Kate Baierlein is a Career Coach employed by Hands on Employment Services. She refers qualified candidates to area employers free of charge and provides the following services to job seekers: success coaching, creating resumes, interview preparation and training in negotiation techniques. In addition to being a master’s level certified counselor, she is a Coach U graduate. In the Brandon community, she is active in her church and Brandon Business Club.

Tony Del Castillo is the advertising manager of the St. Petersburg Times' (Florida's Largest Newspaper) Brandon and SouthShore Bureau. He has been in the newspaper industry for 14 years. He has extensive experience in newspaper advertising and communication skills. He was the 2005 Brandon Chamber Ambassador of the Year.

Tony enjoys involvement with the Brandon Chamber of Commerce and is a Leadership Brandon 2005 Graduate. He currently serves a Chair of Leadership Brandon's class of 2008. He is on the Board of the LLT Academy, a local area Charter school focusing on Literacy, Leadership and Technology. He is involved with the Caballeros de Colon, the first Spanish Council of the Knights of Columbus in Central Florida. He is married to wife Jessie, and has 2 children, one attending Nativity in Brandon. Contact Tony at tdelcastillo@sptimes.com.

Darren Denington has been the President of Service With Style - Secret Shoppers for the past nine years. He graduated Leadership Brandon in 2005 "The Class with Drive" and has been a Chamber member since 2001. He is the chairman for the Small Business Committee along with being on the Board of Directors for the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce. Darren is also a Board member for the Brooker Elementary PTA. Contact Darren@servicewithstyle.com.

Melonie Hall recently became the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Brandon Regional Hospital. Melonie is serving as the President of Leadership Brandon Alumni Association and also the Brandon Chamber Board Representative to the Executive Committee. Her involvement with the Chamber includes the Health Fair Task Force and speaking at the Working Smarter Series. She has been on the Founding Board for Young Life Brandon, since its inception and a proud member of Brandon ’86 Rotary. She graduated from Leadership Brandon, Class of ’04 “Champions to the Core!” where she was recognized by her peers as “Most Likely to Star on Survivor”. Melonie is currently the Co-Chair for the Leadership Brandon Class of 2008. Contact Melonie.Hall@hcahealthcare.com.

Christine Kazor brings over 20 years in the in Cable industry. She has worked in many different positions from Accounting/Data Entry Supervisor, Sales Manager and is currently a Customer Service Manager for Bright House Networks. In this position she is responsible for managing a staff of 30 people and assists 5 other managers with the entire call center of 150 people. Christine is responsible for motivation and promotions in the call center as well as assisting with the launch of new products to the representatives. One of her main goals is the growth and development of future company leaders. She is Past-President of Women & Cable Telecommunications and currently sits on their board. She is also secretary of the Brandon Leadership Alumni Board. Contact Chris.Kazor@mybrighthouse.com.

Jim Smarkusky has been in the flooring business for the last 10 years most of them with Flooring America. He is the Area Manager for Brandon and Valrico and the Claims Manager for Florida.

He was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Ormond Beach, FL where his parents still reside. Jim earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America and graduated from Sea Breeze High School in 1986. Jim later went on to Stetson University and earned a B.S. with a major in Marketing.

Jim and his wife Maribeth are proud new parents of their 18 month old daughter Maegan.

Billie Smith is the general manager of the St. Petersburg Times' Brandon and SouthShore Bureau. She has been in the newspaper industry for 29 years. She has extensive experience in newspaper technology, total quality management and customer service. She is also a former Honorary Mayor of Brandon.

Billie is very involved in the greater Brandon area community where she serves as director on both the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce and the Brandon ’86 Rotary boards. She is president of the Presidents' Roundtable and past president of Leadership Brandon Alumni. She is a graduate of Leadership Brandon class of 2004. Billie is married to husband Norrie and has two children in local schools. Contact bsmith@sptimes.com.

Melissa Overton is a graduate of Leadership Brandon Class of 2001 (Simply the Best 01); Commercial Lender, Vice President with Platinum Bank in Brandon, and resident of Plant City since 1999. Active with the Brandon Chamber of Commerce since 2000, and served on the Planning Committee for Leadership Brandon, Co-chaired Casino Night for Brandon Alumni, and Co-chaired the Brandon Blast for the Chamber of Commerce. Originally from Long Island, New York, is a graduate of Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. I am Alumni Proud, and believe that the Leadership Brandon Program is a wonderful experience, and a great way to get involved with our community. Contact information: MOverton@platinumbank.com.

Melissa Snively owns a State Farm Insurance agency in Lithia, FL. She has been in the insurance industry for over 14 years and is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. She is a graduate of Leadership Brandon 2005 "The Class with Drive" and is the 2006 recipient of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce Women-Owned Small Business of the Year Award. She currently sits on the Leadership Brandon Planning Committee.

