Jimmy Cudzilo – Board Member

Jimmy Cudzilo has an extensive history working in communications and data management with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Educated in communications and higher education administration, Jimmy now consults small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations with online marketing, constituent engagement and data management. He is serving a second three-year term as a member of Barry University’s Alumni Association Board of Directors where he was recently elected to his second one-year term as the treasurer. Jimmy has worked with nonprofit organizations ranging from children’s hospitals to universities with campuses around the world. Now residing in Miami Shores, FL, Jimmy enjoys weekend trips exploring and photographing Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys.

Jennifer Gonzalez – Board Member and Treasurer

Jennifer Gonzalez graduated Cum Laude from the University of Central Florida in 2003 with a Bachelors Degree in Finance, and is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.  Jennifer has worked in accounting for over 6 years with Continental Real Estate Companies, one of Florida’s largest commercial real estate firms. Growing up in Miami Beach, Jennifer had the great opportunity of helping run her family’s business, Masters Italian Restaurant – a local landmark for over 30 years. In addition to business, Jennifer cares deeply about animals and has volunteered many hours to organizations such as the Humane Society and Coastal Boxer Rescue, and attended a volunteer symposium at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah in 2009.

Alissa Pardo Stein – Board Member

Alissa Pardo Stein graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.A in Art History and an M.A.Ed in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis on Reading and Learning Disabilities.  She has continued her education by earning a certificate from the Center for Non-Profit Management at the University of Miami and her Yoga Teacher Certification in Skanda Yoga. A native of Miami Beach, Florida, Alissa is an active member of many local civic and religious organizations within her community, including Co‑Chair of the Miami Regional Council of Washington University, Immediate Past President of the Greater Miami Section of National Council of Jewish Women, as well as on the NCJW, Inc. national level, Commissioner & Section Advisory Council Member. Alissa has taught as well as held positions in sales and marketing. Her previous positions as the Marketing Director of the Center for Yiddish Culture and in the University of Miami Business Office enable her to continue her work in the world of the non‑profit organization. Presently, she works with Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff  in charge of logistics for the Holocaust Summer Teacher Institute. Her role as one of the NCJW – GMS representatives to the Miami HIPPY Advisory Board led to her current work with Dr. Henry Green as the Project Manager of the HIPPY Health Literacy Project, where she organized networking seminars as well as Advocacy Day.

Lisa Phillip – Board Member and Vice Chair

Lisa J. Phillip is an IT Professional with a focus on Business Intelligence at Quicken Loans.  She holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Barry University in Miami, Florida.  Over her 10 year career she has taken a lead and mentorship role, and has developed a passion for inspiring the best possible performance from her colleagues.  This passion led her to be involved in Quicken Loans-sponsored career mentoring programs for inner city youth in Detroit, MI.  Her interests include poetry, yoga and art as a vehicle for enhancing every aspect of life.  Lisa is originally from Trinidad and has a special interest in Caribbean-based art both in the Caribbean and in Miami.

Lara Stein Pardo – Executive Director, Founder

Lara Stein Pardo is a PhD Candidate in Anthropology at the University of Michigan and a Visiting Researcher at the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Miami. She is working on her dissertation research about Miami-based contemporary women artists from the Caribbean and a public art and archive project about Miami’s artistic past. Born in Miami, Lara earned her BA in Ethnic Studies and Studio Art from the University of Colorado, and her MA in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan. Before returning to school for her PhD she worked as a photography teacher at Hialeah High School and engaged in research in Havana, Cuba. Currently, Lara’s artwork, research, and writing revolve around place, gender, race, ethnicity, art, and artistic practice in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Her artwork includes photography, installation, performance, and short film highlighting social issues such as immigration policy and the connection between body and place. Exhibitions of her artwork include Race in Ann Arbor (2009), Space is the Place in Miami (2008), and Tracked: A Performance Installation in Miami Beach (2006). She has presented her preliminary research at national and international conferences including the Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars Conference in Hollywood, the Caribbean Studies Association Meetings in Bahia, and the American Anthropological Association Meetings in San Francisco. To learn more about Lara’s work visit www.larasteinpardo.com.

Interns and Project Assistants

2009 – 2010

Rebecca Peterson
Elizabeth Salerno