Graduates Raise $100,000+ to Help Communities Impacted by Hurricane Ian
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (August 2, 2023) – Forty (40) Florida professional engineers recently graduated from Florida’s premiere engineering leadership program, the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI), as the Class of 2023, and have pledged to use the majority of their more than $100,000 in charitable fundraising to help communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.
FELI is a leadership program that empowers engineering professionals to become community leaders, and make an impact in their workplaces, societies, and communities through training and skill development.
The 40 new FELI graduates hail from throughout Florida, and they participated in this 10-month-long training program, with class sessions held in key cities throughout Florida.
As part of their leadership training, the Class of 2023 raised contributions to support the Class’s chosen charitable programs – helping Hurricane Ian ravaged communities. The $100,000 in charitable funds will:
- Construct a Hurricane Ian Remembrance and Children’s Engineering Garden at Lakes Regional Park in Lee County,
- Purchase a new fleet of bicycles and helmets for students attending the Sanibel School STEM program in Lee County,
- Join forces with Habitat for Humanity and Florida Gulf Coast University to help rebuild Lee County,
- Feed the community by supporting Operations BBQ Relief,
- Provide scholarships for engineering students attending Florida Gulf Coast University, and
- Provide scholarships for government employees to attend a future FELI program.
FELI is an education program administered by the Florida Engineering Society (FES) and American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC Florida). The FELI Class of 2023 graduation took place last week in conjunction with the FES and ACEC Florida Annual Conference in Marco Island.
FELI Class of 2023 graduates include:
BROWARD COUNTY
- Juan Bolivar, PE, PMP, MS, LEED AP – Deerfield Beach
- Paola Riveros, PE – Pembroke Pines
- Albert Salas, PE – Deerfield Beach
- Daniel Suarez, PE – Ft. Lauderdale
DUVAL COUNTY
- Sandra M. Bucklew, PE – Jacksonville
- John Fowler, PE, CPM – Jacksonville
- Andrew Rodgers, PE – Jacksonville
LEE COUNTY
- Kellie Clark, PE – Ft. Myers
- Grant Fichter, PSM – Ft. Myers
LEON COUNTY
- Tim Lattner, PE – Tallahassee
- Michael Shepard, PE – Tallahassee
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
- Josenrique Cueto, PE – Miami
- Aylin Costa, PE – Miami
- Alfred Lurigados, PE – Miami
- Juan C. Prieto, PE, PMP – Miami
- Orlando Castro, PE, DBIA – Coral Gables
- Erik M. Alcantara, PE, PMP, ENV SP – Coral Gables
- Carlos A. del Pino, PE – Coral Gables
- Joshua Midence, PE, MBA, CGC – Hialeah
- Kennedy Simmonds, PE – Doral
- Greg Spelios, PE – Coral Gables
ORANGE COUNTY
- Lisa Fruge, PE, PMP – Orlando
- Jason Flick, PE – Lake Mary
- Steven Johnston, PE – Orlando
- Josh Pedersen, PE – Orlando
- Joshua Nolin, PE – Winter Park
- Jennifer Nunn, PE, D.WRE – Winter Park
- Joey Roselli, PE – Maitland
 PALM BEACH COUNTY
- Etienne Bourgeois, PE – West Palm Beach
- Ximena Pernett Medina, PE – Palm Beach
- Amit Singh, PE – West Palm Beach
PASCO COUNTY
- Brent Wilkins, PE – Land O Lakes
- Jaime Deese, PE – Wesley Chapel
POLK COUNTY
- Kati Sherrard, PE, CPM – Bartow
TAMPA
- Fathy Abdalla, PhD, PE, PTOE – Tampa
- Tim Garrett, PE, PMP – Tampa
- Tammy Kreisle, PE – Tampa
- Benjamin Lehr, PE, DBIA, LEED AP – Tampa
- Anthony Nguyen, PE – Tampa
WASHINGTON COUNTY
- Brandon Bruner, PE – Chipley