Glenn Stambaugh
Council Chairman, Volunteer Engagement Committee Chair
Glenn Stambaugh is Senior Vice President, Commercial Dealer Services, Truist Bank, in North Florida. In this role, he works with automobile dealer owners and key decision makers to deliver banking and financial solutions that help their organizations succeed. Glenn has been with Truist 24 years and has over 40 years of banking experience.
Glenn became active with The ALS Association Florida Chapter in 2010 and joined the governing board in 2013. He grew up in Orlando but has called Jacksonville his home since 1984. He graduated from Rollins College with a BA in Economics and Business Administration.
Brian Chappell, CRPS
Vice Chairman, Fund Development Committee Chair
Brian Chappell is the Founder and President for a wealth management and advisory company, Speedwell Capital Group, in Jacksonville, Florida. He has worked with individuals, companies, and non-profits across the country for over 20 years to create, implement and achieve their financial strategies.
Brian lost his mother to ALS in 2004 and he was her primary caregiver for most of her time with the condition. He has been a volunteer for ALSA since that time, including becoming a founding member of the Northeast Florida Regional Council and then a governance board member in 2021. Brian serves as Vicechair and will assume the role of Chair in 2024.
Troy Fields
Advocacy Committee Chair
Born in Puerto Rico, Troy Fields has called the Tampa Bay area home for the past 45 years. Troy is a graduate of the University of South Florida where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is a husband of 25 years, father of four, and grandfather of three wonderful boys.
Troy worked at FIS, a global financial technology company, for the last 26 years of his 35-year career until ALS forced his retirement in 2019. During his time at FIS, he had multiple leadership roles in Finance and Account Management. Most recently he served as Head of Pre-sales and Marketing for Latin America and the Caribbean, where he led market development and product strategy. Troy has traveled extensively both for business leisure and he is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Troy is a person living with ALS (limb onset), diagnosed in June 2018. Troy is actively involved in several ALS organizations focused on awareness, inclusion, and advocacy for ALS related causes. He joined the governing board in Florida in March 2019.
Brittany Harvey
Care Services Committee Chair
Brittany Harvey began her journey within the ALS community as a research coordinator at the University of South Florida's multidisciplinary ALS clinic. She coordinated several clinical trials and worked closely with people living with ALS and their families. Now working at a global biopharma company, Brittany applies her clinical research knowledge and patient experience towards advancing research in neurological diseases, including ALS. She received certification from the Association of Clinical Research Professionals in both clinical research coordination (2015) and project management (2019).
Brittany has remained actively connected as a volunteer with The ALS Association, participating in events to raise funds and community awareness. In 2021, she joined the governing board in Florida bringing with her a passion for advocacy and increasing access to care for those impacted by ALS. She has also served as the Vice Chair of the National Care Services Committee since 2022.
Jeff Elbert
Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair
Jeff Elbert is a business owner of Island Style in Navarre, Florida. Raised in Pensacola Beach, Jeff enjoys giving back to his local community by volunteering with Krewe of St. Patrick and as a financial advisor for Delta Tau Delta Fraternity at his alma mater, University of West Florida.
Jeff lost his father to ALS in 2018, a very short six months after his diagnosis. Passionate about bringing multidisciplinary services closer to home, Jeff serves as a volunteer advocate. In 2020, he furthered his commitment by joining the governing board.
Christine Hopkins Reagan
Secretary
Christine Hopkins Reagan serves as the Visual and Performing Arts Director with Sarasota County Schools at Booker Middle School. A New York native, she holds her B.S. in Elementary Education from SUNY Oneonta and her M.A. in Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities from New York University. She has extensive experience in leading and designing professional development seminars and presenting at national and international conferences in Theatre Education.
When Christine was 23, her father passed away after a 6-year-long battle with ALS. Christine has since done work with the ALS Association New York, Connecticut, and Florida Chapters and served on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut and Florida Chapters.
Christine joined the leadership council in 2021, bringing her passion for education and building ALS awareness.
Hampton Graham
Immediate Past Council Chairman
Hampton graduated from the University of Florida Warrington College of Business in 2007.
