Leaders in the Board Room: Habitat is lucky to have a great group of women serving on its Board of Directors. They bring dynamic backgrounds and unique experiences that help move our mission forward. Their insights have helped shape an aggressive three-year strategic plan that calls for us to build 260 homes in our community!
Heather Ford – Chief Financial Officer, Power Design – Habitat Board Chair
Heather is a Tampa native, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of South Florida, and has been a licensed CPA in the state of Florida for 24 years. In addition to serving as Board Chair for Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside, she is also a member of the American Cancer Society Southwest Area Board and serves on the Advisory Board for the Florida Institute of CFOs. Heather was recognized as a Tampa Bay Business Journal CFO of the Year honoree in 2019 and was a Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Apogee CFO Award winner in 2023. She began her decade-long career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen followed by owning a small accounting practice, which she sold before joining Power Design in 2011. Heather held several positions throughout accounting and finance for Power Design, a national design build multi-trade contractor, and has been in her current role as CFO since 2017. She oversees all aspects of finance and accounting and works with the executive team to develop and drive corporate strategy.
Carolina Conner – Associate, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty
Carolina Conner, originally from Bogotá, Colombia, is a dedicated community builder and advocate with over 15 years of experience in organizational development, training, and career development. As the spouse of a retired U.S. military officer, Carolina has supported over 1,500 service members annually in their transition to civilian life at Fort Hood and Fort Bragg, earning recognition for her outstanding performance, including The Yellow Rose of Texas award from former Governor Rick Perry.
Carolina holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Libre de Colombia, a Specialist Title in International Business from Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, and a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Currently, Carolina serves as a Director on the Board of the Pinellas Realtor Organization, Central Pasco Realtor Organization, and Florida Realtors, where she champions diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is also actively involved with several nonprofit organizations, including Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Businesses.
As a real estate professional specializing in global military relocation, Carolina is passionate about helping families find stability. She and her husband also own a construction company, providing residential and commercial services. Carolina lives in Indian Rocks with her husband, Jason, and their daughters, Alejandra and Gabriela.
Tamara DeBose – Client Specialist
Tamara DeBose is a customer service professional of over 20 years and Habitat homeowner. Her passion is encouraging God’s people in any capacity. She’s active in her church through teaching and greeting guests. Tamara has the honor of being a Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero and was honored at a Lightning game for her work to help move Habitat’s mission forward in the community. In the center of her heart, next to Jesus, is her family. Tamara resides in St. Petersburg where she loves spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Davisha Earley – RN, BSN
Davisha Earley is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She has over 13 years of experience in the medical field, working early in her career as an EMT and working her way up to earn her RN and BSN. She joined the Habitat Board of Directors in 2021 and is a proud Habitat Homeowner. She also
serves on the Homeowner Selection Committee. In 2023, Davisha was recognized by the Lightning Foundation with the Community Hero Award. In her role as Homeowner and Board Member, Davisha proudly represents the program and the Habitat mission to serve those needing safe, stable, and affordable housing as a true Community Hero.
Caprice Edmond – Pinellas County School Board / Assistant Program Director, Sallie House
Caprice Edmond is a lifelong resident of St. Petersburg. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Elementary Education with English for Speakers of Other Languages endorsement, Master of Educational Leadership, and Certification in Infant Family Mental Health from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. Prior to her election to the school board, she actively advocated for children in foster care and became their champion at school, in court, and at their group home. Mrs. Edmond served as a Guardian ad Litem for ten years. As an educational leader and advocate for children and families, she is active in the community. She has a significant and consistent history of advocacy for children and families on a local, state and national level through her work with unions and Parent Teacher Associations.
