Giving to Florida Tech

After earning his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Florida Tech., Dr. Ted Batlas received his Neuropsychology Fellowship training at JFK Medical Center. He is an Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, at Seton Hall-Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, and a Clinical Instructor, Dept. of Psychiatry, at Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine.

For 14 years, he served as the Chief of Psychology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and as the Director of Neuropsychology for the Meridian Neuroscience line, as well as Neuropsychology Intern supervisor at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He has served as a consultant for the New Jersey Brain Injury Alliance and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

He had previously taught at the College of New Jersey and has served as a supervisor for students at many of the local universities. He is the Director of Neuropsychology and Counseling Associates, LLC—one of the largest private behavioral health practices in the state of New Jersey. Neuropsychology & Counseling Associates, LLC, is a multidisciplinary practice with five offices in Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, and Burlington counties.

David Carus is a Shareholder and Registered Patent Attorney at Allen Dyer P.A. based in Orlando, Florida, and practices in the areas of patent prosecution and portfolio management. As a computer engineer, Dave has obtained patents for Fortune 100 companies in the areas of electrical and electronic equipment including, for example, mobile wireless communications devices, antennas, finger biometric sensing devices, and haptics.  Dave's patent experience also includes the areas e-commerce, digital couponing, and Internet of Things (IOT) systems.

Dave also currently serves and the President and CEO of D&J Aviation, LLC, an aircraft leasing and flight services company based out of Apopka, Florida.  

Dave's professional experience includes Test and Evaluation for defense contractor Northrop Grumman. As part of the flight test crew at Northrop Grumman, Dave designed and tested aerial ground surveillance and battle management systems on the Joint Stars E8-C Aircraft platform. 

Dave is a private pilot, and enjoys flying for breakfast, ice hockey, and spending time with his family.

Paul Cecala (BS-Psy ’85, AS-Av Mgt/Flt Tech ’85) is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator, work search author, and founder of Cecala Career Consultants. He has been coaching since 1999 and has assisted over 3000 people in either changing careers or starting their professional lives.  He specializes in creating a project plan for a job search. He is recognized for his listening skills and ability to help clients find work fast. He has been commended for his networking skills, interview techniques, and resume writing prowess. 

Paul has helmed the adult continuing professional education programs for Fairleigh Dickenson University and the County College of Morris where he was responsible for organizing and facilitating their departmental industry advisory boards. Additionally, he has worked in Workforce Development through his local Chamber of Commerce and One-Stop Career Center. 

Paul has published a job search booklet, “WORK SEARCH BUDDIES, Finding A Job With A Little Help From A Friend,” and multiple print articles on job search related topics.

 Prior to career coaching, he spent 12 years in corporate aviation working for FlightSafety International, K-C Aviation, Jet Aviation, and ending as Vice President of Aircraft Charter Sales for Atlantic Aviation. 

Paul was a board member of the FIT Alumni Association from 1991 to 1998 holding positions as President (1996-1998), Vice President (1994-1996) and Alumni Admissions Recruiting Cmte Chair (1991-1994). While at Fla Tech, Paul was student athletic trainer to the men’s soccer and basketball teams, held part-time jobs at an ice cream shop and the university mailroom, was leader of the Catholic Campus Ministries Newman Club, and was a student ambassador for the Admission Dept. 

Paul has been a board member for his church (8 years) and a community development corporation (2 years). He also spent 25 years in the USAF Auxiliary – Civil Air Patrol working his way to Lt Colonel and Vice Commander for New Jersey. 

Paul lives in Lake Parsippany, NJ with his husband since 1996 and FIT grad, Dan Nazzaro (BS-Psy ’95) and their teenage son.

John Gorvin is a Massachusetts native, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree (Stonehill College) and Master’s Degree (Boston College) before completing his Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at Florida Tech in 1990. 

John returned to Massachusetts and became licensed as a Psychologist in 1992, and has subsequently worked in various outpatient and inpatient clinical settings, evaluating and treating adolescents and adults.  John later completed a Neuropsychology Recertification through the Fielding Graduate University in 2005. He is presently employed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Developmental Disabilities.  

John is a volunteer for the Stonehill College Alumni Association, past chair of the Stonehill College Annual Fund, and past member of the Stonehill College Alumni Council.    He also serves on the Board of the New England Chapter of the Florida Tech Alumni Association. 

