All DC Noles are welcome to participate in the DC Noles Board election. Elections for the 2014-2015 Officers and Board of Directors will be held May 27th at 7:30 pm. We’ll be meeting at Union Pub, 201 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002. Please see details and candidate bios below.

Officers

President

Howard Shores has been a member of the DC Noles since arriving in DC in the spring of 2008. He joined the DC Noles board in December of 2010, and spent his first year assisting the club in running its online social network presence. In 2012, he was elected Vice President of the club, and has served in that capacity to present. His responsibilities include chairing the Gamewatching Committee, working with the Merchandising and Marketing Committee, liaising with University officials, and updating the DC Noles’ website, Twitter, and Facebook pages. He is proud to have served as Vice President over the past two years, and is incredibly pleased with the progress that the club has made in that time. Howard attended FSU from 2005-2008, graduating with a Master’s in International Affairs, specializing in Political Science. He works for the United States Department of State as a Foreign Affairs Officer. Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, his Florida “home” is in Pensacola.

Vice President

Peri Farbstein has been an active member of the D.C. Noles Board for the past two years as a Director. She has served as the Chair for Gold Cup for two years, the Merchandising and Marketing Chair for two years, and has been an active participant in club activities including Seminole Service Day, Gamewatching Parties, and Seminole Sendoff Scholarship Receptions. Peri is also the Chair of the Host Committee for the DC Noles 50th Anniversary Gala in 2015. She would be honored to take the next step and become the DC Noles Vice President. Peri attended FSU from 2007-2011, during which time she earned her B.S. International Affairs, B.A. Anthropology, and Minor in Public Administration. She will graduate with her M.A. International Communication in June, from American University’s School of International Service. Peri works for the U.S. Department of State and also serves on the Florida State Society Board of Directors. She is originally from Fort Lauderdale.

Treasurer

Brian Anweiler is a 1997 graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Media Communication. In addition, he earned a Master of Science degree in Physical Education (Sport Administration) from FSU in 2000. Currently, he is the College-Wide Student Activities Coordinator at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Prior to moving to the DC Metro area in January 2009, he was the Director of Athletics at Tallahassee Community College. Brian has been on the DC Noles Board since 2009. He has served in the role of Secretary (2010-11) and Treasurer (2012-present).

Secretary

Emily Grossman is a Northern Virginia native who graduated from Florida State in 2010 with a BA in Psychology. She joined DC Noles immediately upon returning to the area three years ago, contributing to events as a member for the first year, and then serving on the DC Noles board as a director for the last two years. While on the board, she has been the sports chair (successfully running four seasons of flag football, including one championship), assisted with multiple volunteer events and nearly all gamewatching parties, and served on the scholarship committee in 2012 and the election committee in 2013.

Director Positions

Frank Hauer joined the DC Noles when he moved to DC in 2005 and remembers attending watch parties at Porters way back when. Frank attended The Florida State University from 1998-2002 and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Political Science. He valued his experience so much that he went back for a Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing graduating again in 2003; Magna Cum Laude. Frank is very proud of his fundraising and community service activities with a number of area charities including the Washington Area Rescue League, The DC Center, and The Kingman Boys and Girls Club to name a few. He hails from the Central Florida town of Winter Park and spends a lot of his vacation time going “home” nowadays to Hallandale Beach. Frank works for NAFSA: The Association of International Educators as the Director of Market and Data Analysis engaging with Universities throughout the world to increase global learning, something he had the pleasure of participating in at FSU Prague. He is an avid kickball, bocce, darts, and dodge ball player. With the second to none caliber of membership of the DC Noles Frank would like to see the organization engage with recent and future FSU graduates to show what a strong social and professional network is available to them in the Capital Region. He is tired of seeing so much orange and blue in DC and would like to paint this town Garnet and Gold! Also, his Publix sub is Boar’s Head Italian with Dill Havarti in case you are picking something up for the rest of us! GO NOLES!

William Higgins, a native of Winter Park, graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors in Political Science and a Masters in American Politics. After several years of working in the Florida Legislature, he moved to D.C. in 2012 and is currently employed as a manager at the Arlington based government affairs firm Stateside Associates. A member of since his arrival in D.C., he has actively assisted in many DC Noles activities as External Group Relations Director, including facilitating an amicable relationship with the All Florida Alumni group, and helping to plan the logistics and sales of the Noles tent at Virginia Gold Cup. William enjoys The Allman Brothers Band, Catahoula Leopard Hounds, and spicy malbecs.

