Denise is a Senior Vice President at Capital City Bank Group and the Director of Star University, managing a team of 10 at Capital City Bank to develop professional development and training programs for bank associates. She has been in the Corporate Learning & Development Profession for 30 years, is a Business and organizational Leadership Consultant serving entities across the community in organizational strategy, leadership development and retention. For the past 20 years, Denise has served on several boards and committees of organizations throughout the area and has a particular focus on serving with entities who work on behalf the people with cognitive and developmental disabilities.

Brett Vice President of Ketcham Realty Group in Tallahassee. He has over 20 years of commercial real estate experience, holding both real estate appraisal and broker licenses. Brett is the founding member and current chair of the Everhart Excellence Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting Getchen Everhart School, Tallahassee’s premier school for children with significant disabilities. In this role, he has raised and spent in excess of $500,000 over the years. Brett is the father of a child with medical and developmental disabilities of a complexity that will likely require a higher degree of care than Independence Landing is designed to provide. Nonetheless, Brett is a dedicated and active supporter of IL because he feels strongly that more housing choices are necessary for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Gil has been a Tallahassee resident since 1983, and owns Ziffer Stansberry Communications, a marketing/public relations company he started in 1990. After many years in the private sector, he joined the Tallahassee City Commission in 2009 and served for 9 years. Gil has a solid history of assuming an active leadership role with a diverse range of issues and projects throughout Florida.

Closest to his heart is the work he does for those in need. Much of his focus has been to develop and implement solutions for the Tallahassee area homeless, increased efforts for early childhood learning, housing for those with limited cognitive or physical disabilities and a greater awareness of the needs for those who have dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Gil is a Past President of the Florida League of Cities and served on the National League of Cities Board of Directors in his capacity as the Chair of the National League of Cities, Human Development Federal Advocacy Committee.

Born February 12, 1957, he is one of five children and grew up in Winter Park, Florida. He graduated in 1975 from Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs and received his BA in Sociology from the University of Florida in December, 2023.  He and his wife, Gail Stansberry-Ziffer, married since 1990, have two sons and seven grandchildren.

Cindi Goodson is the President and CFO of the Flightline Group and RedHills Powersports. Flightline is a regional aviation sales and service company providing aviation services, aircraft sales, parts, avionics and aircraft maintenance services to the southeast region of the U.S. Red Hills powersports is a leading recreational power sport dealership in the community. Cindi has served as the treasurer of KEYS (Keys to Exceptional Youth Success) for 12 years and is now a senior advisor.

Cindi graduated from Florida State University in 1985 with a BS Degree in Accounting and received her CPA certification. She is an avid runner and is involved with Special Olympics of Leon County. She is married to Bart Goodson and they have one son, Brantley.

Ryan Andrews has lived in Tallahassee for over 33 years, and currently runs the Andrews Law Firm, a litigation firm that handles complex business litigation, personal injury litigation, and civil rights litigation. For the past decade Ryan has litigated ADA cases on behalf of individuals with disabilities, participating in several cases that resulted in the change of antiquated policies and procedures that have increased the safety of individuals with disabilities, as well as the access to services and programs for those individuals. His career as an attorney has been dedicated to helping those in need and those who could not help themselves.

Steve is CEO of Birdsong Housing. He served as former Executive Director of Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the state’s housing finance agency that administers several multi-family development programs for affordable rental housing, including housing for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and other vulnerable populations. He has served on the Board of Directors of the National Council of State Housing Agencies, the Affordable Housing Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, and as Chair of the Florida Council on Homelessness.

Brice Barnes cut her teeth on developing political organization, strategy and finance operations for candidates across the South and and has since expanded to assist private businesses and nonprofits on strategic planning, building long term fundraising operations, and organizational strengthening. She feels strongly about the need for Independence Landing because her sister, who died in her twenties, was born with Cerebral Palsy, attended college and lived independently with supports. In 2015 Brice was named one of the top 40 under 40 political consultants in the United States by the American Association of Political Consultants.

Anna Casillas is a seasoned human resources leader and the Head of Talent Management at Dragos, a global industrial cybersecurity company. In this role, she designs and implements strategic programs focused on performance, professional development, and employee engagement.

Anna has a master’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s in art history from Florida State University. A Tallahassee native, Anna spent 14 years in NYC before returning home in 2023.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Anna is an active member of LeMoyne Arts, where she regularly takes drawing and painting classes. She also volunteers at the Tallahassee Animal Shelter.

Driven by a passion for inclusion and community, she is honored to serve on the board of Independence Landing, where her sister, Sarah, is a proud resident. Anna and her husband, Chris, are frequent attendees at IL events and Special Olympics competitions – where Sarah competes and Chris coaches golf and soccer.

April Dietz brings over a decade of project management and consulting experience leading more than 35 public sector initiatives across health, education, and government transformation. Her work spans strategic planning, IT modernization, and organizational change for state agencies and institutions of higher learning, including the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Department of Health, and the Texas Workforce Commission, as well as the Florida State University, University of South Florida, and University of Texas. As ISF’s Marketing and Communications lead, April translates complex public missions into compelling narratives that drive engagement and support. As a parent of a child with special needs, she brings lived experience and a deep commitment to community-centered solutions – making her a passionate advocate for Independence Landing’s mission of empowering adults with disabilities to live independently with dignity and connection.

