Board of Directors

Kathy Collins, President

Kathy_Collins_160x160 Kathy Lepesha Collins has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Scranton and a law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans. Kathy is a licensed Florida attorney who practiced for 17 years in the areas of worker’s compensation defense, personal injury and property defense. She now works as a freelance writer for the Osprey Observer and devotes her time to charitable and civic organizations throughout Tampa Bay.

Kathy first served on the ECHO Fashion Show Committee before joining the Board of Directors in 2007. A distinguished member of the ECHO Executive Committee, she has served as Secretary and Vice President before assuming the Presidency in July 2010. "This year will be a year of positive change within the ECHO organization. We have already started with our new look and website, and are pleased to roll out additional programs for fundraising and for ECHO clients. We will be enhancing our community partnerships to ensure ECHO's continued success in helping needy families in Greater Brandon."

Kathy is pleased to also serve her community as President-Elect of Brandon South Rotary an Executive Board Member of Tampa Prep’s Parent Alliance. She also volunteers her time at A Kid’s Place.

For 20 years, Kathy has been happily married to her husband Jeff and enjoys spending time with their 13 year old daughter, Katie.

Lori Libhart, Vice President

Lori Libhart joined the ECHO Board of Directors in 2009 in order to give back to the local community and with a particular interest in being part of a food bank during the economic climate that makes basic necessities so vital. Lori is the current Vice-President of ECHO and has served as the Board secretary.

Lori is the CEO of LL Training and Consultant Group where she works with clients to develop their people, programs and systems to best reach their strategic objectives and to increase profitability. Services are provided through in-house consultation and training, public workshops, and personal coaching.

Lori Libhart brings a diverse 40 year background to her position of CEO with LL Training and Consultant Group, LLC. Lori is known for initiative and integrative thinking. As director of a large federal grant program, Lori steered her program to delivering quality client services, while similar U.S. programs were still in the planning stage. Her program policies and procedures, assessment instruments, and employee development tools became models for other programs. Lori enjoys the challenge of building new programs and businesses, as well as restructuring current practices to become more productive and profitable.

Lori’s training and experiences in curriculum, instruction, guidance and group dynamics, measurement, data analysis, and quality assurance combine to create a strong focus on program and learner outcomes and accountability. Lori has embraced the roles of administrator, supervisor, teacher and counselor while working in both the private and public sectors.

Lori earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Education and Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from the University of South Florida. She is Loss Prevention Qualified (LPQ). In addition to her service with ECHO, Lori serves as President-Elect with the Greater Seffner Chamber of Commerce and volunteers with the Neighborhood Accountability Board through the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce. Lori is a graduate of Leadership Brandon, 2009. She is a member of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce, the Plant City Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA), the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, the American Association for Training and Development (ASTD), and the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Irma Davila, Immediate Past President

Nicknamed the "Digital Queen of Brandon," Irma formed I.D. Marketing & Events in 2010. After graduating from Florida State (Go Noles!), Irma worked in public affairs and grassroots lobbying before packing it up and leaving politics for good. She spent the next seven years brushing up her business strategy and marketing skills as the marketing coordinator for boutique firms and media powerhouse, the St. Petersburg Times. It was then when she fell in love with Brandon, a beautiful bedroom community just east of Tampa, and decided to put down her roots.

The Brandon area quickly became her passion, devoting her time as President of the Brandon South Rotary Club and the Emergency Care Help Organization; she also founded the Young Professionals of Brandon. Irma's marketing savvy extends from full-scale events to web design, social media, SEO campaigns and community relations in the Brandon area and beyond. Her business success is built upon her ability to treat everyone like family.

Dr. Chris Russell

Dr. Russell of Studio Eyes Optical has been serving the Brandon/Tampa Bay community as a Board Certified Optometric Physician for over ten years. He is an alumni of both the University of South Florida and Nova Southeastern University. He has been a trusted Doctor for both the Tampa Bay Lighting and the University of South Florida Athletics Department.

Dr. Russell started with Pediatrics and has specializied in custom contact lenses for the hard to fit lens wearers. He has participated in several contactlens studies for major contact lens manufacturers for FDA approval of their products. He has also published multiple articles on issues affilliated with contact lenses and specialty disorders that require custom contact lens correction.

