2025 Annual Meeting Speakers

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Jon Meacham

Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author

John Hope Bryant

Founder, Chairman, and CEO Operation HOPE

Seb Terry

Keynote Speaker on Personal Transformation. Peak Performance and Creating Environments for Success

Based in Venice, California, Seb Terry is a cheeky Australian whose passion for life is not only evident throuh his famed bucket list journey, but its powerfully unleashed onto stages with every keynote that he performs.

As an expert in personal transformation, peak performance and creating environments for success, Seb Terry's (author and TV host) renowned 16-year bucket list journey, and his commitment to helping others, has seen him share his message and frameworks with many of the world's biggest organizations including Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America, and McKesson. Along the way his story has also been turned into books, reality shows and is constantly featured by ESPN and Discovery Channel.

Recognized for his unique approach in combining brilliant humor, piercing insight and real-time action, Seb's revered storytelling and interactive teaching style has impacted millions of individuals and influenced thousands of organizations and Fortune 500 companies around the world. 

Shocked by the death of a close friend in his mid-twenties, Sebastian experienced a moment in his life where he asked himself a simple questions; 'Am I happy?'. 

The answer was NO, and so, he created a list of 100things that he hoped would bring him closer to a sense of happiness, if not purpose, in life.

Dropping everything, Seb has been chasing down the goals on his list and teaching others how to do the same for over 15 years. 

From Marry a Stranger in Vegas (Goal #2) and Delivering a Baby (#23), to Living on a Deserted Island for 1 week (#63) and Helping a Stranger by helping a quadriplegic man complete a half marathon by pushing him(#26), Sebastian's story has been turned into a best selling book, his own reality show and a renowned keynote that has inspired millions of people around the world.

The impact of time and experience has helped shape Seb's journey from the pursuit of fun and exciting life goals to a framework and methodology that helps individuals and teams unlock limitless possibility in their professional and personal lives.

Often noted as the highlight of any conference he presents at, Sebastian's keynote is an experience that will make you audience laugh, think, cry and ultimately take action. 

Dr. Stephen Leatherman a.k.a. the famous Dr. Beach!   

Professor; Department of Earth & Environment, Florida International University

Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman is Professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University inMiami. He has published hundreds of journal articles, produced 21 books on coastal science and is in the top 2% of cited 

scientific authors in the world.

Dr. Leatherman has given expert testimony to U. S. Congressional committees eleven times and has appeared on hundreds of TV news programs. He has worked extensively on the issue of sea level rise and coastal erosion as well as hurricane impacts, including development of the first hurricane simulator termed the Wall of Wind.

Presently he is concerned about rip currents because there is so much needless loss of life with Florida being the number one state in the nation for rip drownings. Burmese pythons have also captured his interest, devouring many of the animals in the Everglades and now appearing in our coastal waters and even in the Florida Keys.

Chris Herren

Former Professional Basketball Player & Motivational Speaker

Chris Herren was a high school basketball legend from Fall River, Massachusetts, who scored over 2,000 career points while at Durfee High School and was named to the 1994 McDonald’s All-American team.

Starting his collegiate career at Boston College, Chris transferred to Fresno State after several failed drug tests, playing for legendary basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, known for giving second chances to players. He was named to the All-WAC first team in 1996 and 1997 before announcing that he would need miss part of the 97-98 season to seek treatment for an ongoing struggle with substance use disorder.

Chris realized his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA when he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1999, and then was traded to his hometown team, the Boston Celtics, in 2000. After suffering a season-ending injury as a Celtic, Herren went on to play in five countries including Italy, Poland, Turkey, China, and Iran.

With the unwavering support of his family and friends, Chris has been sober since August 1, 2008, and he now shares his story with the goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others.

His recovery journey has been documented in the bestselling memoir, Basketball Junkie, the Emmy-nominated ESPN Films documentary, Unguarded, and in countless local, national and international stories by The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated, among others. Through Herren Talks, Chris has spoken to over 1 million students and community members, sparking honest discussions about substance use disorder and wellness.

In 2011, Chris grew his vision of support for others when he founded the nonprofit Herren Project. Through the organization, Chris and his team empower schools and communities to make healthy choices, while also guiding families through recovery. In 2018, Chris also founded Herren Wellness, a residential health and wellness program that helps guests lead healthy, substance-free lives.

With recognition ranging from the Boston Celtics’ Hero Among Us Award to the Faces and Voices of Recovery National Voice of Recovery Award, Chris’s incredible impact on his community continues to grow.

IN PRINT

Chris Herren’s journey on and off the court has been chronicled in two bestselling books. Bill Reynolds’ 1994 book, Fall River Dreams, follows the Durfee High School basketball team and its star, Chris Herren, as the team begins its annual drive for a state championship. In his memoir, Basketball Junkie, Chris shares in his own words how he nearly lost everything and everyone he loved, and how he found a way back to a life in recovery.

