Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida Names New Board of Directors

Feb. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- The Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida recently held its annual meeting and announced its new board of directors. The Council has elected Alice Bravo as an Officer of the Board of Directors serving as Third Vice Chair for a two-year term. Bravo previously served as a member at-large on the Board of Directors and was a member of the Nominating Committee.  Others elected as board members at-large are Dr. Carolann Baldyga, Ed. D., Donna Abood, Indira Abraham-Pratt, PhD, Jack Plunkett, Jr., A.I.A., Margarita Villoch, Mary Young, Guillermo R. (Bill) Cruz, Elvira Dopico and Lisa Sparks. Additionally, Margarita Villoch from Monroe County and Dr. Sheryl Alonso were elected to the Board of Directors Nominating Committee.

Bravo is the Capital Improvement Director for the City of Miami since May 2010. She is the former District Six Director for the Florida Department of Transportation. Bravo holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Miami and a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University.  She is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Florida and Puerto Rico. Prior to her election as Officer of the Board of Directors, Bravo served as board-member-at large and member of the Nominating Committee.

Baldyga is a semi-retired adjunct instructor of English as a Second Language at Miami-Dade College. She is a past Director of Education at Fairchild Tropical Gardens and former Florida International University Dean of Continuing Education. Dr. Baldyga holds a doctorate from Florida Atlantic University, a Certificate in Lifelong Learning from Harvard University, and degrees from University of Hartford, Trinity College and University of Massachusetts.  

Abood is Chief Executive Officer of Colliers International in Coral Gables and the only female CEO of a Colliers partnership worldwide. She is responsible for overseeing all operations of the firm. Abood is the former Chief Executive Officer of Abood Wood-Fay Real Estate Group/TCN Worldwide. Abood holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing Management from Florida State University.

Abraham-Pratt is a former Girl Scout (Gold Awardee), former Girl Scout assistant-leader and advocate for children. She is a fellow at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine working as a Psychology Associate/Developmental Specialist in a primary prevention program in a general pediatric practice. Dr. Abraham-Pratt has a PhD in Counseling Psychology and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Miami.

Plunkett is President of Arbitare Development Co., in Miami, Florida.  He is a licensed architect and currently pursues real estate investments and development opportunities. Plunkett has a Master’s in Architecture from Tulane University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Miami.  

Villoch is the owner/broker of Island Group Realty II, Inc. in the Florida Keys where she has resided for more than 25 years. She is a licensed Florida Real Estate Broker and belongs to the Key West Association of Realtors, Florida Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.  

Young is currently Director of the Ziff Career Services Center for the University of Miami’s School of Business where she also serves as a lecturer and civic engagement consultant to the University of Miami’s Undergraduate School of Business. Young holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master in Business Administration from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and has done post graduate work at both Harvard and Boston University.

Cruz founded TradeStation Group (formerly known as Omega Research) over 25 years ago. TradeStation became one of the most successful trading companies in the world. Cruz served the company as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board until his retirement in 2008. After his retirement from the company, Cruz started a new venture with The Cruz Group in Coral Gables, FL.

Dopico is retired from the Miami-Dade Public School System after 30 years of service.  She served the Miami-Dade Public School System as Associate Superintendent, Area Superintendent, Principal of Shenandoah Elementary School and Assistant Principal at Riverside Elementary School in Miami. Dopico holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from Barry University and a Bachelors Degree in Philosophy from the University of Havana. She has served the Girl Scout Council in many positions during the last 35 years including as Officer of the Board as First and Third Vice Chair and Chair of the Nominating Committee.  

Sparks is Regional Development Director for South Florida at Constant Contact since 2007. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Marketing from Philadelphia University as well as Certificates in Culture, Language and History from the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain.  

Alonso is a Lecturer in the School of Business at the University of Miami Department of Management where she teachers Business Administration and Human Resources Courses. She is also a Community Nonprofit Consultant. Dr. Alonso holds a BSN from Lewis University in Illinois and a Master of Business Administration and a Ph.D. in Medical Leadership from the University of Miami.    

For more information on the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, please contact 305-253-4841. To learn more about the organization visit www.girlscoutsfl.org.
Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, Inc. serves over 22,331 girls, with 16,341 girls registered under the guidance of 3,665 adults in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.  Girl Scouts is a place where girls learn to believe in themselves, make long-lasting friendships, recognize their strengths and see a future of exciting possibilities. All girls may join Girl Scouts at any age from 5 to 17 years old.

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is the preeminent organization in the world committed to girls growing strong.  In Girl Scouts girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together through experiences such as field trips, sports, skills building, community service and cultural exchanges.