President

Joseph Mera

 Associate Director of Accounting and Finance Services for the UCF Foundation.

Joseph started his professional career with Wet’n Wild Inc.  As the Food and Beverage Supervisor of the world’s first water themed park, Joseph managed 5 restaurants and 7 portable food outlets throughout the park generating over $2.5 Million annual revenue.

He then moved on to The BNY Mellon Corporation, working in the Master Trust department of the Investment Management Services division.  Joseph’s responsibilities were to audit and manage high profile investment portfolios totaling $36 Billion in Assets.

After deciding to become more involved in the financial decision making of a company, Joseph worked with CFI/Westgate as a Senior Financial Analyst.  He worked directly with senior executives on expansion projects and financial planning, with the most recent project being the Planet Hollywood Westgate Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada; a $750 Million 50-Story Vacation Ownership and Condominium Tower.

Currently, Joseph is working with the University of Central Florida Foundation where he oversees the endowments and manages their invested interests.  He is currently working with other departments and members of the executive board to increase the endowment size through effective investment allocation and strategic planning.  As of June 30th, 2010, the UCF Foundation’s endowments totaled $108 Million.

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Vice President

Joseph Coury

Branch Manager, PNC BANK

Joseph, originally from Cleveland, Ohio graduated magna cum laude from Miami University of Ohio in 2006.  While at Miami University Joseph’s concentration was in Global Economics and Diplomatic & Foreign Affairs.  Joseph was a founding father of the Miami University Chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta and was instrumental in the outreach to bring underprivileged children to college through this organization’s outreach.  For these efforts Joseph won the President’s Distinguished Service Awards for contributions to cross-cultural communication and international issues his senior year at Miami University.

After graduation Joseph moved to New York City for a time before relocating to Orlando in 2007.  Since then Joseph has been in banking/finance and currently works for PNC Bank.   As a Branch Manager Joseph actively assists small businesses achieve their goals through a process that goes through a purposeful and direct cash flow conversation.

Joseph is active in the community volunteering at the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in Melbourne, FL.  He is also an active member in the Associate Producers Council at the Enzian Theater in Maitland and the Space Coast Energy Consortium.

Joseph enjoys his flag football as well, currently a member of Team Blitz in the Orlando Sport and Social Club.  Unfortunately for Joseph he is an avid Cleveland sports fan, loyal to the end for his Browns, Indians, and Cavaliers.

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Director Social Media/Secretary

Nicole Wissler

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Director of Community Outreach

Thomas Speno

Treasurer

Emily Appleton, MPH

Florida Hospital

Emily was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She received her BS from the University of Florida in 2007 and subsequently her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology in 2009. During graduate school, Emily worked as a Research Assistant for the Student Health Care Center and interned at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville.

Upon graduation, Emily entered the Infection Prevention workforce at the height of the H1N1 Pandemic. She started working as an Infection Preventionist at Florida Hospital in Orlando, where she is currently employed. Emily is trained in hospital epidemiology principles and is responsible for the surveillance, analysis, and reporting of hospital-acquired infections; educating employees about infection control, and developing health system policies and procedures to ensure rigorous infection control standards that meet national regulatory bodies such as the Centers  for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emily is an active member in the Florida Professionals in Infection Control, the Association of Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology and the Central Florida Gator Club. Emily also currently serves on the board of the Florida Professionals in Infection Control.

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Director of Events

Nick McNeill, MBA

Premium Sales Executive, Orlando Magic

Nick, originally from Akron, Ohio graduated cum laude from University of Mount Union in 2006. While at Mount Union Nick’s concentration was in Sport Management/Business Administration. While in school Nick played baseball for two seasons before accepting an internship with the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Cavaliers in sales/marketing where he excelled and was a top producer.

Upon leaving Mount Union three months before graduation, he accepted a job with the Orlando Magic basketball team in the sales/marketing department in September of 2006. The first three months of his job was double duty as he was finishing his undergrad degree and maintaining a full-time position. Since then Nick graduated from Mount Union in December of 2006 and then March of 2009 from the University of Phoenix with an M.B.A.

As a premium sales executive with the Orlando Magic, Nick is responsible for selling Luxury Suites, Loge Boxes, Legend Suite Seats, Courtside Seats and Hospitality Rentals for the new Amway Center that opened in October of 2010. He has rapidly climbed the sales ladder and is one of top producers for the sales team.

Nick is actively involved in the community as a volunteer serving lunches at the Orlando Union Rescue Mission in downtown Orlando. He is also an active member at St. James Catholic Church in downtown Orlando.

Nick enjoys playing golf, corn hole, working out and being outside whenever his time permits. He is an avid fan of the Cleveland Browns and loves his Orlando Magic.

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Director of Communications

Crystal Buit

Crystal graduated from the University of Central Florida with her undergraduate degree in 2006 and graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2009. Crystal is an associate at Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor, & Reed, P.A. Crystal is also involved with the Young Alumni Chapter of the University of Central Florida.

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