John also has taken up distance running, trains with a local running club near Boston, and volunteers annually at the Boston Marathon. 

Kyle Graham

Dixie Chemical

Vice President of Operations

Kyle Graham is a 2006 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.   Additionally, Kyle graduated from Florida Tech in 2011 with an MBA concentrated in Finance and Accounting.

Kyle is a United States Army Veteran where he attained the rank of Captain while serving from 2006 to 2011.   During this time Kyle had one deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom V.  During this deployment Kyle distinguished himself earning both a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal with Valor. 

After Kyle completed his military service, he entered the petrochemical industry where he has been a manufacturing leader since 2011 holding positions such as Maintenance Manager, Operations Manager, Logistics Manager, and Plant Manager for both Dow Chemical and Covestro.   In 2022, Kyle joined Dixie Chemical as their Vice President of Operations.  

Kyle resides in Houston, TX with his fiancé Hailey, their two children, and their dog Bourbon.

Ansley received a dual Bachelor of Arts in Deaf Education and Elementary Education from Flagler College and a Master of Science (2005) and Ph.D. (2020) in ABA from the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT).

Ansley has had a variety of clinical work experiences, including founding an ABA-based school, running an early intervention clinic, working with adults in group homes and community settings, consulting nationally and internationally, and teaching.  

For the last seven years, Ansley has served as Nemours Children’s Hospital first lead behavior analyst with the goal of embedding behavior analysis in a hospital setting. At Nemours, she is part of a multi-disciplinary assessment team for children with complex medical conditions and intellectual disabilities; she also leads an ABA team in providing services to children and parents. As part of her role, Ansley uses ABA and OBM in training the administrative teams, medical residents, medical students, and other medical divisions on the utility and value of our science. 

Finally, she has published over 17 articles and book chapters and secured over $4.5 million in grant funding.

Senior cybersecurity Leader, Board member, University Professor, retired U.S. Army Officer, and Iraq War Combat Veteran with over 25 years’ experience. 

Founder and Owner of Wellspring Services, Senior Cybersecurity leader with extensive education, training, and experience, with business acumen working in the commercial, government, military agencies. Very knowledgeable across cybersecurity and business domains with a proven track record of success as a senior leader, to include consulting members of leadership, including, the CIO, CISO, and DAO. Active government Top-Secret Clearance with CI polygraph w/ Q clearance.

Extensive experience working within the international community and allied partners in cybersecurity.  Certified CISO and CISSP. Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification- Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) Register Practitioner, very knowledgeable, trained, and savvy with the CMMC model, assessment method, practices, and domains. Tedx speaker, published author, and featured speaker for State of Cyber Security discussions, actively contributes to the National Institute for Standard and Technology, with experience testifying in front on the National Academy of Science on cybersecurity threats.  Technical Editor for CISSP Exam Cram for Pearson Education North America and Featured Course Author. 4/5 Star rated Cyber Instructor for Udemy for Business collection, teaching Advanced Cryptography Concepts on Udemy for Thousands of companies, including Adidas, Barclays, General Mills, Pinterest, Lyft, Volkswagen and many others. 

Jimmy Jenkins

President and General Manager

Defense Sector

Blue Halo 

Colonel (Retired) James H. Jenkins III (Jimmy) is the President and General Manager of the AMD C4ISR Sector at Blue Halo.  Prior to that, he was the Director of Strategic Programs Strategy and Capture for Dynetics working hypersonics, high energy lasers, Indirect Fire Protection Capabilities (IFPC), space systems, sensors, and other areas.  He previously spent 5 years at Northrop Grumman culminating as the Operating Unit Director for Integrated Air and Missile Defense Systems where he had profit and loss responsibility over multiple programs including the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) and Joint Tactical Ground Stations (JTAGS) in the Missile Defense and Protective Systems Division, Mission Systems Sector in Huntsville, Alabama.  During his first years, he performed Business Development duties across all services and in the international market and was the Capture Manager for the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces C4I Modernization pursuit. 

