Board of Directors

Stephen T. Rice, CLU, ChFC. Mr. Rice, Chairperson of the Sunrise Board of Directors, joined the Board in 1978. He began serving as the Board Chair in 2004, after the death of founding Board Chairperson, Dr. George Spelios. Mr. Rice brings a family commitment to his Board service, as his father was one of the founding Board members.

A graduate of the University of Florida, Mr. Rice is a successful insurance underwriter and financial planner. He retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. In addition to his Board of Director's Chairperson duties, he chairs the Finance and Administration Committee of the Board; he has served in this capacity for over 20 years.

First Vice Chairperson

Steven M. Weinger, Esq. Since 1986, Mr. Weinger has served on the Sunrise Board of Directors. He currently serves as Chairperson of the Board’s Human Resources Committee and as the Board of Directors' First Vice Chairperson.

Mr. Weinger is a partner in the law firm of Kurzban, Kurzban, Weinger, and Tetzelli, located in Miami, Florida. Mr. Weinger is known as a Medicaid expert for services to people with developmental disabilities. He has successfully represented providers, provider organizations, and consumers and their families in accessing services.

Second Vice Chairperson

Pauline A. Young, EdD. Dr. Young joined the Sunrise Board of Directors in 1987. During her tenure with the Sunrise Board, she served as Chairperson of the Human Resources Committee. Currently, she is a member of the Human Resources Committee and she also serves on the Marketing and Communications Committee. She is the Board of Director’s Second Vice Chairperson.

Dr. Young was an administrator in the Miami-Dade County school system with specific responsibilities for middle school students in the Exceptional Education Program.

Secretary

Geraldine Tucker. Mrs. Tucker, a resident of Miami and retired teacher, began serving on the Sunrise Community Board of Directors in 1986. She currently serves as Secretary of the Board; Chair of the Programs and Services Committee as well as being a member of the Finance Committee and the Marketing and Communications Committee. Previously, Mrs. Tucker served as the Board Treasurer. Mrs. Tucker chose Sunrise to provide residential services for her son in Miami.

Mrs. Tucker is the past President of the Supporters of Sunrise and has been honored for her efforts, first by the Dade County PTA with a service award in 1986, and later by the Sunrise Board in 1988.

Treasurer

F. Joseph McMackin III, Esq. Mr. McMackin joined the Sunrise Board of Directors in 2003. He is currently serving as Treasurer of the Board. Mr. McMackin is also a member of the Board’s Governance and Marketing and Communications Committees. Mr. McMakin leads the Board of Trustees in Naples in its support of Sunrise Community of Collier County, Inc. (TECH of Collier County).

A graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, Mr. McMackin is an attorney in Naples with Bond, Schoeneck, and King. His legal practice focuses on business, real estate, labor and employment, and governmental law. Mr. McMackin is the parent of a son with disabilities who receives services at Sunrise.

Founding Member

Dorothy W. Adside. Ms. Adside is a founding member of the Sunrise Board of Directors, becoming involved with the organization in 1964.

She is also the parent of a son who receives services from Sunrise in Miami. Ms. Adside served as Chairperson of the Board’s Human Resources Committee and now sits as a member of this committee. Earlier, she was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation (FEFVR), now called The Able Trust. Here, she served with Dr. Spelios, the Chairperson of the Sunrise Board, during her tenure with FEFVR.

Prior to her retirement, Ms. Adside was an administrator for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

BOARD MEMBERS

Connie Crowther. A Sunrise Board member since 1996, Ms. Crowther is the president/owner of Crowther and Company Communications, a Coral Gables-based public relations firm. Ms. Crowther has served as the Chair of the Marketing and Communications and the Advancement Committees and she continues to serve on these committees today. In addition, she has provided direct support in the development of communication plans and materials to further the Sunrise mission.

Ms. Crowther is active with Diveheart (South Florida Team), where she uses her passion for scuba diving to assist people with disabilities experience the wonders of scuba diving. Individuals with disabilities who learn to scuba dive obtain physical and psychological therapeutic benefits and increased confidence.

Barnett A. Greenberg, DBA. A member of the Sunrise Board of Directors since 1989, Dr. Greenberg serves in two leadership positions for the Board. He is the past Chair of the Public Relations Committee and President of the Sunrise Community Foundation, Inc. He also serves as a member of the Finance and Administration Committee.

Dr. Greenberg is a professor of business and marketing with Florida International University. He is the parent of a daughter who receives residential services from Sunrise in Miami.