She was the Grants & Patrons Chair for Pinellas County Council PTA; and, Pinellas County Council PTA lead contact for the National PTA’s Transformative Family Engagement Grant. She also served on the City of St. Petersburg’s Youth Development Grant Review Committee and the South St. Petersburg CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) Advisory Committee. As an instructional leader, she was a teacher and science coach in Pinellas County Schools, mainly in Title I and Transformation Zone Schools. Caprice and her husband, Jabaa, live in St. Petersburg, where they are proud parents of children attending Pinellas County Schools.
Iris Gonzalez – Founder/Principal, Links-G Consulting
Iris Gonzalez is the Founder and CEO of Links-G Consulting LLC, a boutique public affairs firm specializing in high-level strategies, strategic alliances, branding, and media relations. She currently represents several independently owned TV networks. With extensive experience in media relations and telecommunications, Iris has held key roles at Charter Communications and Bright House Networks, where she developed strategic plans to advocate public policy, mobilize grassroots support, and build government alliances.
Iris holds a B.S. in Business Management from the University of South Florida and is an alumna of the 2013 NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program. She is actively involved in professional organizations like NAMIC, CTAM, and WICT and serves on the Board of Trustees for Florida Virtual School and the advisory board for the National Diversity Coalition. Iris has been recognized by Cablefax Magazine as one of the most influential multi-ethnic executives and one of the most powerful women in regulatory affairs in 2020.
Ashley Hofecker – President & CEO, Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce
Ashley Hofecker is a self-motivated, resourceful community advocate and leader who is passionate about connecting, creating, and collaborating. She is a demonstrated professional with vast experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. With a servant-heart and business mind, Ashley is skilled in relationship building, mobilizing resources, generating revenue, and managing competing demands.
Ashley currently serves as the chief executive officer of the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce where she is responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of strategies for the purposes of advocacy, training, marketing, networking, and building strong collaborative partnerships.
When Ashley isn’t working, she enjoys volunteering in her community, traveling, spending time with friends and family, engaging with young leaders, participating in professional development groups, and she’ll never pass up an opportunity to pet a dog!
Danielle Mauck – VP of Sponsored Programs & Research, BayCare Health System
Danielle Mauck, MPH, CPH, is vice president for sponsored programs and research for BayCare Health System, where she oversees the organization’s work to promote responsible participation in critical health programs and clinical research projects, helping create access to potential cutting-edge interventions across West-Central Florida. Over the course of a 20-year career rooted in Tampa Bay, she has honed her skills in partnership and fund development resulting in hundreds of millions in federal, state, and private investments in local, community-based health programming.
Prior to her work with BayCare, Mauck served as the Director of Strategic Innovation at the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, where she directed healthy living, youth development and social responsibility program and fundraising strategy. A public health practitioner at the core, Mauck continued to build on her work with the Y as a volunteer, earning recognition as the YMCA of the Suncoast’s 2018 Healthy Living Volunteer of the Year. Mauck credits her community-focused career to a formal education by other local leaders.
She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in public health practice from the University of South Florida in Tampa, a Bachelor of Arts in business management and visual arts from Eckerd College and an Associate of Arts in business administration from St. Petersburg College. She is also Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Danielle’s office is located in Clearwater; her home is located in St. Petersburg.
Amber Okoye – Founder & CEO, Rubicon International LLC
Amber Okoye is the Founder & CEO of Rubicon International, where she helps small and mid-size companies improve profitability and efficiency by identifying and mitigating risk. With over 20 years of leadership experience at Fortune and FTSE 100 companies, including General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, United Technologies, Motorola, and GKN, Amber has a proven track record of driving organizational performance and business transformation.
Prior to founding Rubicon International, Amber served as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management & CPO at General Dynamics, where she led a company-wide supply chain transformation. She specializes in governance, value creation, business continuity, and sustainable change.
Amber has received numerous industry accolades, including being named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Supply Chain for three consecutive years and receiving Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine’s Women in Supply Chain Award.
