing Products, Education Design Lab
President, of Public Education Partnership
Chair, Polk County Career Academies Advisory Board

 

 

 

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
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
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
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
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
Medical Director of Memorial Neurology
American Academy of Neurology
American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists
Northeast Florida Medical Society

 

 

 

Risa Hayward
Case Manager for LLIS
Long-term Client for EFSCF

 

 

 

 

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

 

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)

 

 

 

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
Former Regional Advancement & Education Manager for Epilepsy Florida
Champion of Epilepsy Award Winner 2015
Epilepsy Advocate since diagnosis in 2008

 

 

 

 

Shanon Rego
B.S Candidate Cell and Molecular Biology
USF Honors ‘22
Undergraduate Researcher at Kang Lab – USF Health Neuroscience Institute

 

 

 

 

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
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

 

 

 

 

For more information about the Epilepsy Foundation Florida Advisory Board, please contact Regional Director Gregg Fort at gfort@efa.org.