ON FILM

Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Hock has mastered the art of telling stories about the struggles and triumphs of American hometown heroes. Chris Herren of Fall River, Mass., was a high school basketball standout who battled the pressures of making it big from an early age. After dropping out of Boston College, Chris landed on Jerry Tarkanian’s notorious Fresno State team, where players were likely to be found on both police blotters and All-American lists. Chris failed drug tests at BC and Fresno State, but he was so talented that he was drafted into the NBA anyway, ending up with the Boston Celtics. But at the moment he was realizing his childhood dream of becoming a star for the home team, Chris was falling in a 10-year-long spiral of addiction. He bounced from team to team, country to country. Ultimately, Chris, the youngest and most talented of three generations of local heroes, has found redemption and personal fulfillment through the game, but only after it led him literally around the world, down a path of alcohol and drug addiction that nearly killed him. Recipient of 2 Emmy Nominations for Outstanding Sports Documentary & Outstanding Editing and Sports Illustrated’s “Best Documentary of 2011”.

Brigadier General Bernard B. Banks, Ph.D.

Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders

Bernard (Bernie) Banks is a noted expert on the subjects of leadership and organizational change. Currently, he is the Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders (and a Professor in the Practice of Leadership within the University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business). The mission of the Doerr Institute “…is to elevate the leadership capacity of Rice students and to improve the practice of leader development in higher education.” Most recently, Bernie served on the faculty and senior leadership team at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management from 2016-2023 prior to arriving at Rice. Bernie retired from the U.S. Army in 2016 as a Brigadier General after having successfully led West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership in his final assignment. In addition to having studied leadership extensively, he has led multiple military units ranging in size from 10 to over 3000 people. Bernie was selected from over 40,000 officers to receive the Army's top award for early career stage managers (General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award) in 1995. In 2006, the Apache Helicopter unit he was leading in South Korea was designated as the number one U.S. Army Apache Helicopter unit globally in the Army’s annual best aviation unit competition (Lieutenant General Ellis D. Parker Award). Bernie is broadly educated and is a graduate of West Point. He also holds master’s degrees from Northwestern, Columbia, and Harvard Universities. Furthermore, he earned his Ph.D. in socialorganizational psychology from Columbia University. Bernie’s has published work in a variety of outlets (e.g., Harvard Business Review, Military Psychology, New York Times) while also working extensively with hundreds of organizations across all sectors concerning their leader development efforts (e.g., Morgan Stanley, Procter and Gamble, Mercedes Benz, Microsoft, IBM, 7-Eleven, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Shell) as the Principal/Owner of Banks Talent Solutions (a boutique leader development consultancy). An active member of several civic and professional organizations, Bernie is deeply invested in his community.

Areas of Expertise:

Leader Development

Organizational Change

Organizational Culture 

Carlos Lopez-Cantera

Former Lt. Governor of Florida

Carlos Lopez-Cantera is the Executive Vice-President of Pan American Companies. He leads Pan American’s Industrial Development Division where he is responsible for all aspects of project development including, contract negotiations, entitlements processes and construction management. He has been part of the organization since 1998. Beyond his experience in real estate development, he has served in several public offices. Carlos served as the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Florida (2014-2019), Property Appraiser of Miami-Dade County (2013-2014) and as a Member of the Florida House of Representatives (2004-2012) Majority Leader (2010-2012). He has also served on the Board of Governors of Citizens Property Insurance and as Statewide Chairman of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission.  He presently serves on the Florida Elections Commission and is a board member of the Miami-Dade County Fair.

Jennifer S. Carroll

Former Lt. Governor of Florida

Jennifer S. Carroll is Florida’s 18th Lieutenant Governor and former state representative. She was the first female elected Lieutenant Governor in Florida, First Black and Caribbean American elected statewide and first Black Republican female elected to the Florida Legislature.

Mrs. Carroll was born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago West Indies and immigrated to America at the age of eight.

She is currently the CEO of Yolo LTD, a former Senior Advisor of Global Digital Solutions Inc., and former President and CEO of North American Custom Specialty Vehicles, Inc.

As Lieutenant Governor Mrs. Carroll sought ways to increase military operations in Florida and protected Florida’s military bases from encroachment. She successfully advocated for Florida's $65 billion military economy and defense industry which resulted in military missions moving to Florida. As the Chairperson of Space Florida, she increased commercial space activity which enabled displaced shuttle workers to find jobs.

