For the first time in its history, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County has established an advisory board to help guide the direction of the seven Boys & Girls Clubs located in the Glades area, which include six elementary school sites and one stand-alone teen center. Professionals with great experience in their respective fields have been appointed to help develop new educational projects and help the youth in the area.
The inaugural board is coming together at a meaningful time for Boys & Girls Clubs, which recently held a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site where the new Smith & Moore Family Teen Center of Belle Glade will be constructed.
Recently, board members elected its executive committee, which include:
Chairman Spencer Davis is the Relationship Manager of Farm Credit of Florida with a banking career that spans more than two decades.
Davis is a graduate of Georgia Southern University. He has been a Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Martin County for more than seven years and has served as a mentor and coach of the youth basketball of Martin County for eight years. Davis and his wife of 18 years, Kristin, have two children.
Vice Chairman Dr. LaTanya L. McNeal is a 20-year educator in public and post-secondary education. She has worked as a high school science teacher, instructional science coach, assistant principal of student services, vice principal of curriculum and instruction, and principal of an International Baccalaureate Magnet Middle School.
McNeal currently serves as the Assistant Dean of Student Services at the Belle Glade Campus of Palm Beach State College and is an active member of the AdvancED External Review Team for the state of Florida.
Secretary Dr. Charlene R. Ford is the principal of West Technical Education Center (West Tech) in Belle Glade.
Ford earned a Doctor of Organizational Leadership with a specialization in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, along with an Education Specialist and a Master of Business Administration from the same institution. She completed a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Computer-Based Information Systems Management from Howard University. Ford and her husband, Benjamin, have been married for 24 years and have three children.
Board members include:
Linda F. Edgecomb is the principal at Glade View Elementary School where she has served for the past seven years. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, and master’s degrees from Nova Southeastern University and Lynn University. Her 30 years in education includes experience as an assistant principal, elementary and high school teacher. Edgecomb and her husband have two daughters.
Carlene Millen is the Glades Regional Superintendent for The School District of Palm Beach County. She has served in education for 23 years in the Fulton County School System. Millen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Grades Education and a Master of Arts in Middle Grades Curriculum from Clark Atlanta University. She also earned certification in Administration and Supervision from the State University of West Georgia. Millen is a mother of two daughters.
Lieutenant Emory Payne is the Commander of the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office’s District 13 in Belle Glade and has worked in the Criminal Justice System since 1988. He served in the United States Air Force for 32 years. Payne has a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Phoenix.
Michael Sharf has been in the life safety and security industry for over 25 years and is the Sales Manager of the Life Safety Management, Inc. Sharf has held similar management positions in the Security Industry in both the private and public sector including, United Technologies Corporation and Red Hawk. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University, Waltham, MA.
James Spafford is the Chief Operating Officer of Renal Partners International, LTD., with principal operations in Trinidad and Tobago. He and his wife, Joretta own the Tropical Smoothie Café in Loxahatchee Groves. Spafford holds an MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Houston.
“It’s an exciting time at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. This new board represents a transcendental change for the organization and has a group of members who are known for their commitment and service to the community. Their experience will most assuredly enhance operations at the Clubs in the Glades Area,” stated Glades Advisory Board Chairman Spencer Davis.
