Meet the Board
| Board of Directors
Dr. Luther G. Brewster Jr., PhD San Juanita de la Cruz Judge Jeffrey Rosinek Pauline Clarke-Trotman |
President, Arthur J. Rosenberg: Top
Mr. Rosenberg was elected president of the Coalition in 2005. He is an attorney with Florida Legal Services, a statewide non-profit that provides legal services to the poor. He previously directed the Homeless Unit at Legal Services of Greater Miami, providing legal assistance to homeless persons throughout Miami-Dade County.His work at Florida Legal Services (FLS) primarily involves legislative and policy advocacy, focused on homeless, housing, consumer, public benefits and employment issues. His work has included: securing passage of living wage ordinances by Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach, the City of Miami and seeking passage of similar ordinances in other Florida municipalities; co-counsel in Pottinger v. City of Miami, a federal lawsuit protecting the civil rights of homeless persons; assuring compliance with the Florida Labor Pool Act, a state law FLS helped pass to eliminate the exploitation of workers by day labor pools; helping securing the passage of the Florida Title Loan Act and Payday Loan Act; and expanding unemployment insurance eligibility and access for low wage workers. Mr. Rosenberg is a member of the Governor’s Statewide Council on Homelessness. Vice-President, Dr. Luther G. Brewster Jr., PhD: Top Dr. Brewster is an Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Florida International University’s Robert Stempel School of Public Health. His focus is the identification and remediation of inadvertent health risks created by non-health related programs, policies and projects. Prior to joining the faculty at FIU he consulted on numerous community development projects including but not limited to the expansion of the 125th Street business district in Harlem, New York, and the Arsenal, F.C. Emirates Stadium & housing regeneration project in London, England. He has a consistent track record of implementing grassroots strategies to combating community ails, stressing community participation and equitable solutions. Recognizing the irrefutable connection between basic human needs and health risks, Dr. Brewster views his service to MCH as an opportunity to work with like-minded individuals towards a goal that will pay dividends to several sectors of society – but most importantly to the individuals and families that are homeless in South Florida. Secretary, San Juanita de la Cruz: Top San Juanita de la Cruz is a District Supervisor in the Division of Early Childhood Programs, Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Dr. de la Cruz has been involved in education and human services both professionally and as a volunteer for more than two decades. Her community involvement includes Friends of MUJER, Women United in Justice, Education and Reform, Inc., and A Safe Haven for Newborns. Dr. de la Cruz was born in Mexico. At age nine, she began her work in the fields as a migrant farm worker. During these years she experienced homelessness as her family traveled in search of agricultural work. After dropping out of school in the eighth grade, she enrolled in the High School Equivalency Program (HEP), one of President Lyndon Johnson’s Wars on Poverty programs at the University of Miami where she graduated with a GED in 1969. Since then she has become an educational advocate for children of poverty. Dr. de la Cruz obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami, a master’s degree from Florida International University, and a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth recognized her in 1993 for her work with homeless education during Hurricane Andrew. She was inducted as a fellow of the United States-China Educational Institute in 1995 and spent two weeks in Mainland China visiting school sites (early childhood through university level) sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation and the Health Foundation Dreyfus Group. Presentations to the Chinese Ministry of Education and professors included the role of student services in education, problem-solving and communication techniques, and how to establish collaborative ventures among youth-serving agencies. Dr. de la Cruz was awarded the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Millennium Phoenix Award, in 2000 for her role in promoting girls’ and women’s equity issues. In 2001, she received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Unity Award from the United Teachers of Dade (UTD) for her contribution to civil and human rights. Dr. de la Cruz’s philosophy is to view children as unique gifts to the world. Her fundamental belief is that each child has the capacity to learn regardless of life’s circumstances. She builds capacity by focusing on their strengths, interests, and circles of influence. This will ensure that students remain in school experiencing a successful educational journey in all realms: academically, emotionally, spiritually, physically and socially. Her motto is “Pass on the hope to others.” Treasurer, Judge Jeffrey Rosinek: Top Judge Jeffrey Rosinek was born in Brooklyn, New York and received his higher education in Miami, Florida with an A.B. degree in History and then a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law while teaching history and government at Coral Gables High School in Coral Gables, Florida. He was a partner of the