Frank T. Brogan, 15th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Florida, came to Florida to begin a career in public education.  A former classroom teacher, PTA president, dean of students, assistant principal, principal, superintendent, and state commissioner of education, Lt. Governor Brogan is best known for his leadership and commitment to Florida's children and the teaching profession.  Lt. Governor Brogan has received numerous awards in education and on the behalf of his work with children.  Recent recognition includes the 1996 Civil Rights Award in Education, the 1998 Child Advocate of the Year, and the Florida School Boards Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.  Lt. Governor Brogan earned a Bachelor's degree in education from the University of Cincinnati and a Master's from Florida Atlantic University.
 

Dr. Gema G. Hernandez, Secretary of the Department of Elder Affairs and caregiver for 18 years for her father and mother, has vast experience and a personal interest in helping the elders of Florida to be able to age with purpose, dignity, security and at home in their own community.  Dr. Hernandez has used her experience as a caregiver and her personal interest in elder Floridians to assist her in accomplishing her important goals as Secretary of the Department.  She holds a bachelor's degree with Honors from the University of Florida; a master's degree, Phi Kappa Phi, and an ABD from Louisiana State University and a Doctorate in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University.  Dr. Hernandez has also served as a full professor in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University since 1989, a management consultant to numerous elder-related issues, and trainer on aging, managed care, cultural competence and women's issues for domestic and international organizations.

Mr. Philip Freidin is a Florida Board Certified Lawyer in areas of civil trial practice, personal injury and wrongful death.  He is a National Board Certified Trial Advocate. He has practiced law since 1969 and currently practices at the law firm of Freidin & Brown, PA in Miami, Florida. He has handled many nursing home abuse cases.  Mr. Freidin also serves on the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission and was president of the Academy Florida Trial Lawyers from 1991-92.  Mr Freidin earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and received his J.D. degree from American University.

Mr. Larry Sherberg is currently the owner/administrator of Lincoln Manor Assisted Living Facility in Broward County, Florida.  He is also vice-president and legislative chairperson of the Florida Assisted Living Association.

Mr. David J. Grofic graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor of science degree in health planning and administration.  Mr. Grofic joined Life Care Services LLC in September 1984 and is the director of operations management with oversight responsibilities for eight retirement communities, seven of which are not-for profit.  Each of the communities has a skilled nursing facility.  Mr. Grofic has worked in many health care/long term care settings, ranging from a hospital to a visiting nurses association.  He is a member of the Florida Association of Homes for the Aging and serves on its continuing care/assisted living public policy committee.

Mr. Walter Liptak is president of Florida Combined Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and in that capacity is responsible for the Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) business of the companies. Blue Cross began writing LTCI in 1993.   For the past ten years, he has been an active member of American Academy of Actuaries' committees dealing with health care and Medicare and is currently a member of its Long Term Care Task Force.  He is a Board Member of American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) in the U.S.  The ACLI mission deals with life, disability and long term care insurance. As a Board member of the ACLI, he represents companies that write 87% of the LTCI in the country.

Mr. Rene Rodriguez is the director of Miami-Dade Housing Authority, one of the largest public housing authorities in the nation.  Mr. Rodriguez has more than 27 years of management experience administering both federal and local housing programs.  As a direct result of the expansion of housing programs undertaken during his leadership, the agency advanced from the 11th to the sixth position and is recognized as an innovative, high performing agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Mr. Rodriguez holds a master's of public administration degree from Florida International University.

Mr. Raymond Noga manages the Public Finance Group for the Southeast United States and Puerto Rico for Salomon Smith Barney.  He is based in the West Palm Beach investment banking office and joined the firm in 1989 from another national investment banking firm.  He has extensive experience in planning, financing, and managing numerous infrastructure programs for state and local governments.  During his career, he has specialized in large complex financing.  The group he supervises manages over $5 billion of taxable and tax-exempt financings each year.  Mr. Noga received his B.S. from Lowell Technological Institute in Lowell, Massachusetts.  He also earned a masters in engineering and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and the University of South Florida, respectively.  He is registered as a Municipal Securities Principal (Series 53) and General Securities Representative (Series 7). Mr. Noga also maintains active registrations as both a Professional Engineer (P.E.) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of Florida.