Daryl R. Levine is a 2002 graduate of FSU and Life Member of the FSU Alumni Association. Daryl moved to Washington, DC in 2005. He has served as an AmeriCorps VISTA and a higher education professional association manager. Daryl currently serves as a Special Assistant to the Mayor of the District of Columbia. His service to the Seminole Club of Greater Washington, DC since 2006 includes a term as secretary, two terms as vice-president, and service as a member of the Board of Directors with responsibility for coordination of all FSU at Maryland Weekend events since 2008.

Christina Mazzoli grew up in Miami, Florida, spending school breaks in Louisville, Kentucky. I’m a “need to get involved” type of person. In high school I was a member of multiple extracurricular activities, drama club, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), varsity water polo, varsity cross country, varsity soccer, varsity track one of the captains senior year), and vice president of student counsel (senior year). I also was a recipient of the Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholarship. I graduated with a degree in Finance at Florida State University. While at FSU, I was chosen to be a Seminole Torchbearer, received a Department of Management Scholarship, worked for Union Productions/Club Downunder, and was a member of Women in Business and Lady Spirithunters. As a member of Lady Spirithunters I was really able to contribute to the community. With Lady Spirithunters I participated in intramural sports, various community service activities, Dance Marathon, Relay for Life, and various homecoming activities. Homecoming 2009, a member and I were one of the finalists for Big Fan on Campus which helped Lady Spirithunters win 1st place in their category for homecoming. I’ve been living in Virginia since 2011 and have been an active member of DC Noles. I have volunteered at the DC Central Kitchen (which was extremely rewarding and would love to see this become a more frequent volunteer opportunity), the wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery, and of course the game watching parties; I plan on joining the DC Noles sports when the season starts. I am currently working my way to becoming a lifetime member of the FSU Alumni Association. I am extremely hardworking and passionate (some say too passionate) about FSU. My passion coupled with my desire to help the local community is a great fit for DC Noles. I would love to have the opportunity to be a member of the board and show what I can do for the DC Noles.

Joe Paul was born in Brooklyn, New York, partially raised in Miami, Florida and is the fifth of ten children who come from Haitian immigrant parents. Joe experienced many of the social ills that continue to plague American society at the tender age of thirteen when he was forced into independence. Joe experienced homelessness, growing up in foster homes and group homes and child abandonment. Although he experienced trials and tribulations early on in his journey, he was determined to finish his high school education against all odds. After graduating from Miami Central Senior High School, his desire to further his education inspired him to apply to colleges and universities with uncertainty. Although his parents have the equivalence of an eighth grade education they maintained the wherewithal to encourage him to take advantage of his American education; an opportunity that was not afforded to them. He became the first person in his family to earn a college degree when he graduated from Florida State University where he reserved the honor of leading more than fifteen clubs and organizations including Student Government Association as well as serving as one of the few African-American Homecoming Chief in the history of the university. Joe Paul is a former National Brother of the Year as well as Assistant Vice-President for the Southern Region for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. After graduating from Florida State, Joe moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue an acting career. He quickly found out that most actors in Hollywood are starving artist so he had to figure out a way to survive. He found solace once he was introduced to the Real Estate industry where he found a passion for helping others to achieve the American Dream of homeownership. During this time, Joe continued to pursue another passion close to his heart; to inspire others through his touching testimony by motivationally and inspirationally speaking to others and through his writing. This passion encouraged him to leave the daily grind of the corporate world which inspired a move to the Washington DC area where he currently resides and runs his company. Joe Paul has been recognized by community, educational and business leaders including public servants as an outstanding citizen through dozens of awards and recognition. Currently, he is the CEO of Motive8 corporation; a motivational speaking and corporate training organization. He also serves the District of Columbia government in a Human Resources capacity as their Human Resources Officer. He is a Professional Speaker, Certified Life Coach, and Blogger through www.JoePaulSpeaks.com. He is the author of “Morning Cup of Joe” and a devoted philanthropist. He respectively served as a board member of The Urban League and currently serves as a board member of the DC Seminole Alumni Association. He is a former national board member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the MLK Foundation and is a current member of the NAACP Washington DC Branch and The Florida State Society of Washington DC. He is also the Founder and Senior Advisor for the “Toys for Boys” Initiative as well as the Chief Proprietor for The Haitian ART Gallery nonprofit organization where he raises funds through showcasing and auctioning Haitian art with the ultimate goal of building schools focused on the arts and humanity in Haiti.