Liz Dudek’s career in Florida’s state government has spanned over 40 years across a variety of senior management positions including Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration and Deputy Secretary of Health Quality Assurance. As Secretary, Liz oversaw one of the largest Medicaid programs in the nation. Under her administration, the Agency successfully implemented the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care program and the establishment of the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse. Liz has worked extensively with health care facilities, providers, and insurers. She began her career working with the developmentally disabled population. She was instrumental in dismantling two troubled state institutions and finding secure, appropriate placement for the institutions’ residents. She has a working knowledge of regulatory requirements of Medicaid, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Management Services, and facilities. She is a statewide, respected leader in health care regulation and insurance.

Tony grew up in Venice, Florida before attending Florida State University. He is a proud Eagle Scout. While obtaining his undergraduate degree at Florida State University he worked for various non-profits and causes, eventually directing a student run group that raised money, supplies and awareness for Haiti Relief after the 2010 Haitian earthquake. In recognition of his dedication to others and to the university, Tony was selected as a member of The Florida State University Homecoming Court the year of his graduation.

Tony attended The Florida State University College of Law where he was a member of the Business Review Journal and the President of the College Trial Team, competing in litigation competitions against top law schools across the nation. Tony is a Firm Partner with the law firm of Brooks LeBoeuf Foster Gwartney and Hobbs, representing injured clients across Florida seeking compensation for injuries sustained due to the negligence of others.

After serving as Executive Vice President and Founding Chief Scientific Officer at Geisinger for more than ten years (2010-2021), Dr. Ledbetter returned to Florida first at UF-Jacksonville and more recently at FSU College of Medicine, where he continues his NIH-funded research on the genetic basis of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Previously he held academic and leadership positions at Baylor College of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, where he was the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Human Genetics, and the University of Chicago where he was the Marjorie I. and Bernard A. Mitchell Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Human Genetics (1996-2003). He is a graduate of Tulane University and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas-Austin. He is an internationally recognized expert in Genomics and Precision Medicine, having discovered the genetic causes of Prader-Willi syndrome and Miller-Dieker syndrome and focusing his ongoing research efforts on discovering the genetic causes of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. He has been a pioneer in the translation of new genomics technologies into clinically useful genetic tests for early diagnosis and intervention, including telomere FISH, chromosomal microarray (CMA), and most recently, exome and genome sequencing. His current research interest includes determining the clinical utility of genome sequencing in healthy newborns to determine if it is feasible as part of routine newborn screening.

Sara Merrill is a native of Tallahassee and a graduate of Presbyterian College in South Carolina with a degree in Elementary Special Education. She served as a Special Education teacher and tutor for over 15 years in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. She later became the event director for Maclay School, leading many fundraising initiatives. She has been married for 28 years to her husband, Jeff. They have two sons, one with developmental disabilities. Her board experience includes roles at Goodwood Museum and Gardens, St. John’s Episcopal Church Vestry, and the Maclay School Alumni Association. She now is an active community volunteer serving a number of valuable causes.

As a second-generation local realtor, Christie Droz Perkins has spent over 20 years guiding Tallahasseans through their real estate sales, just like her father did. However, there is a greater purpose to what she does. By properly advising Buyers about home purchases and investments that facilitate their ability to resell and refinance when needed, Tallahasseans stay more financially secure. By polishing Sellers’ homes and marketing them aggressively, more funds from their proceeds are re-invested into the local economy. Christie is proud to call this fine city home and enthusiastically enjoys enriching Tallahasseans’ lives with the best real estate sales advice.

In addition to her real estate career, Christie has served as a two-time Director of the Tallahassee Board of Realtors and currently contributes to the Contracts and Forms Committee. She sits on the Board of Directors for Choose Tallahassee and has coordinated charitable initiatives including rent sponsorship for a Ukrainian refugee family and seasonal giving campaigns through Christmas Connection. A lifelong local and proud graduate of Leon High, Christie remains passionate about enriching the lives of her fellow Tallahasseans—not just through real estate, but through active civic engagement and leadership.

Mary Stafford serves as the Vice President/ Senior Business Development Officer with Prime Meridian Bank, bringing over two decades of invaluable banking expertise to the Tallahassee community. Her commitment to community service is evident through her active involvement in various non-profit organizations including Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Independence Landing, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Joy Squad, United Prayer Summit and Killearn Methodist Church events. Mary has also dedicated numerous years to supporting causes such as March of Dimes, Downtown Business Association and Choose Tallahassee.

Mary’s philanthropic spirit extends to her love for animals, as she ardently supports local rescues and the Leon County Humane Society. Family is at the core of her inspiration, with a devoted husband, Parke, and three children- 25 year old daughter and sons aged 18 and 16.

Beyond her professional and charitable endeavors, Mary finds solace in the outdoors and treasures moments of relaxation along the coast during her free time.