LFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS – BIOS



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2016 Board of Director Biographies

John B. Apgar, Chair

John Apgar serves as the current Board Chair. He has been associated with the Board for the past seven years and has been active on their Finance and Strategic Planning Committees. John is Senior Vice President and a Senior Lender with Sabadell United Bank (formerly known as Mellon United National Bank.) Sabadell is the fourth-largest bank in Spain and acquired MUNB in January 2010. He has been with the bank for approximately eight years; and has been involved in the banking industry for the past 32 years, in Southeast Florida and the New York metropolitan area.

J. Reeve Bright, Immediate Past Chair

[pic]Coming soon!

Naomi Jeanty

[pic]Naomi Jeanty is a physician currently completing her training in the Psychiatry residency program at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of South Florida in Natural Sciences Chemistry before pursuing her career in medicine at Ross University in the island of Dominica. Naomi also volunteers with the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) Florida Chapter, an organization very dear to her after being diagnosed with lupus in 2011. She has worked extensively alongside the LFA board members, lupus support group members and helped provide educational resources to others living with the condition at seminars, walks and meetings. She is the face of the "Naomi" purple lipstick designed by L.U.S.H. (LoveUreSelfHard makeup cosmetic company contributing 100% sales to the chapter. Naomi has been featured on a local Miami radio website station alongside her sister and musical artist Tamika J raising awareness on lupus. Naomi enjoys spending time with her family while enjoying her amazing new role as mother to her baby daughter. She happily looks forward to continue hands-on work, presenting fresh and new ideas to the Florida chapter, her community and beyond

Tamika Jeanty

Tamika J (singer/songwriter) is of African-American and Haitian descent and was born and raised in Miami, Fl. Music has played an influential role in her life since early childhood. She remembers singing in her room; her brush was her microphone and her dolls were her audience! Her love for music and performing has always been with her even at an early age. Tamika J started writing music since she was in grade school and she still writes her own music. Music has been her escape and her peace. Her true desire is to reach people, inspire, motivate, heal, and remind her listeners that life is beautiful no matter how hard it is.

Tamika J started her musical journey at the tender age of 14 years old. She was a part of her high school’s choir and continued to sing at other venues in Florida. After high school, Tamika J attended college at the University of South Florida located in Tampa, Fl. Education has also played an important role her life which has earned her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and American Sign Language Interpreting. While living in Tampa, she participated in local talent shows and provided background vocals for local artists in the area.

Tamika J currently lives in the city where she was born and raised, Miami Fl. She has completed her first EP entitled "Acoustically Speaking Vol.1 which is available now on itunes and on  and has performed in many popular venues in Miami such as The Stage, Bardot, Grand Central, Laginappe just to name a few. Tamika J is currently working on some awesome new projects. Stay tuned and watch Tamika J's journey to better. 

“Music has always been a place of peace, healing and joy. I want my songs to motivate people to make a change for themselves and to strengthen them. I plan on taking my music and putting it out there so the whole world can hear!!!!!. I have full support from my family and friends and my love for music will never fade away. I always say my desire to be an artist is not just a want but it is a need for me. If I touch one person then I did my job as an artist” -Tamika J

Nick Monfreda

Nick Monfreda is Vice President of Sales, Nick is responsible for the attainment of key business performance metrics for CSPi Technology Solutions US business. As the sales leader for the region, Nick is tasked with leading an aligned and effective sale team, fostering a positive culture within the sales force that drives high performance, and providing executive level impact to clients and partners. Prior to joining CSPi, Nick held various sales roles with Dimension Data, a global IT solution provider with nearly $6 billion in annual revenue. Nick is an avid golfer and a champion for the Lupus Foundation of America. Nick holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Worcester State University, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Robert H. Phillips, PhD

Dr. Robert Phillips is a licensed psychologist who has been in private practice for more than 35 years.  He is the founder and director of Long Island’s Center for Coping.  He has published more than 35 books (including Coping with Lupus; Successful Living with Lupus and Lupus Q&A: Everything You Need to Know.  He has presented over 500 papers and speaks at seminars, conventions and meetings throughout the United States and internationally.  He has served on the Board of Directors for the Lupus Foundation of America’s National affiliate and recently completed two terms on the National Board of Directors for the American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association.  He has appeared on dozens of television and radio programs and has been featured in numerous local and national newspaper and magazine articles.  Dr. Phillips also serves on a number of medical advisory boards for several local and national organizations and is the host of a nationally-available, audio-streamed radio show.