COL(R) Jenkins retired from the Army in Jan 2014 after nearly 28 years of service.  His last assignment in the Army was as Deputy Commander for Operations for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (SMDC).  In this role, he was responsible for the Nation’s forces that defend the U.S. from rogue ICBM attacks and subordinate Space enabler and Satellite Communications units.  His previous assignment was as the Chief of Staff for SMDC.  Before coming to SMDC, he was the Brigade Commander of the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Hood, TX. He deployed his brigade headquarters his last year of command to command and control most of the air defense forces in the Central Command area of operations throughout the Middle East.

His first career assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas. He served in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and 5-52 ADA (Chaparral/Vulcan/Stinger), 11th ADA Brigade. During this tour, he served in four platoon leader positions, as battery executive officer, and as assistant S3. He graduated early from the Air Defense Advance Course to serve with 2-3 ADA (Vulcan/Stinger), 1st Infantry Division in Desert Storm. He was the battalion planner during the war and later commanded B/2-3 ADA. After    Fort Riley, KS, he served as an Operations Research Systems Analyst and test parachutist with the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate at Ft. Bragg, NC. Highlights of this tour were his duties as a test parachutist for C-5 formation drops and the new C-17. In addition, he led the first

GPS-guided parachute delivery system development and testing. In 1996, he moved to Washington, D.C., and served as an aide-de-camp for the Operational Testing and Evaluation Commanding General and later as the assignment officer for Operation Research and Systems Analyst in Personnel Command (PERSCOM). During his tour at PERSCOM, he led the efforts to develop and implement the Career Field Designation board process for the Army. After Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, he served in 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, as the Assistant Division Air Defense Officer and Operations Officer for 4-5 ADA (Linebacker/Avenger/Stinger). In 2001, he returned to PERSCOM as the major and lieutenant colonel assignment officer in Air Defense Branch. COL(R) Jenkins commanded 3-2 ADA (PATRIOT), 31st ADA Brigade, III CORPS from 2003-2005. During command, his battalion deployed to Washington in support of a Joint Task Force-North operational mission. They also organized, developed the doctrine, and trained the nation’s first Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar Battery for deployment to Iraq. After command, he was the Director, Office of the Chief of Air Defense Artillery at Fort Bliss. He attended the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, PA, in 2006-07 and was subsequently assigned to Joint Task Force-North. During this tour, he led efforts to partner JTF-N with the Joint IED Defeat Organization applying their information sharing architecture and tools to JTF-Ns mission and its partners.

COL(R) Jenkins’ awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (2nd award), Meritorious Service Medal (7th award), Army Commendation Medal (3rd award), Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (4th award), Volunteerism Medal (3rd award), other service and deployment awards, Space Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Australian Airborne Wings, and German Armed Force Proficiency Badge (Gold).

COL(R) Jenkins graduated from West Point in 1986 with BS degrees in Electrical Engineering and Management.  He also has an MS in Operations Research and Systems Management from Florida Institute of Technology and an MA in Strategic Art from the U.S. Army War College.

Thomas “TJ” Jones, LMHC | Lionrock Recovery

Thomas "TJ" Jones was born and raised in Oklahoma. He attended the University of Oklahoma, where in 1988 he earned a BA in Political Science and a commission as a Second Lieutenant, Infantry from the Army ROTC program.

TJ spent 20 years in the Army and retired in 2008 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. TJ’s unit assignments included 3^rd Armored Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 2^nd Armored Calvary Regiment, the Multinational Forces and Observers (MFO), and the 7^th Transportation Group. TJ’s deployments include; Operation Desert Shield/Storm,  Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Operation Joint Endeavour in Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In 1997, TJ was selected to attend the Logistics Executive Development Course with follow on to Florida Institute of Technology (LEDC/FIT). In 1998 he earned a MS in Logistics Management from Florida Tech.

In 2010, TJ earned a M.Ed. in Community and Addictions Counseling from the College of William and Mary. He completed his counseling residency in Virginia and became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner (LSATP). TJ worked both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs while in Virginia. In 2016, TJ and his family moved to Jupiter, Florida where he is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and employed as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor with Lionrock Recovery.

When he’s not working, TJ is an avid master’s level swimmer. He competes year round in both pool and open water events as a member of the Palm Beach Masters Swim Team.

Leadership & Organizational Development Consultant, Cox Communications

Twenty years of professional corporate experience in the fields of Leadership Development, Consulting and Talent Management. Corporate experience includes executive coaching, leadership development and assessment, strategic planning, organizational needs assessment and interventions, leading organizational change, and succession planning.  Designed and delivered enterprise wide Leadership Development Programs to 3000+ leaders. 