In addition to her chamber activities, Melissa has been a member of the Junior League since 1995 and is also Vice President of Network Professionals, Inc. Brandon Chapter. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and is the immediate past president of the U F Alumni Association's Tampa Gator Club.

Melissa is married to David (also a UF grad) and has three children ages six, four and one. She enjoys spending time with her family, which also includes her parents, Bill and Lolo, who live in Valrico. You can reach Melissa at Melissa.Snively.jrpe@statefarm.com.

Tina Brock Fallen - Servant by the Grace of God.
Tina is a life long resident of the Tampa Bay area. She grew up in Brandon and graduated from Brandon High School. She likes to talk about her rather large family, five brothers, six sisters, four grown children, a husband and three cats. Her husband Charles (“Chip”), is also a lifelong Floridian. The two enjoy snow skiing when they can escape their very busy lives here.

Having raised her children and loving that experience, she decided to pursue a career in nursing, which she associates with caring for people. She studied at The University Of Tampa while working at Brandon Hospital in the Labor and Delivery Department.

In her spare time she does volunteer work and lectures geared towards youth who are incarcerated, youth at local schools and churches. One of her favorite service projects is mission work in The Dominican Republic. She works with about 200 orphans in several different areas of that country. She is the founder of “World Education Inc.,” an organization established for the purpose of providing education to all.

She recently completed The Disney Triathlon in Orlando Florida and worked with The Team in Training group. Together they raised $1,085,000.00 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Association.

She is a Graduate of Leadership Brandon Class of 2006 where she helped to renovate the Infirmary at Rotary Camp Florida, to better serve those whom are wheelchair bound and those with limited movement. She is on the Leadership Brandon, planning committee for the class of 2007 and is currently an alternate director on the Board of Directors for Leadership Brandon Alumni.

She is proudly associated with: The Brandon Care Pregnancy Center, Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO), Metropolitan Ministries, Salvation Army and Shoeboxes for Soldiers and she is very proud to be a member of Brandon ’85 Rotary.

Laura Simpson has been employed with The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce since 2000 and has been in the Chamber profession since 1998, focusing primarily on community leadership programs and overall Chamber program development. Laura is a graduate of Warner Southern College, with a BA in Business and Organization Management. Specific areas of expertise include:

Laura Simpson is a 7th generation Floridian, from Bartow, FL. She is the proud mother of two 'perfect' girls and is married to husband Ben Simpson. Her hobbies and personal interests are family time, road trips, playing the piano, seeking and collecting Colonial era antiques and serving in various roles at her church.

Bernadette E. Dunn, BS, LMT, CNMT

Bernie is a graduate of Leadership Brandon 2006, The Mix That Kicks! She became a massage therapist in 2000 and has enjoyed membership with the Chamber since 2001. Bernie formed A Caring Touch in 2003 and is now a Wellness Center offering massage and acupuncture.

Before earning certifications in Neuromuscular Therapy and Thai Massage, she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Saint Louis University in the Philippines. She has traveled the world (Italy, Korea, Thailand, Panama, and the Philippines) first as a military brat, then in the Air Force and finally in search of improving her massage therapy skills.

Dustie Amatangelo

Dustie Amatangelo is a South East Real Estate Account Executive for the Tampa Tribune. Dustie has been in the Advertising industry for 5 years. She served as the co-chair of Leadership Brandon class of 2006, “A Mix That Kicks” and has been a Brandon Chamber Member since 2001.

Dustie is also involved in with the Ambassadors group and has chaired the health fair committee for 2 years. Currently, Dustie is serving as President of the Brandon Kiwanis’s Club from 2006-2008, she Coaches at the Valrico Rams, A lifetime member of LBAA.

Dustie’s proudest achievement is her beautiful daughter Maria.

Contact Dustie at damatangelo@tampatrib.com.

Aubrey Primrose

Aubrey is an Advertising Account Executive in the Brandon/SouthShore office of the St. Petersburg Times Publishing Company. She is a graduate of the Leadership Brandon Class of 2007, Enough Said! and has joined the Leadership Brandon Planning Committee for the Class of 2008 as well as the Board of Directors of the LBAA.

Her unique background in marketing helps her to see the advertising business from the client’s perspective. She thrives on producing effective advertising campaigns for her clients that utilize the most innovative ideas to deliver results. After 2 years working in financial services for the nation's largest bank, Aubrey worked for 5 years marketing a Tampa Bay area non-profit arts organization. She developed her graphic design talents, worked to develop new technologies and also worked as a mentor and trainer to interns and volunteers.

