Voices for Children of Okeechobee & the Treasure Coast Announces New Board Appointments & Expansion Efforts
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL, June 19, 2017 – Voices for Children of Okeechobee & the Treasure Coast (“Voices”), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports the 19th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program today announced the appointment of new board members and an expanded focus on serving the area’s 901 abused, neglected and abandoned children.
“We are excited to announce these additions to our team,” Bob Perry, President of Voices said. “We are building a dedicated board with a wealth of experience and diversity of expertise. We want to be sure our purpose is well represented and we have a strong foundation to accomplish our mission of making sure every child is represented by a Guardian Ad Litem and has their needs fulfilled.”
The new board members, effective immediately, are:
- Gary Tenpas, Vice President
Tenpas is a Guardian Ad Litem and brings many years of sales, fundraising event development and children’s charity support experience to Voices. His professional & non-profit experience includes roles at Diebold Nixdorf, Inc. and Bethany Christian Services. In his role at Bethany Christian Services, he founded and organized the entity’s signature event that has raised over $1,000,000 in 23 years of operation.
- Howard Rothman, CPA, Treasurer
Rothman has over 30 years’ experience in public accounting, financial management, auditing and internal controls. He has been an active CPA in Florida since 1983 and has contributed to the Orange Bowl Committee Volunteer Program, American Stroke Association and the American Cancer Society.
- Jackie Pagano, Secretary
Pagano is a Guardian Ad Litem and has been a resident of the Treasure Coast area for over 20 years. She is a state certified teacher in Elementary Education and Middle School Mathematics. During her five year teaching tenure, she was nominated for teacher of the year for three consecutive years. She is also actively involved in the Bread Ministry.
- Terence Channon, Director
A near life-long resident of St. Lucie County, Mr. Channon brings over 20 years of marketing and business development experience to the board. He is a Principal at NewLead, a digital marketing and technology development firm. Previous professional experience includes leadership roles at Saltmines Group, Bridgevine and Atlantic Synergy. He is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
“With the addition of our new directors, we are very confident we have the energy and skills to help Voices accomplish its goals,” Mr. Perry added. “We will use these skills to provide better support to our area’s Guardians and most importantly, the children they advocate for and represent. Our team has already been hard at work and we have already seen an increase in our donations ‘amp; needs fulfillment and have been planning more events to be more visible in the community.”
About Voices for Children of Okeechobee and Treasure Coast
Voices is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program and it’s over 350 Guardian Ad Litem volunteers. Our mission is to provide advocacy and a voice to our over 900 children – especially the almost 300 that are currently without a Guardian Ad Litem – in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties. Voices fulfills needs for these abused, abandoned and neglected children as well as provides training, recruitment and retention support for Guardians. Over 90% of its total expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016 were spent on the needs of these children and their Guardians. To learn more, make a tax-deductible donation or to get involved, please visit www.voicesforchildrenotc.org or contact Bob Perry, President, bperry@voicesforchildrenotc.org