Elizabeth McChrystal, Ph.D.

Accent Technologies

Vice President of Revenue Science

Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Ph.D. 2004

Fifteen years of professional experience in revenue enablement, professional services, business process analysis and change management. Lead client consultations and successful implementation of Revenue Enablement programs and technology for Fortune 1000 companies with sales teams ranging from 25 sellers to 10,000 sellers. This includes the scoping, deployment, adoption and analysis of each program’s key sales improvement metrics.

Publisher, Al Dia Today 

Communication, BS'81 | Global Strategic Communication, MS'13 

Javier Molinares came to the United States in 1991. His first job was as a cargo handler. He then drove trucks for 4 years before joining the US Army as a paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division. During his time in the 82nd Airborne, he completed his Associate in Arts, moved back to Palm Bay and enrolled in the communication program of Florida Institute of Technology. In 2003, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and recorded his own music CD, Vallecumbia. He later wrote for Florida Today’s business section and ultimately started the bilingual newspaper Al Día Today eight years ago.

Gaye Montgomery is an attorney and mom to two adult children. She is also the founding member of Montgomery Compliance Law PLLC (www.montgomerycompliance.com), a risk and compliance advisory practice, and a member of the Board of Managers of Grubb Properties LLC, where she chairs the firm’s Audit Committee.

Gaye’s passion, however, is building and nurturing The Women’s Compliance Collective, a global group of (currently 1000+) women in organizational compliance roles.

During her 20-year career with Altria, she spent more than ten years on the law department’s leadership team and led a number of law department practice groups, including Global Compliance; International Sales & Marketing; Sales; Sales & Marketing; Marketing, Communications & Corporate Responsibility; and Employment. 

Prior to joining Altria, Gaye was an associate at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City, which she joined after a judicial clerkship with a U.S. District Court Judge.

Gaye received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, after which she worked for three years as a Systems Engineer before leaving to attend Yale Law School from which she received her J.D. degree.

Gaye holds professional certifications in cyber security oversight, information management, and European data protection and is admitted to practice law in the United States (New York, Virginia, and the District of Columbia) and the United Kingdom. Gaye is also a Board Certified Coach, having completed executive coaching programs at the College of Executive Coaching and Case Western University’s Weatherhead School of Management, among others.

Gaye brings more than twenty years’ experience on nonprofit boards across a broad range of industries and sectors: financial, education, hospital hospitality, legal, business, civic, religious, and philanthropic). 

Gaye lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she taught as an Adjunct Professor (Antitrust) at the University of Richmond Law School and currently serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Richmond Ballet.

PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Pamela Nabors is president and CEO of CareerSource Central Florida (CSCF) – Florida’s second-largest regional workforce board.

Overseeing a budget of more than $30M, Pam continues to lead the ever-evolving board to attract and engage the Central Florida community and deliver top-quality service to businesses, career seekers and partners.

Since 2012, Pam has reinvigorated the organization’s positioning as the premier workforce development board in connecting Central Floridians to careers and developing talent for businesses. Under her leadership, CSCF expanded regional partnerships, tailored service delivery to meet the needs of local businesses and executed a state-wide rebranding to leverage community outreach efforts.

Tapping into her unparalleled knowledge of workforce programs, Pam also navigated strategic efforts in implementing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) federal legislation, which represented a major shift in operations and service delivery. CSCF’s programs were revamped to focus on businesses and services to better meet the unique needs of individuals.

Beyond operating the organization efficiently and transparently, Pam’s innovation and progressive leadership evolved CSCF’s programs to become relevant and valuable to the business and stakeholder community at large. This includes investing more in the healthcare and construction industries due to the high-volume of in-demand professions. Moreover, collaborating with local educators for specialized training is a key factor in creating a deeper talent pool of qualified individuals.

Prior to joining CareerSource Central Florida, Pam led program operations for Capital Workforce Partners and was the planning director for Brevard Workforce Development Board. She also obtained the Certified Workforce Development Professional credential with a management endorsement from the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals.

Pam earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the State University of New York College and a Master of Science degree in Personnel Psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, she has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in career development, human resources and psychology.