Hampton is Chairman of the Scott-McRae Automotive Group based in Jacksonville, FL. In his role, he leads 7 for-profit companies employing over 850 people.
In 2010, Hampton lost his dad to ALS after having lost his aunt in 2004 to the disease. Since joining the Florida governing board in 2015, he has worked to mobilize his local community and build awareness about ALS on a larger scale.
Alecia Bailey
Council Member
Alecia Bailey, native of St. Augustine, Florida, attended local schools and earned her BS in Finance from FSU in 1992. It was at FSU that she met her husband, Keith Jones, a former FSU football player and father of her two children, Mac and Caroline. Alecia utilized her finance background in the banking world with Barnett Bank in Consumer Lending in Orlando from 1992 to 1997 and culminated her career with SunTrust Bank as the sales manager for one of three loan centers, managing 75 people. After the birth of her children, Alecia left the corporate world to devote her time to her family and volunteer efforts in the community.
Alecia was dealt a tragic blow when her husband, Keith, was diagnosed with ALS and lost his battle to the disease in January of 2009. Alecia has remained steadfast in building awareness and continuing a project Keith started in his illness, Project 2-4-20, with the goal of raising $2,042,020 for ALS research. Alecia has since remarried but remains committed to the mission. One of her proud accomplishments was starting the first Walk to Defeat ALS in St. Augustine. She continued her service of mission and advocacy joining the Florida governing board in 2018.
Dr. Ashok Verma, MD, DM, MBA, FAAN
Council Member
Dr. Verma is a neurologist specializing in ALS at the Certified Treatment Center of Excellence at the University of Miami. He started studying medicine in Jaipur, India and neurology in New Delhi. He was awarded the NIH Fogarty International Fellowship in neuromuscular disorders. When achieving higher education in the states, Dr. Verma completed his residency at the University of Miami where he then went on to receive his MBA. He has received his Board certification from three American Boards, including Neurology, Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and Neuromuscular Medicine. Dr. Ashok Verma has been published in several medical books, editorials, and journals. He’s also taught several courses at the University of Miami as well as other education institutions.
His passion for people living with ALS goes above his work at the multidisciplinary clinic. He joined the Florida governing board in 2021 to help advance best practices in ALS care, research, advocacy and more.
Jo-Ann Clynch, MBA
Council Member
Jo-Ann Clynch lives in Jupiter, Florida. She is a Senior Director for a global research and advisory company, specializing in helping CIOs for energy and utilities companies with their strategies in the areas of technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Jo-Ann is past Board Advocacy chair and continues to help advocate for patients both on the state and federal level. Jo-Ann’s leadership was instrumental in the strategic vision and creation of the first state advocacy day, resulting in the highest increase in Bitner Plante funding for clinics in Florida.
Jo-Ann joined the governing board in Florida in 2016, however, her advocacy for ALS goes back well over a decade in participating in federal advocacy days and working with legislators to advocate for legislation important to patients and families. Her passion for advocacy comes from being a caregiver.
Melissa Spring
Council Member
Melissa Spring is a native of Tampa, Florida who grew up in a newspaper family. She has a wealth of community involvement and philanthropy alongside a successful career in Real Estate in Tampa Bay for over 30 years. She studied Liberal Arts at Florida State, following a tradition for the women in her family beginning with her grandmother in 1904.
Her involvement with the ALS community began when her brother and only sibling, Dudley Clendinen, was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. Dudley was a well-known journalist, author, and New York Times Editor. He held an NPR radio show and podcast in Boston called “Living with Lou,” sharing about his fight with ALS and was feverishly working to complete his book about his journey with the disease when he passed away in May 2012.
Melissa collaborated with a filmmaker friend of her brothers on a movie about Dudley’s day-to-day living with ALS that went on to win several film festival awards. That experience, as well as helping to care for her brother and attending ALS workshops with other families at the Johns Hopkins ALS Center, spurred her interest in joining the mission. She began volunteering in Florida in 2016 and joined the governing Board in Florida in 2019.
Earnest Hill
Leadership Council Member
Earnest Hill was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia and after graduating High School enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served 10 years of active duty and another 10 years of Airforce reserves. During that time, he participated in the conflict in Panama, Crisis in Libya, Somalia, and Gulf War. While in the service, he attended college classes at Troy State and earned an Associated Degree in Airfield Management.
