Pinellas County, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2021) – During the recent Annual Board Meeting for Hope Villages of America, the organization’s Board of Directors voted in three accomplished leaders from the business community as new members.
Air Force veteran, speaker, author, community leader and CEO of Chief Empowerment Network, Roderick Cunningham; Director of Global Internal Communications and Digital Engagement at Tech Data Corporation, Laura Stewart and Major with the St. Petersburg Police Department, Nathaly Patterson, are the newest additions to the Hope Villages of America board.
“No matter how noble or important a nonprofit organization’s mission may be, without sound governance, the chance of success is slim to none,” said President & CEO Kirk Ray Smith of these appointments. “The greatest threat to any business is poor governance and management oversight. We consider ourselves fortunate and beyond blessed to have such incredible additions to an already amazing Board of Directors. I look forward to their expertise and high-level leadership.”
Smith also announced changes in board leadership positions: Seema Ramroop, Branch President of Prudential Financial Advisors, will continue serving as Board Chair, while Enterprise Holdings Regional President, Matthew Weber, continues serving as Vice-Chair. Lonnie Brewer, President & CEO of the Brewer Executive Consulting Group, assumes the role of Board Secretary. Edward Cole, Army Officer Veteran and Senior Sales Executive, will serve as Board Treasurer.
The role of the Hope Villages of America Board of Directors is to oversee and protect the mission of the organization, which helps nearly 150,000 individuals and families living in Pinellas County by providing programs, services and support to those facing hunger, homelessness and domestic violence.
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About Hope Villages of America: The organization was established in 1967, is a registered 501(c)(3) organization that addresses the needs of the hungry, homeless and victims of domestic violence in Pinellas County. This mission is advanced through five distinct but integrated programs: The Food Bank, Basic Services, Affordable Housing, The Haven Domestic Violence Shelter and Grace House. These programs operate in more than 60,000 square feet of service space and serve nearly 150,000 participants annually throughout Pinellas County. In 2019 Hope Villages was awarded GuideStar’s Gold Seal of Transparency for the second year in a row and several distinguished awards and honors, including Large Nonprofit of the Year by the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber, and the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce Biggest Community Impact award, within the last three years. For more information, visit www.hopevillagesofamerica.org or call 727-584-3528.