Mrs. Carroll encouraged and led successful trade missions to Trinidad and Tobago that yielded $30 million in new trade between the nations, trade mission to South Africa, the UK and Spain which resulted in over $70 million in new trade for Florida businesses.

As a member of the Florida House of Representatives she served as Deputy Majority Leader; Majority Whip; Vice Chair of the Transportation and Economic Development Committee; Chair of the Finance Committee and Chair of the Economic and Development Council. She sponsored a $203 million jobs package which provided tax credits to encourage companies to hire Floridians who were out of work during the recession, and she passed legislation that appropriated an additional $1.9 million to the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development to increase Florida’s tourism revenue.

Mrs. Carroll is a highly decorated retired Navy veteran who rose from an enlisted jet mechanic to retire as a highly decorated Lieutenant Commander after 20 years. In her capacity as Executive Director of Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs she was responsible for the claims and benefits of over 1.8 million veterans and was able to get more than $63 million in retroactive compensation awarded to Florida veterans.

President George W. Bush appointed Mrs. Carroll to the Commission on Presidential Scholars from 2001 to 2004, and then to a seat on the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission from 2004 to 2007. Mrs. Carroll was appointed to the American Battle Monuments Commission by President Donald J. Trump from 2018 to 2021.

Mrs. Carroll was inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame in 2024.

Mrs. Carroll is the National Spokesperson for Maggie’s List. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, a public speaker, and the author of Amazon best seller “When You Get There,” an autobiography.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The University of New Mexico and a Master of Business Administration from St. Leo University.

Mrs. Carroll is a wife, mother of three and grandmother of two. 

Ava Parker

President, Palm Beach State College

PBSC President Ava L. Parker leads with a strategic approach emphasizing innovation, student success, and business and community collaboration. Parker is the first female president in the history of the institution, which opened in 1933 as Florida’s first public community college. Growing with the county, the College now offers more than 130 programs of study, including bachelor’s and associate degrees, professional certificates and career training. Palm Beach State has earned national distinction as an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College.

Under President Parker’s stewardship, the college opened its 5^th campus in Loxahatchee Groves in 2016 and reached its highest enrollment in the institution’s history.

Before joining Palm Beach State in 2015, President Parker was executive vice president and chief operating officer at Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s first public university focused on applied research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.

She also served for more than a decade on the Florida Board of Governors of the State University System and served on the University of Central Florida’s Board of Trustees.

She was a partner in the Jacksonville law firm of Lawrence & Parker, general counsel at Edward Waters College, general counsel for the 11th Episcopal District of the AME Church, assistant general counsel for the state Department of Transportation, and assistant public defender in Miami-Dade County. She currently serves on the board of directors of Orchid Island Capital, a publicly-traded specialty finance company; the Advisory Board of the Community College Research Center; and member of the Orange Bowl Committee.  

President Parker earned her B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Florida.

She is married to Joe Gibbons. They have two children and enjoy spending their time in the wonderful backdrop of Palm Beach County.

Jeff Kottkamp

Former Lt. Governor of Florida

Jeff Kottkamp serves as the Florida TaxWatch Executive Vice President and General Counsel.  He is an AV Preeminent rated attorney with an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Florida State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida.  He has served on the TaxWatch Board of Trustees for the last ten years and has been active with The Governor Bob & Mary Jane Martinez Citizenship Institute as well as the TaxWatch Productivity Awards.

He served as the Florida's 17th Lieutenant Governor from 2007 until 2011. As Lieutenant Governor Jeff was Chairman of the Board of Space Florida, Chairman of Florida's Children and Youth Cabinet, Chairman of the Florida Sports Foundation, and had oversight responsibility for the Governor's Office of Drug Control, the Office of Adoption and Child Protection, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, as well as the Governor's Film and Entertainment Office. On June 18, 2008 Governor Kottkamp became Acting Governor of the State of Florida pursuant to a Proclamation filed with the Secretary of State transferring power to him pursuant to Article IV Section 3(b) of the Florida Constitution.

Governor Kottkamp served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006. While serving in the House, Jeff was chairman of the Judiciary Appropriations Committee (2006), chairman of Government Operations Committee (2005), chairman of Judiciary Committee (2002–2004), and vice-chairman of the Rules and Calendar Council (2004–2006). He also served as Deputy Majority Whip.

As a member of the Florida Legislature, Kottkamp had a reputation for fighting for lower taxes. He sponsored legislation to repeal the Intangibles Tax. He helped formed the "Freedom Caucus" in the House.  Caucus members opposed any efforts to raise taxes. Governor Kottkamp served as Co-Chair of the Taxpayer Protection Caucus.

Jeff currently serves on the Board for the Florida Historic Capitol Foundation, is a Trustee of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society and a member of the Economic Club of Florida.

He and his wife Cyndie live in Tallahassee and have a son named Jackson.

