The FFLA Board of Directors met in Tallahassee, Fla., on March 27, 2026, at the Florida State University College of Law. Prior to and during the meeting, presentations were made by:
- Alison DeBelder, Director of Career Services at the College of Law, shared comments on the value and impact of FFLA’s Summer Fellows Program;
- Doug White, Executive Director, Emerald Coast Legal Aid, provided an excellent overview of the work Emerald Coast Legal Aid provides people of limited means in the western part of Florida’s panhandle;
- Leslie Powell-Boudreaux, Executive Director of Legal Services of North Florida, provided a comprehensive and impressive overview of LSNF’s work in 16 counties in Florida’s panhandle through 5 offices. She described the challenges faced given the demographics and geography involved and also shared her organization’s disaster relief efforts and its innovative mobile “Justice Bus” program, involving mobile office units, one of which was brought to the venue and available for directors to tour after the meeting; and
- Paolo Annino, Glass Professor of Public Interest Law with Jillian Mellinek, law student, along with Rima Nathan, Clinical Professor, Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic with Kit LaPlante, law student and Alexis Fulton, graduate student, presented on their respective civil legal clinics and the work they do.
Erin O’Hara O’Connor, Dean of the FSU College of Law, also appeared to welcome the Board to the campus and was applauded for her ten years of extraordinary service as Dean of the FSU College of Law. FFLA is grateful to the college for hosting as this hospitality allowed FFLA to save considerable money and expenses associated with its committee and board meetings.
The major actions of the board and reports received included:
Board Ratifies Officers and Directors
Pursuant to FFLA’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, the Nominating Committee presented the following officer nominees for election by the Board of Directors for a term beginning July 1, 2026, and concluding June 30, 2027:
President: Maria C. Gonzalez (automatic)
President-elect: Ret. Judge Hugh Carithers
First Vice President: Ret. Justice Peggy A. Quince
Second Vice President: Brian E. Currie
Immediate Past President: Ashley N. Sybesma (automatic)
The Board ratified the Nominating Committee’s selection and duly elected those persons as officers for the term indicated.
The Nominating Committee also presented the following slate of director nominees for ratification:
|
Seat No. |
Name |
City |
Term |
|
FFLA 13 |
Ayana K. Barrow, Esq. |
Altamonte, FL |
Three Years |
|
FFLA 16 |
Joseph J. Kadow, Esq. |
Tampa, FL |
Three Years |
The Board ratified the Nominating Committee’s selection and Directors Barrow and Kadow’s upcoming terms shall commence on July 1, 2026, and expire on June 30, 2029.
Board ratifies Medal of Honor Awards Committee Selections for 2026
The Board ratified the Medal of Honor Awards Committee’s selections of the following recipients:
- Medal of Honor (Lawyer): H.T. Smith, Esq.
- Medal of Honor (Non-lawyer): Dr. Sarah H. Pappas
- Jane Curran Distinguished Service Award: Rosemary Armstrong, Esq.
These distinguished recipients will be invited to attend FFLA’s annual breakfast and awards ceremony in June to be recognized and presented with these awards.
Report on Loan Repayment Assistance Program
Maria C. Gonzalez reported on behalf of the Grants Committee and reported that the Grants Committee voted and approved of the staff’s recommendation to:
- Rescind $178,813.70 in unused LRAP awards by 29 participants that fully or partially declined their LRAP loans or defaulted prior to their second disbursement.
- Forgive LRAP loans to 148 participants totaling $1,435,787.67.
- Demand repayment from 18 participants totaling $87,338.66.
The Committee also presented two individual requests for forgiveness and two requests for funding. The committee deferred action on one of the forgiveness requests and recommended that the other request be granted in the amount of $2,788.88 contingent on repayment of $7,211.12. The committee also recommended granting the two funding requests for LRAP loans in the amount of $10,000 each based on the special circumstances involving each applicant.
The Board approved all of the Grants Committee’s recommendations.
2026 Goldstein-Van Nortwick Award for Excellence
Maria C. Gonzalez reported on the 2026 Goldstein-Van Nortwick Award for Excellence Committee’s report and recommendation. The award committee, chaired by Maria Henderson, former FFLA President and wife of Judge Van Nortwick, selected the following projects to be recognized with the award:
|
Applicant |
Project Name |
Award Placement |
|
Coast to Coast Legal Aid South Florida, Florida Legal Services, Legal Services of Greater Miami, Legal Services of North Florida & Three Rivers Legal Services |
Access to Justice in Action: The Florida Tenant Eviction Answer Form |
Winner (tie) |
|
Community Justice Project & Legal Services of Greater Miami |
Palm Lake Mobile Home Park Eviction Defense Project |
Winner (tie) |
The Awards Committee, along with the Grants Committee, respectfully requested that the Board ratify the selections, direct staff to create two co-winner awards, and distribute the total prize money allocated for this year’s awards in a pro-rated amount amongst the proposed co-winners.
The Board voted and approved the recommendations.
President appoints work group for banking RFP process
At staff’s request, President Sybesma appointed a work group to commence an RFP process regarding FFLA’s primary operating banking/depository services. The five persons appointed are: Judge Paetra Brownlee, Ian Comisky, Joe Kadow, Patrick Montoya and Jim Schwarz.
NEXT MEETING
The board’s next scheduled meeting will be in conjunction with The Florida Bar’s Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida in June. The specific date and time will be shared as soon as they are established by the convention’s event coordinator.