Earnest is a Senior National Service Officer who is federally accredited as an expert in VA benefits and legally represent veterans, dependents, and survivors before the VA Board of Veterans Appeals. He has been employed with the Paralyzed Veterans of America for more than 25 years and had worked in numerous offices across the country developing claims and training new PVA Service Officers. He specializes in providing services for veterans and service members who are severely injured or suffer disabling diseases such as ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Polio, and Spinal Cord Injuries.
Earnest played an instrumental role in creating one of the first ALS Clinics located at the Charleston, SC VA Medical Center in 2008 when the decision was made to grant service-connection for veterans with the diagnosis of ALS. He furthered his commitment to the ALS mission joining the Florida Leadership Council in 2023.
Robert Scott
Leadership Council Member
Robert “Bob” Scott is the Director of Proposal Services for Harvey Nash (NashTech) where he is responsible for the development, implementation and administration of proposal and sales support functions for clients seeking leadership recruitment and IT solutions. He brings a wealth of knowledge in client-focused communications, project management, business analysis, and solution development in support of client development and recruitment needs.
Bob knows the impact of ALS all too well as a caregiver to his wife, Doreen, who he was married to for over 30 years. Bob is living this journey and it has given him insight into the needs of patients and caregivers from both medical and emotional perspectives. This fueled him to get involved locally with events and fundraising, as well as working to craft legislation that could have impact for families living with ALS on a national level. These endeavors led him to joining the Florida Leadership Council in 2023. While he spent most of his life in the Northeast, he now calls Hobe Sound, Florida home.
Stuart Davidson
Leadership Council Member
Stuart Davidson is a partner at the law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP in Boca Raton, Florida, where he represents individuals in complex class action litigation. He has received numerous awards for his work, has frequently spoken at conferences involving class action practice and procedure, and has been quoted in numerous major media outlets regarding his cases. Stuart earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1993 and a Juris Doctor degree, summa cum laude, from the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law in 1996.
After experiencing the loss of his father from ALS in 2022, Stuart was fueled to lend his support to the cause. He has provided event and fund development support as well as creating a resource to assist individuals with ALS and their families in advance care planning. Stuart joined the Florida Leadership Council in February 2023.
John Cannistra
Honorary Lifetime Member
John Cannistra was born and raised in Chicago where he graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with both a bachelors and master’s degree in Speech Communications. John and his wife Sue currently resident in Sarasota, Florida, where John works as the Vice President of Sales Strategies at Boar’s Head Brand Company.
John joined the Florida governing Board in late 2011 following the death of his first wife, Kathy, attributed to ALS. Kathy suffered for close to three years, contributing to John’s first-hand experience of the comfort that The ALS Association provides to people living with ALS and their families.
After twelve years of active service, John became an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Florida Leadership Council.
Tim Cummings
Honorary Lifetime Member
Following retirement from Chevron Corporation in 2004, Tim and his wife Bobbie moved from Northern California to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. In June of 2005, Bobbie noticed her first symptoms of ALS. She lived with ALS until March of 2008, volunteering for every trial at Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic, and displaying throughout her journey the loving, joyful spirit her family and friends loved about her.
Tim became involved with local activities to support The ALS Association including the Jacksonville Walk to Defeat ALS, Piece by Piece Awareness Campaign of 2008 and 2009, and the Jacksonville Regional Council. He also was involved in The Next Chapter – a social group of men and women in northeast Florida who lost a life partner to ALS.
He joined the Florida governing board in 2009, later serving as Vice Chair and Chair. Tim also served on the ALS Association’s Board of Representatives and the ALS Association Chair’s Public Policy Committee. He continues to be an active advocate in both Florida and Washington, DC. Tim now serves as an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Florida Leadership Council.
Like all who know ALS, his vision is to see "A World Without ALS." In the short term, he believes that "to truly serve people living with ALS and their families in Florida, we need all 22 million Florida residents to become ALS advocates." “As the number of families impacted by ALS grows, we must do much more to provide the best possible resources and choices for them.”