Law Firm, Rosinek and Blake, and served as a County Court Judge (1986-1989) and was a Circuit Court Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit Court, State of Florida (1999-2008) in charge of the Miami-Dade Drug Court and the Associate Administrator of the Appellate Division of the 11th Judicial Circuit. Judge Rosinek has served on a variety of boards and commissions including: The City of Miami Environmental Committee (chairman), 19th Congressional District Civilian Review Board (chairman), and Dade County Advisory Council for Close Up Foundation (chairman), the Dade County Youth Relations Board and the South Florida Super Bowl XXXIII Host Committee. Judge Rosinek participated in many civic organizations, including: organizing and initiating the Peer Review Panel with the Dade County Juvenile Court, Past President of the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club, Lt. Governor of the Florida District of Kiwanis, State Chairman of the Florida WALK FOR MANKIND, Chairman of the Beck Museum of Judaica, Miami-Dade Task Force for the Homeless, Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, Treasurer, Miami Coalition for the Homeless, Past President Carrfour Corporation (permanent housing for the Homeless), U of Miami Law School Alumni Board, Chabad of the Grove, Board of Advisors, Florida District of Key Club Co- Chair and Counselor, and Organizer and Founder of the South Miami-Kendall Bar Pro Bono Program. He helped organize the Friends of Drug Court, a 501© (3) not-for-profit Florida Corporation for the benefit of the Miami-Dade County Drug Court. He started an “Art in the Courtroom” program to bring student art, as well as local artists, into a public setting for the benefit of both the artist and the courts. He is a board member of the Coconut Grove Arts and Historical Association and is president of Lafayette Reunion ’58, Inc. He has received many awards, most recently: Miami Police Department H.E.R.O.S. Award (2002), The Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police - Outstanding Service Award (2002), State of Florida Special Needs Association Outstanding Business Partner of the Year (2004), The Justice Gerald Kogan Judicial Distinction Award, (2005), presented by the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Miami Chapter, the 2005 Mellon Community Service Award, the 2007 South Miami Hospital “Jack Collins” Award and The Dade County Bar Association’s Mario Goderich 2008 Legal Ethics Award. Within the field of law, Judge Rosinek has been, President of the American Judges Association (AJA) and chaired two Annual AJA Education Conferences and established the Juvenile Justice Task Force. He served on the National Court Reporters Association Strategic Alliance Committee; The A.B.A’s Task Force on Reduction of Litigation, Cost and Delay; The Third National Symposium on Court Management: Symposium 2000: Meeting the Justice Needs of a Multi-cultural Society in the 21st Century; the faculty of the National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada and the faculty of the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies, the State Justice Institute’s, Substance Abuse Project, Advisory Committee, Consultant for John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice. Judge Rosinek served as Charter Chairperson of the legislatively created Florida Association of Drug Court Professionals (2002 -2004) and was appointed a member of the Florida Supreme Court’s Task Force on Treatment Based Drug-Courts, (2006 - ). Judge Rosinek has been published in a variety of Journals Judge Rosinek has been published in a variety of Journals and Newspapers including: Washington Times, September 2, 1997, op-ed, “Risks Come With Bench Bashing.” . Chicago Tribune, November 18, 1997, op-ed, “Crime and Punishment: Are We Getting Tougher Or Are We Just Sweeping Children Under The Rug.” The Miami Herald, February 4, 1998, op-ed, “Find Better Way To Stem Youth Crime.” School Safety, Spring 1998, National School Safety Center News Journal, “Citizens Urged to Collaborate, Act Against Violence.” Florida Criminal Law Journal, Vol. XXI, No. 2, Summer 1998, “In Search of Juvenile Justice.” Journal of Court Reporting, Vol. 59, No. 9, July 1998, “The Guardian of the Record as an Integral Part of the Judicial System.” Court Review, Vol. 41, Issue 2, summer 2004, “Some Thoughts on the Problems of Judicial Elections.” Judge Rosinek has lectured across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Japan on a variety of topics including: American Judges Association, “Drug Courts and the Drug Wars,” Cleveland, Ohio, October 1999, National Council for the Social Studies, “The Fourth Amendment and the Drug Wars,” Orlando, Florida, November, 1999, National Judicial College, “Children in Adult Courts,” Reno, Nevada, May, 2000 and September, 2000 and Orlando, Florida, January, 2001, American Judges Association, “Mental Health Issues In Our State Courts,” Reno, Nevada, October, 2001, Lecturer: National Judicial College, “Children as Adults in Courts,” Austin, Texas, August, 2002, American Judges Association, “The Independence of the Judiciary,” San Francisco, California, October, 2004 , American Judges Association, “Therapeutic Justice-the Drug Court Concept, September 2005, Anchorage, Alaska, “Educating Our Young About Drugs,” Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, February 2006, “Drug Court Experiment,” The 6th Annual Drug Court