Jonathan Ramirez

Jonathan Ramirez was a student attending Florida International University in 2008 when officially diagnosed with systemic lupus at the age of 22. He was the first recipient of the Michael Jon Barlin Scholarship; a scholarship given to a college student who is pursuing their degree while living with lupus. He is currently a Civil Engineer for Odebrecht Construction Inc., and continues to give back to the Chapter by sharing his story at fundraising events and helping to raise lupus awareness throughout the community and serving on the Board.

Barry Shapiro, Treasurer

Barry Shapiro along with his wife Phyllis and son Matthew is the owner of 3 Apricot Lane Boutiques in South Florida.  Prior to opening these stores in 2008, Barry was a senior corporate retail executive with Lord and Taylor, Ann Taylor, Chicos and Perry Ellis. Born and raised in Brooklyn he graduated from Brooklyn College and then Pace University in NYC.  Barry’s involvement in the Lupus foundation began 5 years ago when his youngest son Jeff was diagnosed with Lupus. Last July his son underwent a kidney transplant with his older son Matt serving as the donor.  Apricot Lane Boutiques are involved in fund raising for the Lupus Foundation and hope to continue our path of raising more money each year than the year before.

Ivy Shapiro

Ivy Shapiro was “officially” diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus in 2010, after having been misdiagnosed for 20 years. Both she and her mother are living with lupus. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2004 with a degree in Exceptional Student Education and plans to work with adolescents living with lupus.

RJ Stamper

Coming Soon!

Robert J. Weiss, Treasurer

Robert Weiss has been associated with the Chapter since 1992 and currently serves as the Treasurer. He received his accounting degree from the University of Connecticut and worked in public accounting firms for many years before opening a private practice in 1983. He received the LFA Tom Nasarre Memorial Award in 1997 and the LFA National Fleur-de-Lis award in 2002. He continues to work tirelessly for the Chapter in memory of his beloved wife, who passed away from the complications of lupus in 1997.

Jenny Zalkin

Jenny Zalkin started noticing her style excel throughout her college years. She worked in a high end retail boutique in Miami Beach during summers and holidays as she gained experience in the selling and styling to all different body and taste types. She soon realized she was interested in furthering her fashion education and so she spent the summer of her junior year studying at the Instituto di Moda Burgo in Milan Italy for fashion design. Milan was Mecca for Zalkin in the world of fashion, and it was not so much about the shopping but rather the people watching and the way they dressed that really inspired her. After graduating from the University of Central Florida she started a contemporary clothing line for woman called Estella’s Envy. Zalkin was a partner; owner, designer, and the company manufactured and sold two successful seasons worth of the line which gave Jenny an understanding of how fashion merchandising and sales works. Throughout her experience and creativity in fashion, Zalkin parlayed this passion into interior design and began to work in the hotel industry helping design hotel rooms and hotel uniforms. She worked closely with high profile fashion designers to create a line of hospitality wear for new and upcoming hotels in Miami Beach. She worked with condo hotel owners in the remodeling of their rooms while choosing the right furnishings as well as color palates. Now, with her new found company istylie, she has been able to utilize her talents by helping individuals declare their sense of style. istylie is a creative fashion agency specializing in wardrobe therapy, personal styling as well as personal shopping. They have been showcased in many media outlets such as, Ocean Drive, NBC 6, Deco Drive, Miami Modern Luxury Magazine, and Daily Candy as well as numerous blogs and websites. Jenny lost her mother to lupus in 2009. Since then she been a top fundraiser in Walk for Lupus Now events in Miami and created the lupus fundraising event, A Flare for Design, which was featured in Ocean Drive and Haute Magazines. Jenny is dedicated to bringing awareness to lupus in memory of her mother, Enid.

Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana, Secretary

Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana is a freelance writer and journalist living in both South Florida and New York. She was diagnosed with systemic lupus in 2001 at the age of 23. Marisa started volunteering with the Chapter in 2007. With an educational background in Chemistry and Nursing, Marisa is currently working on her Master’s degree in Nutrition and plans on using that knowledge in the creation of books about Lupus and Nutrition and to offer Nutritional Counseling to those suffering from chronic illness. Marisa’s work has been featured in MSNBC, Christianity Today, KrazyCouponLady, The Good News, and Ladies Home Journal. She has been interviewed and featured as an expert on Lupus in Glamour, WebMD, Eating Well Magazine and South Florida Today newscast. She is the current Board Secretary.

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