Amber holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Miami and a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a 6Σ Black Belt, Lean Operations Transformation Leader, PMP, and CPSM certified, and holds two U.S. patents. Amber is also a 2023 Nonprofit Leadership Center Fellow for Advancement of Racial Equity in Board Service and was recently selected for the 2024 Women Corporate Directors Women of Color Directors Pipeline to advance public board readiness.
Mika Rotunda – Realor, Heart of Florida Realty
Born and raised in Brooksville, Florida, Mika Rotunda is a dynamic professional with a background in media and real estate. With years of experience in broadcasting and content creation, Mika has developed a unique ability to connect with her audience, community and customers. After spending ten years in Pinellas County, Mika and her growing family moved back to continue to instill the next generation of roots in her hometown, while raising babies of her own
Her passion for people and the desire to empower others, translates seamlessly into her real estate career. Where she helps clients navigate the buying and selling process with clarity and confidence. Combining her media expertise and real estate knowledge, Mika offers a personalized approach to marketing properties, making her a trusted partner in the industry. She and her mother, Stephanie are a dynamic real estate team, devoted to making dreams of home ownership come true!
Lynn Skelton – Owner, ProSource of Port Richey
Ms. Skelton moved to Florida when she was just 2 years old and has been a resident of Pasco County since 1984. She owns and operates a large flooring wholesale operation and kitchen & bath design studio in Hudson where she partners with local trade professionals to help them complete projects for themselves and their homeowner clients. While Ms. Skelton spends a lot of time taking care of her business, she also has an intense passion for community service and outreach so she assists her local Habitat for Humanity chapter with many of their supportive endeavors in the community and is honored to join the organization as a Board Member in 2021. “The Habitat program is a hand up, not a hand out and an amazing opportunity to change the path of families in need of stable and affordable housing.”
When Ms. Skelton is not working or serving others she enjoys time with her 2 sons and is excited to become a Grandma this year. She also enjoys spending time on the beach, watching the dolphins and the beautiful Gulf Coast sunsets. “I am grateful for all the blessings God provides and the trials in my life to become stronger in my faith and community.”
Marilyn Turman – InSource Consulting, LLC.
Marilyn is a community activist leading the charge for the creation of the North Greenwood Clearwater Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). She is a business consultant under her company InSource Consulting, LLC, doing work with the Tamp Bay Black Business Investment Corporation and SPARK Business Consortium. She retired from Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) in 2016 after 22 years in various positions, the most recent in establishing corporate partnerships. Marilyn has served on many boards over the years including the Clearwater Neighborhood Family Center, Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition, NAACP, Pinellas County Health Consortium to name a few. Marilyn resides in Clearwater.
Heidi Tuttle-Beisner – Licensed Commercial Real Estate Broker / Owner, Commercial Asset Partners Realty
Heidi Ann Tuttle-Beisner, CCIM is the Broker/Owner of Commercial Asset Partners Realty. She is an ambitious commercial real estate executive with over thirty years in the brokerage of commercial-investment real estate. She has been consistently recognized as a top producer and is highly involved in industry and legislative issues to maintain the integrity of the profession. Heidi leads a high-performance team of professionals specializing in taking on challenges pertaining to leasing and selling industrial projects, office buildings, retail centers, investment properties, and land. Community Involvement has been a consistent priority and focus throughout her career as well as the encouragement of staff and agents to “make a difference where you live and work”.
Some of Heidi’s professional accomplishments and community involvement include: 2022 Chair, Pasco Economic Development Council; 2021 Vice Chair, Pasco Economic Development Council; 2020 Secretary/Treasurer, Pasco Economic Development Council; 2017- 2023 Board of Directors, Pasco Economic Development Council; 2019- 2023 President, Pasco Pediatric Foundation; 1995- 2018 Board of Directors, Pasco Pediatric Foundation. Heidi earned her CCIM designation in 2004. The designation requires 240 hours of graduate level study, a portfolio documenting a high volume of professional transactions, and a comprehensive examination. Only 4% of all practitioners in the United States hold the coveted and respected designation in commercial investment real estate.