Mark Wilson

President & CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce

Mark Wilson serves as president and chief executive officer of Florida’s largest and most influential business advocacy organization. Wilson leads the substantial political, lobbying, grassroots, and economic research operations of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Through his focus on unifying the business community, Wilson created the Florida Business Agenda and the Florida Chamber Grassroots Network, which mobilizes the business community on issues ranging from taxes and talent, to insurance and constitutional amendment reform. Wilson was also the first president of the Florida Justice Reform Institute, a Florida Chamber partner organization focused on reducing frivolous lawsuits.

In addition to his legislative successes, Wilson is also the architect of groundbreaking statewide political campaigns in 2004 and 2006 that passed significant constitutional amendment reforms, as well as numerous legislative and issue campaigns.

Tim Cerio

President/CEO and Executive Director of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation

Timothy M. Cerio is the President/CEO and Executive Director of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Tim is responsible for overseeing all operations of the company and serves as liaison to the Citizens Board of Governors.

With more than 29 years of experience in the public and private sectors, Tim brings a wealth of expertise to Citizens. Appointed in June 2021 as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, Tim provided critical leadership as Citizens responded to new legislative requirements to stabilize the Florida property insurance market and return Citizens to its role as Florida’s insurer of last resort.

Prior to joining Citizens, Tim practiced with the GrayRobinson law firm, focusing on government investigations, regulatory and health care law, and administrative law. He previously served as General Counsel to Florida Governor Rick Scott. As General Counsel, Tim was the chief legal advisor to the Governor and legal liaison for the Executive Office of the Governor to all state and local agencies.

Tim currently serves on the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida. In June 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed him to the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. Additionally, Tim was a member of the 2017-2018 Florida Constitution Revision Commission, which convenes every 20 years to review Florida’s constitution and propose amendments for voter consideration. Tim is also a member of the Board of Directors of the James Madison Institute, Florida’s premiere think tank dedicated to promoting economic opportunity for all Floridians.

Tim earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida (UF) in 1990. He graduated from the UF College of Law with honors in 1995 and was a member of the Florida Law Review. Tim has served as president of both the University of Florida Alumni Association and the UF 
College of Law Alumni Council, and he currently serves as Chairman of the Florida Blue Key Alumni Advisory Board.

Tim and his family live in Tallahassee.

Michael Yaworsky

Florida Insurance Commissioner

Michael Yaworsky was nominated by Governor DeSantis and appointed by the Financial Services Commission to serve as the Florida Insurance Commissioner in March 2023.

Prior to his nomination, Mr. Yaworsky served as the Vice Chairman of the Florida Gaming Control Commission and served as the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s (OIR) Chief of Staff from 2017 – 2021. As OIR’s Chief of Staff, he assisted in overseeing one of the largest insurance markets in the world by serving as a policy advisor to the Commissioner and managing agency fiscal matters and administrative operations. 

Prior to joining OIR, Mr. Yaworsky served as Legal Counsel for the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, where he was responsible for advising the Commissioner and senior staff on policy decisions and performing administrative, regulatory and litigation duties associated with the legal unit. He also served as Counsel for the Office of President Pro Tempore in the Georgia Senate from 2014 – 2015. 

Mr. Yaworsky honed his skills serving the state of Florida in a variety of government, regulatory and legislative positions from 2006 - 2011. This included working as Chief of Staff with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Director of Gubernatorial Appointments and Cabinet Aide at the Executive Office of the Governor.

Mr. Yaworsky has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Florida State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. He has been a member of the Georgia Bar since 2014. 

Mr. Yaworsky also serves on the Board of Directors for Family Promise of the Big Bend. Family Promise of the Big Bend is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness in the Big Bend through leadership, education, advocacy, and the provision of quality services.

Fred Karlinsky

Shareholder and Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Global Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group

Fred Karlinsky is a Shareholder and Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group. Fred has over 30 years of experience representing the interests of insurers, reinsurers, and a wide variety of other insurance-related entities. He is a recognized authority on national insurance regulatory and compliance issues, has taken a leadership position in many insurance trade organizations, and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Florida Trend 500, and Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” for his work in insurance law.

Recognized as the only Band 1 Florida insurance lawyer by Chambers & Partners and one of the most influential leaders in Florida politics by City & State Florida and INFLUENCE Magazine, Fred has in-depth knowledge of insurance compliance matters and has been a primary strategist in virtually all types of Florida insurance-related legislative initiatives.

In addition to his role with Greenberg Traurig, Fred has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law since 2008. Since 2014 Fred has served on and currently chairs the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), where five of the seven current sitting Justices of the Florida Supreme Court have been appointed during Fred’s tenure on the JNC.