Maria Santos is a Human Capital Customer Consultant for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). She serves as consultant and advisor to senior management at this start-up agency. She provides technical expertise on a variety of areas such as: strategic planning and policy development, organizational redesign, workforce planning, position management, recruitment and outreach strategies, succession planning, and diversity and employee engagement. Ms. Santos conducts organizational analysis and needs assessments to measure and ensure program effectiveness, from development to implementation. She currently serves on the DC Noles Board of Directors and on the Associate Board for the Latin American Youth Center, Washington, DC. In the past, Ms. Santos was a Business Partner as well as a Recruitment Specialist/Outreach Coordinator at the Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum and research complex in the world. During her tenure, she conducted policy analysis, workforce planning, developed Federal training curricula, and served as a subject matter expert for Federal hiring laws and regulations. She also served as social media consultant, conducted agency branding, and organized recruitment and professional networking events. She served as the 2010-2012 Chair of the Smithsonian Latino Working Committee (LWC), the largest employee advocacy group at the Institution. Before moving to Washington DC in 2008, Ms. Santos worked as a System Administrator and Human Resources Coordinator for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), in the Tallahassee Headquarters and the Orlando Regional Office. She is a proud graduate of The Florida State University. She obtained a double Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Political Science and graduated from The Florida State University Askew School with a Master in Public Administration. She is also an American Political Science Association Fellow.
Farrah Saint-Surin is currently serving her second term as the DC NOLES Secretary. She is seeking a position as a DC NOLES board member on 2014-2015 board. Farrah has been an active DC NOLE since 2009 when she first moved to the DC area from the Boston where she served as the President of the Greater Boston Seminole Club. Farrah has chaired the Scholarship Committee for the past three years and enjoys community service. When she is not busy bragging about the FSU National Championship status she is Operations Manager for the District of Columbia’s Benefit’s and Retirement Administration.

Alexi Thomas would be honored to join the board and be a part of such a fabulous group! I moved to the DC area in 2002 and was involved with DC Noles as an officer for a year (around 2005 I think). In that year I co-organized a new game watching spot (Mackey’s Public House), organized the Melting Pot Wine Dinner, coordinated the alumni picnic, and assisted with many other duties (Special Olympics, check in at game watching parties, and beer/food at the MD tailgate, are some of the other events). Within the last few years I have become more involved and attended most of the game watching parties and a lot of the events (All FL happy hours, Special Olympics, Wreath Laying, etc.). I have also encouraged a lot of my friends and their significant others to join me at the events. I am excited about the direction the DC Noles are going and happy to see young alumni bringing enthusiasm to our events! I work at the American Society for Microbiology as a Manager for four conferences and meetings. I live in Arlington, VA and work in DC so able to make meetings and help out at events in the metro area. I graduated from FSU in 2001 with my BSW and then in 2002 with my MSW. I’m a big fan of the National Champions and love that we have such a great group in the DC area! With my event and meeting planning experience I know I can bring some great ideas to the DC Noles! Thanks and GO NOLES!

Philip Villeneuve is from Sandbridge Beach, Virginia and is a graduate of Florida State University and Florida Coastal School of Law. At FSU, Philip was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and President of Scalphunters. Philip currently works for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and served on the DC Noles Board of Directors for the 2013 – 2014 year. Before moving to DC from Jacksonville in 2012, Philip worked for the Wounded Warrior Project and served as a member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville Discovery Circle, the Vice President and a charter member of Rotaract Jacksonville, and a fundraising participant for the Dreams Come True Horizon Board.

Leighton Yates graduated from Florida State University in 2011 with a B.S. in International Affairs. While at FSU, he was an active member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, serving in multiple leadership positions. In addition to Greek life, Leighton was very active in volunteering and community service. Of the 700+ hours of community service completed during his time at FSU, many were gained through Dance Marathon at FSU, serving as Recruitment Chair. Other organizations of involvement include Seminole Student Boosters, Student Alumni Association and The Heritage Party. Upon graduation, Leighton moved to San Antonio to become the Assistant District Director for the Honorable John V. Garza, a State Representative, and the Outreach Director for David Rosa, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. He has been in the DMV area and currently serves as the Legislative Analyst for the American Society of Landscape Architects, advocating on Capitol Hill and state governments on behalf of the Society’s 16,000 members. When he is not working, Leighton enjoys watching and attending any and all local sporting events he can get in front of, exercising, and enjoying various patios and rooftops where cold adult beverages are sold with friends. Throughout the year Leighton represents the Noles whenever it is possible, from garnet socks at work, to an FSU shirt at the gym. Most days are game day for him since he follows FSU sports year round for both men and women. During the football season, Leighton makes it a point to attend 3 games per year – One in Doak, One away, and a postseason game (Dallas this year!) and is glued to any digital device that will allow him to watch games when he is not in attendance. He is one of the biggest FSU fans in the area and carries the unconquered torch that will forever burn inside all Florida State University Alum.