She has a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications with a focus in Public Relations from the University of South Florida. She is a member of the Ruskin Junior Woman's Club and is a volunteer with the YMCA, E.C.H.O of Brandon, Cynthia Pinckney Ministries, Tampa Bay Watch and the American Cancer Society. Her hobbies include reading, art, traveling with her husband Matt and raising their adorable son, Matthew.

Cynthia Pinckney

Cynthia Pinckney is the founder and Director of Cynthia Pinckney Ministries, Inc. The Ministry provides help and support to the homeless, hungry, needy and displaced people of the community - “Giving a hand up – not a hand out.”

The Ministry hosts monthly Outreach Activities at one of the “Daily Work – Daily Pay” shops in the Brandon/Seffner area. They service men and women with work clothing, toiletries, work boots, canned and staple food items and a nutritious hot meal. They also host the Annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner for the homeless and needy. The Ministry has been in operation for 6 years.

Cynthia loves what she does and has a heart for God’s people. She is a member of the President’s Roundtable, Brandon Business Generators, Brandon Chamber of Commerce, Life Center of Brandon Church and director on the Leadership Brandon Alumni Association board. She is a graduate of Leadership Brandon Class of 2006. She is married to husband Leroy Pinckney and has four children and nine grandchildren. Contact: cp@cynthiapinckneyministries.org

Keith Ogden is the Manager of the Flooring America branch on Adamo Drive in Tampa where he has worked since 2004. In addition to his three and half years of flooring and sales experience, his undergraduate studies are were in Business Administration. He received his Associate of Arts degree from Hillsborough Community College.

Keith's involvement with the Brandon Chamber includes graduating from the Leadership Brandon Class of 2006 and hosting some of the Chamber's After Hours functions sponsored by Flooring America. Keith was born in North Carolina but has lived in the Brandon/Valrico Community since 1989.

Melissa Poage is a native Floridian, born in Plant City Florida along with one brother. She was educated in Plant City where she was a member of the swim team and won state honors in the 8 year old division. She graduated from Plant City High School with honors and was a member of the newspaper staff, the National Honor Society, the swim team, the band and the Civinettes.

Melissa graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors of Science degree in Journalism and Advertising. She was a member of the swim team, the Pi Beta Phi Sorority and a Sigma Chi little sister.

Her first job was in advertising sales for a weekly New York Times affiliated newspaper in Fernandina Beach, Florida. She returned to the Brandon area where she accepted a position with the newspaper where she has spent her career in advertising sales and sales management and has been with the Tampa Tribune for 28 years. She is currently Brandon Advertising Division Manager and has her office in Brandon.

Melissa lives in Valrico and is a member of Tampa East Rotary Club and The First Methodist Church of Brandon. She is an avid football and basketball fan with loyalty to the Florida Gators of Gainesville where she hasn’t missed a home game since 1991.

Miranda Avecillas - Vice President Business Banking, Wachovia Bank

Professional Description: Business Banking Consultant

Experience/Qualifications: For the past 9 years, Miranda has presented financial solutions targeted to business clients and prospects; through an in-depth financial needs analysis process. Her focus is on doing what is right for the client, and providing exceptional customer service. Her partnership approach with her clients helps them understand that by working together they can achieve their goals faster with less hassle.

Education/Training: Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of South Florida, 1994. She attended various training and certifications in management, sales, business lending, and leadership through internal banking programs.

Community Service: Miranda has held various community and professional positions starting in January 2000, where she served as President of Network Professionals Inc-Seminole. Her work with the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce began in 2001, when she was voted onto to the Board of Directors and later became President during 2003 and 2004. In addition, she also worked on various event committees, and chaired the Ruskin Seafood and Arts Festival in 2002, 2003 and Co-Chaired in 2004. She volunteered to be the Survivor Chairperson in the American Cancer Societies 1st South Shore Relay for Life in 2002. She participated in Leadership Hillsborough in the 2001-2002 class, and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2002. In 2004, she was appointed as the Sunsational Awards Chairperson for the Florida Festivals and Events Association’s Annual Conference. In 2005, Miranda stepped back from her volunteer work to give birth to a daughter. Starting second quarter of 2006 she has again started to volunteer, focusing the majority of her time at the Brandon Chamber of Commerce. She is currently serves as an Ambassador and a member of the Diversity Awareness Task Force.

Awards: In 2005, she was selected as one of the three finalists for the Ruskin Chamber Business Person of the Year Award, for her work during 2004.

Interests: Miranda is passionate about cooking and hosting gatherings for her friends and family. She likes to travel, Scuba dive and enjoys event planning. To relax, she will either sit down to a good book or crochet.