Dr. Jeffrey W. Dwyer is director of the Institute on Aging and professor and head of the Division of Aging in the Department of Health Policy at the University of Florida.  He also holds a partial appointment in the North Florida/South Georgia VA.  Dr. Dwyer received his B.A. in Sociology from California Lutheran University in 1982 and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida in 1988.  He served on the faculty at the University of Florida from 1989-1993.  From 1993-1999 Dr. Dwyer was director of the Institute of Gerontology and professor of Sociology at Wayne State University where he built a nationally recognized multidisciplinary program in aging research and education.  His areas of expertise include long term care, health services research, family caregiving, and the health care needs and problems of older disadvantaged populations.  Dr. Dwyer has published more than 40 refereed articles and book chapters and has been PI or co-PI on research projects totalling more than $7M in external funding.  In 1992 he was selected as a Brookdale National Fellow and in 1993 he received a Career Achievement Award from California Lutheran University.  In addition to many other community, University, and professional service activities, Dr. Dwyer is currently serving a four-year term as editor of Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies.

Dr. Jesse August Lipnick practices physical medicine and rehabilitation in Gainesville, Florida with a subspecialty in the care of geriatric patients and rehabilitation.  He has served as the staff physician since 1995 at Shands Rehabilitation Hospital and currently serves as rehabilitation specialty consultant in four subacute rehabilitation programs in north central Florida.  Dr. Lipnick graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in 1991 and completed his internship in internal medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1992.  He is a fellow of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and a diplomat of the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners.

Ms. Cherryl Chmielewski was raised in Arcadia Florida, attended Florida schools and is licensed professionally in Florida.  She is a certified geriatric specialist.  Ms. Chmielewski has been an administrative nurse in long-term care for 20 years, specializing in trouble-shooting compliance issues.  She worked as an independent consultant for 5 years for major companies in Florida and the Eastern Seaboard area with their non-compliant buildings, under the business name Alternative Healthcare Services.  Ms. Chmielewski is a graduate of the University of Iowa.

Mr. Ken Connor is a Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and a National Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate, licensed to practice law in Florida and Texas.  He has served as president of the Polk County Trial Lawyers Association and president of the Alumni Association of the Florida State University College of Law.  He has been an adjunct professor of law at Florida State University and a faculty member of the National College of Trial Advocacy.  Mr. Connor is a past member of Florida's Constitution Revision Commission and former Chairman of the State of Florida Commission on Ethics.

Dr. Joy Durfee Calkin is the chief executive officer and deputy chairman of Extendicare Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.   Dr. Calkin was formerly a professor and academic vice-president at the University of Calgary. She earned her masters degree in pediatric nursing as well as her Ph.D. in health services administration at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Mr. Edwin M. Boyer is a Florida Bar Board Certified Elder Law Attorney and is a partner in the law firm of Boyer Jackson, P.A.  He has practiced law in Sarasota since 1978.  Mr. Boyer received his masters degree in education and educational specialists degree from the University of South Florida.  He received his J.D. degree from Stetson University College of Law.

Mr. Robert Miller has lived in the Central Florida area for approximately thirty years.  He attended Georgetown University and earned his B.A. degree at the University of South Florida in 1980.  Since then, he has been involved in various political and governmental issues.  Presently, Mr. Miller is the president of his own management firm in Orlando, Florida.  He resides in Kissimmee, Florida where he is the primary caregiver for his mother who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Ms. Victoria K. Fierro is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, currently in private practice.  Ms. Fierro has served as the executive staff director for the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, vice-chairman of the Board of Directors of Florida HealthAccess Corporation, executive director for the Florida Sales Tax Exemption Study Commission, and as the director of program planning for the Hillsborough County Hospital Authority.  Ms. Fierro received her bachelor's degree from St. Leo College, did her graduate working in accounting at the University of South Florida and received her master's degree in Human Resources Management from Pepperdine University.

Senator John McKay was first elected State Senator in 1990 where he represents District 26.  Senator McKay is chairman of the Rules and Calendar Committee that determines the legislation that is placed on the Senate calendar.  In 2001, Senator McKay will serve as president of the Senate.  Senator McKay currently serves on the Committees on Agriculture and Consumer Services, Children and Families, Commerce and Economic Opportunities, Gubernatorial Appointments and Confirmations, and the Select Committee on Apportionment and Redistricting.  Senator McKay is a sixth generation Floridian and a graduate of Florida State University.

Representative Nancy Argenziano has lived in Florida since 1971.  She attended Broward Community College.  Representative Argenziano was elected to House District 43 in 1996 and re-elected in 1998. Prior to holding office, she was the executive director of the Withlacoochee Basin Initiative. She served on the Committees of Utilities and Communication, Water and Natural Resources, Long-Term Care, and Crime and Punishment in 1997-98.  In 1998-2000 the committees Representative Argenziano will serve on are Real Property and Probate, Tourism, and she will chair the Committee on Elder Affairs and Long-Term Care.