Richard H. McCarthy. Mr. McCarthy has been a member of the Sunrise Board since 1984. He is the parent of a son who receives residential services from Sunrise in Miami. He is a member of the Board’s Finance and Administration Committee and has served as an officer of Sunrise’s Parents and Friends Group, now known as Supporters of Sunrise. Through his work with Sunrise, Mr. McCarthy has volunteered thousands of hours on behalf of families.

Mr. McCarthy is a retired executive of a Miami-based lumber business.

Robert H. Moring, CLU, CFP. Mr. Moring joined the Sunrise Board of Directors in 1970 at the invitation of the then Executive Director of the Exceptional Children’s Home. Mr. Moring was one of the first Board of Directors recruited specifically for his area of professional expertise. Currently, he serves as a member of two Board committees—Finance and Administration as well as Human Resources. In the past, he has served as both Vice President and Treasurer.

Mr. Moring was a volunteer for fifteen years for the Doral/Eastern PGA Golf Tournament, including serving on the Board of Directors for the event and as the Finance and Administration Committee’s chairperson.

Prior to his semi-retirement, Mr. Moring was the general manager of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (now known as CIGNA) for South Florida. He is a registered investment advisor and financial planner with an office in Miami. He is a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina.

William P. Muir. One of Sunrise’s newest Board members (2006), Mr. Muir has extensive community involvement and leadership credentials. In addition, he is the parent of a son with developmental disabilities. He served as President of the Science Museum of Long Island and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach, as well as Treasurer of the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch. He also served as a strategic advisor to the Carmelite Sisters of the Aged and Infirm. Mr. Muir is currently serving as President of Nazareth Friends, Inc. which has generously supported Sunrise’s expansion into Palm Beach County. Mr. Muir is a retired executive.

Daniel J. O'Connell, EdD. Dr. O’Connell is an executive in the field of human services with extensive experience leading organizations in the State of Connecticut. Dr. O’Connell is the President and CEO of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies. Previously, he served as Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (Connecticut) and has experience as a Regional Director and Superintendent at the Hartford Regional Center for the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation.

He joined the Sunrise Board of Directors in 2001, chairs the Board’s Governance Committee and serves on the Finance and Administration Committee.

Rose B. Pujol-Palacios. Ms. Pujol-Palacios has been a member of the Sunrise Board of Directors since 2004. She is the Founder and President of R. P. Technologies, Inc., a minority-certified woman/Hispanic-owned construction firm in South Florida. Ms. Pujol-Palacios is a licensed real estate salesperson and licensed roofing and general contractor.

In addition to her Sunrise Board responsibilities, Ms. Pujol-Palacios is active in many organizations and serves as the Executive Director and Secretary of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights.

Jose E. Souto. Mr. Souto, has been a member of the Sunrise Board of Directors since 1997. He is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for his family owned business – Rowland Coffee Roasters. Rowland Coffee Roasters produces the top two brands of Cuban Coffee in the United States. Mr. Souto, who is the parent of a son receiving services from Sunrise in Miami, has been very dedicated and committed to Sunrise’s Advancement and Development issues since joining the Board of Directors.

Gloria A. Wetherington. Ms. Wetherington has been a member of the Sunrise Board of Directors since 1990. She is the mother of a son with developmental disabilities. She joined the Board after she experienced firsthand the quality and commitment Sunrise provides when, as a member of the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, she monitored a grant awarded to Sunrise. She currently serves on the Finance and Administration Committee.

Ms. Wetherington has served in several leadership roles including Chairperson of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Planning Council Task Force on Community Living; former Chairperson of the Human Rights Advocacy Committee for Developmental Services District 10 (Broward & Palm Beach counties) and she was a former Chairperson of the Health and Human Service Board for District 10. She has been honored with the Spirit of Sunrise award and the Frankie Thomas Volunteer of the Year Award (District 10) for advocacy on behalf of consumers of Florida’s Department of Children and Families, the Division now operates independently as the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD).

Ms Wetherington is a resident of Oakland Park and a commercial real estate broker.

Marilyn Wycoff. Ms. Wycoff has been a Board member since 2004. Ms. Wycoff became involved in Sunrise when her brother was receiving services from Sunrise in Miami. She has served in different capacities for the Supporters of Sunrise (formerly known as “Friends and Family of Haven-Sunrise”) and is currently serving as President of this group.

Ms. Wycoff is a member of the Sunrise Board’s Finance and Administration Committee and the Human Resources Committee. Professionally, she is a Group Vice President for Assurant Solutions.