Dr. Russell has resided in the Valrico area for over 15 years and has been actively involved in the community. Dr. Russell is a member of the Krewe of Rough Riders of Tampa Bay.

Cami Gibertini

US AmeriBank Senior Vice President/Retail Branch Manager - Brandon Office Cami Gibertini

Ms. Gibertini has 20 years of banking experience in the Tampa Bay area. She is a member of Brandon Kiwanis, ECHO Board of Director, Leadership Tampa Class of 2004, and Leadership Brandon Class of 2000.

Cami is the lead organizer for the annual ECHO KIds Helping Kids Fashion Show and is the current honorary mayor of Brandon.

Carlos Cordova

Carlos_Cordova_160x160_jpg_edited-1 Biography Coming Soon

Vince Ferraro, Treasurer

Vince_Ferraro1 VINCENT FERRARO, C.P.A., A.E.P. has been in the public accounting profession since 1969. He currently serves as the firm's Chairman of the Board of Directors. Having accumulated over 31 years of experience in Tax Planning both at the Corporate and individual level, Vincent has also obtained designation as an Accredited Estate Planner. He provides services to our clients in the area of Estate Tax, Personal Financial Planning, Management Consulting, Litigation Support, Risk and Needs Analysis, Insurance Valuation, and Investments. He has extensive experience in the construction, medical, and restaurant industries. Vincent also holds an insurance license as well as a Series 6 Mutual Funds and Annuity license.

Laura Randall Simon, Secretary

Laura Randall Simon is currently the Marketing Promotions Coordinator the Tampa Bay Times, where she is responsible for executing a multi-channel promotional marketing strategy for the Times Publishing Company.

Prior to joining the Times, Ms. Simon was the Director of Development for the Parkinson Research Foundation, and Special Events Director for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In both positions, she was responsible for the development and implementation of fundraising strategies for these non-profit organizations. Earlier in her career, she worked as a legislative affairs consultant for NASA’s Advanced Communications Technology Satellite in Washington, DC.

Ms. Simon has a Bachelors degree in Political Science from Santa Clara University, and completed my Masters Degree coursework in Telecommunications Policy from the George Washington University. Most importantly, however, she is a proud resident of Apollo Beach, and a Mom, living with her husband and three teenage daughters. She is an alumna of Leadership Tampa Bay Class of 2010. She is a new member of the ECHO Board of Directors, a member of the Board of the Apollo Beach Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Campo Area YMCA Advisory Board.

Having lived in 4 different countries and 12 different cities, Laura and her family have decided that this is the place they want to call “home”. Because of this, she wants to do everything we can to make the SouthShore of Hillsborough County, a vibrant, healthy and safe place to live work and play.

Thomas P. Gill, Past President

Tom_Gill

Thomas P. Gill, Jr. graduated from Stetson College of Law with numerous honors and has been practicing law since 1988. With over 20 years experience, our law practice specializes in Family Law, Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Foreclosure Defense, Probate, Wills, DUI and Criminal Law. Our firm prides itself on responding to every phone call and providing personalized attention to every client.

Thomas P. Gill, Jr. Esq. has served the Brandon community as the ECHO Board President and founding member of I Am Hope Cafe.

Melanie Bonanno

Melanie Parrish Bonanno joined the Board for the Emergency Care Health Organization in April 2010. Melanie graduated from Florida Southern College in April 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities (Concentrations: Religion and Philosophy, English and Literature, and Theater Arts) and graduated from the University of Florida College of Law with honors in May 1999. Melanie has extensive experience as an employment law attorney and currently works as a Senior Human Resources Attorney with Publix Super Markets, Inc. Melanie resides in Seffner with her husband Robert, who is also a lawyer and has his own law firm, and son Aldo. Melanie's interests include Gator football, reading and spending time with her family. Melanie has been involved with charitable organizations in the Tampa Bay area and joined the Board in order to give back to her local community in the greater Brandon area.

Rosanna Chiaramonte

Rosanna_Chairamonte Biography Coming Soon