| The FHM adds prominent community leaders to Board of Directors |
| August 9, 2019 [St. Petersburg, FL] – The Florida Holocaust Museum (The FHM) elects three new members to the Museum’s Board of Directors, Calvin Jackson, Michelle Rook, and Thomas Smith. Calvin Jackson is the Diversity & Inclusion global leader at Tech Data Corporation and a certified NTL Diversity Practitioner. He joined the Florida’s largest corporation in 2014. Cal is most known in the Diversity and Inclusion community for his design, development and delivery of engaging and thought-provoking cultural competence workshops. Topics include bias, generations, gender, lookism, self-awareness, classism and enhancing the cultural competence of leaders.Cal has experience building safe containers for courageous conversations in Fortune 500 companies, academia, and civic forums. He has received various accolades for his work from Black Enterprise Magazine, Florida Bar, Tampa Bay Diversity Chamber, Clearwater Bar, FL Blue, Florida Diversity Council, Jacksonville Business Journal and Leadership Jacksonville. Cal presently serves on the board of directors for the Florida Diversity Council and is the President of the Florida Diversity Council Tampa Bay Chapter. “In 2008 I was introduced to The Florida Holocaust Museum. The emotion stirred within me on that day stays with me even now. The FHM has repeatedly provided our community with opportunities to advocate social justice for all people. I am excited to contribute to their ongoing positive impact through education programs, museum special events, and promotion of the Museum across the state,” said Jackson. Michelle Rook has been living in Tampa for approximately 6 years with her husband, 6 year old daughter, and 3 year old son. She is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, and currently practices medicine as a locums tenens physician providing medical care to hospitals and practices that are in need of additional assistance. Her maternal grandparents were Holocaust Survivors, the only ones of their family, and survived Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz. Jewish heritage is of utmost importance and she is an active member of Schaarai Zedek, with her 6 year old already being in religious school this year. “I am honored to be on the board of The Florida Holocaust museum for the upcoming year. I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of the Museum and that through education we can strive towards uniting races and culture of all generations against atrocities against human life,” said Rook. Thomas W. Smith is professor of political science and director of the Honors Program at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He has published widely in the fields of human rights, international humanitarian law, and Turkish politics. His latest book is Human Rights and War Through Civilian Eyes (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017). “I’m deeply honored to join the Museum’s board. The FHM is a remarkable — indeed, indispensable — institution in our community. Its mission could not be more timely and important. As the daily headlines attest, the world still has much to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust,” said Smith. The FHM’s mission is to honor the memory of millions of men, women and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust and to teach members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. The Florida Holocaust Museum slate of Board Officers for 2019-2020 is listed below. Michael A. Igel, Esq., Board Chair Rachael S. Worthington, Esq., Vice Chair Development Alexandra Band, Vice Chair External Relations Robin K. Warren, Vice Chair Governance Joshua Bomstein, Vice Chair Operations Jonathan Stein, Secretary David Alvarez, CPA, CVA, CGMA, Treasurer About The Florida Holocaust MuseumOne of the largest Holocaust museums in the country, and one of three nationally accredited Holocaust museums, The Florida Holocaust Mmuseum honors the memory of millions of men, women and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. The FHM is dedicated to teaching members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. For additional information, please visit www.TheFHM.org. |