Pam has received numerous accolades throughout her career including Orlando Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” Executives of the Year Award in 2015 and as a CEO of the Year in 2016. In addition, Pam was presented with the Woman of Distinction, Visionary Award in 2015 by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council and was also named i4 Business Magazine’s Spirit of Collaboration honoree as part of the 2018 Women’s Inspired Leadership Awards program.

Pam is an active member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Workforce Development Council, the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness, Junior Achievement, Orlando Economic Partnership Board of Directors, Leadership Florida Class XXXVI and many other civic boards.

Her favorite pastimes include traveling, watching movies and listening to music; her music trivia skills are second to none!

Melissa Parker came to Brevard County through the military after her father was transferred to Patrick Airforce Base in 1987. A graduate from Satellite High School, she later obtained her degree as a Registered Nurse from Eastern Florida State College and worked in the Acute Care settings at Holmes Regional Medical Center and Florida Hospital, specializing in Orthopedics, Neurology and Trauma. She keeps her RN license active and is currently President of Precision Screening, Inc. a boutique, pre-employment background screening and verification service provider which she founded in 2008.

Melissa and her husband Ted live in Indialantic, FL, and have two children, son Brendan and daughter Carson. Their son was diagnosed with autism in 2010 and attended The Scott Center for Autism to receive early intervention ABA Therapy.  In 2015 Melissa and Ted founded their non-profit, The Parker Foundation for Autism and Child Development, to provide free resources to children and families impacted by autism and special needs through three fully funded programs specializing in education, sports, and the arts. Melissa also serves on the Board of Directors for the Senior Resource Alliance and is an active volunteer at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School where their children attend.

Melissa is an artist, a sports enthusiast, and educator who has a genuine love for bringing people together; she developed The Parker Foundation’s “Be a Buddy” initiative as a platform for bullying prevention and to empower young peer volunteers to connect with special needs children in hopes of crushing barriers and encouraging young leaders to embrace diversity to help build a kinder, more understanding and inclusive world for all.

Practitioner, academician, researcher, and inventor, Brian K. Sullivan, PsyD is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in practice since 1994. 

He attained a B.A. in Psychology at Clemson University in 1990, and both Master’s and PsyD (doctorate of clinical psychology) degrees at the Florida Institute of Technology four years later. He completed a pre-doctoral internship with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and post-doctoral work in Charleston, SC. 

He has served as President of the South Carolina Psychological Association and in other varying capacities within that organization, including Federal Advocacy Coordinator for 17 years and Executive Board member in other roles.  

He was a staff psychologist at the College of Charleston’s Counseling & Substance Abuse Services (CASAS) from 1994 to 2017, where he served as Training Coordinator, Psychological Assessment Coordinator, and as Associate Director.  He taught as an adjunct professor of psychology at the College of Charleston for nearly 20 years, teaching courses in Introductory Psychology, Personality, Developmental, and Abnormal Psychology.  

He has published peer-reviewed research in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology and elsewhere on the phenomena of malingering of psychopathology by college students; this research has been used in efforts to combat illicit use of controlled substances.  

He has initiated and/or partnered in several ventures locally, including his multi-disciplinary practice, Lifeworks, LLC, which was featured by the American Psychological Association Practice Organization (APAPO) as an early model for integrative care in 2007.  He was an invited chapter contributor to Getting Better at Private Practice (Wiley Press, 2012; edited by Chris Stout).

He was a 2017 TEDxCharleston speaker, and Emcee’d the event in 2019.

He currently serves as Chief Science Officer for a Mount Pleasant, SC based healthcare analytics business, ADoH Scientific, LLC, which is devoted to leadership in the domain of applied science in affective determinants of health. 

He and his wife, Corley Sullivan, co-founded Vizbii, Inc. in 2013 and successfully patented their invention, commonly referred to as Morphii, in 2018.  He is the proud father of three children and lives in Charleston, SC.  

Joel Thomas is the president/CEO of the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation. His academic background includes an MBA/HA from the Florida Institute of Technology, a MA from Rollins College, and a BS from Florida State University. He is a past member of the Florida Tech Alumni Association board of directors. The WHH Foundation has recently conveyed a major multi-year grant to the Florida Tech College of Psychology. The grant allows Florida Tech clinical psychology doctoral students to train at the FSU College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program in Winter Haven.