Conference, Scottsdale, Arizona, August 2006, “The Influence of Drug Courts,” The Florida Bar Association, Florida Lawyers Legal Insurance Seminar Lawyers, Miami, Florida, January 17, 2008 and “The Drug Court Phenomenon,” Ryukoku University, Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan, March 8 & 10, 2008. He is married to Sandra Rosen Rosinek and has a son Ian David and resides in Coral Gables, Florida. Director, Pauline Clarke-Trotman: Top Pauline relocated her business and family from New York City to Miami Florida in 1990. Due to several issues affecting residents of our great nation she found herself homeless and living on the streets of Miami-Dade County. Upon entering Miami Dade County Homeless Trust Continuum of Care, Ms. Clarke-Trotman was able to address her issues and return to school. She obtained her first degree with a 4.0 GPA (Summa Cum Laude) and her second with 3.8 GPA (Magna Cum Laude). To show her gratitude, while attending school and working part-time, Ms. Clarke-Trotman began to volunteer for one of the Continuum of Care service providers. Eventually, she was hired and continues to be a valuable asset to the Agency as an advocate to the company mission as well as the homelessness issue in Miami Dade County. As the Director of Permanent Housing, Ms. Clarke Trotman has spear-headed the current housing solutions for the clients the Agency serves to include Better Way West (celebrating 8 years of providing housing), Better Way Apartments (celebrating 13 years of providing housing), Better Way North (celebrating 5 years of providing housing), and Better Way to Live (celebrating 1 year of providing housing). Ms. Clarke Trotman continues to be actively involved in a number of Boards and committees. Her passion for finding solutions to community needs stems from her commitment to see all people, regardless of background and experience, to be productive members of society. Some of her commitments include: Board member on the Miami Dade County Homeless Trust Board, serving on the Continuum of Care and Housing committees; member of the Dade County Housing Committee; Board member for the Miami Coalition for the Homeless Board, serving on the Strategic Planning and Marketing/Awareness committees; current Vice President of the Allapattah Community Advisory Committee; current Chairperson for the Homeless/Formally Homeless Forum; past Vice Chair of the Homeless Formerly Homeless Forum, Member of the Providers’ Forum and the current Director of Permanent Housing for Better Way of Miami, Inc. Her constant dedication to the community is fostered by her understanding of community needs which holds a variety of avenues including housing solutions, mental health services, substance abuse services, crime, and homelessness to the current population of the elderly, the disenfranchised, youth, and other vulnerable populations. In order to serve as a role model as well as grow on both a professional and personal level, Ms. Clarke Trotman holds a Certified Behavioral Health Technician (CBHT) certification from the State of Florida Certification Board. The Homeless Formerly Homeless Forum, Inc. a non-for profit 501 © (3) consumer-based organization, established in 1993. to promote and preserve the dignity and quality of life for men, women, and children who have experienced homeless by pursuing comprehensive and cooperative solutions to the problems facing families and individuals living on the streets of Miami-Dade County. Under Ms. Clarke-Trotman’s directions as the Chair of has taken the lead for the Miami Dade County Homeless Memorial Candlelight Vigil in conjunction with National Homeless Persons Memorial Day; contributed every year in the City of Miami’s outreach effort through their “Miami Cares Day” event; continues to be a member of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) organizing and conducting monthly Rights Restoration Workshops and Voter’s Registration events in collaboration with the ACLU of Florida; participates with the Office of the State Attorney and the Public Defenders’ Office on Seal & Expungement events; played a part in coordinating homeless and formerly homeless individuals to be interviewed for the Homeless Information/Awareness videos; acted ad a judge each year for the Annual Student Short Film Competition . Ms. Clarke-Trotman has been a distinguished panelist for the East Coast Conference on Hunger and Homelessness as well as the Alliance for Human Services Housing Summit. Pauline has attended many conferences, including for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Camillus House Institute of Homeless Studies, Barry University, and the Florida Coalition for the Homeless. Ms Clarke-Trotman is a strong advocate, who has visited both our State and National legislators several times to give her personal testimony on behalf of housing, services and homeless issues. While in Tallahassee, Florida, Pauline was asked by the chair to speak at the committee meeting during the session to approve The” Jack Davis Florida Restaurant Lending a Helping Hand Act.” Director, Olga Golik: Top Olga Golik holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Florida International University and a Juris Doctor from Florida International University College of Law. She has over fifteen years experience in homelessness issues, including experience in housing development, administration and program planning. Her development experience includes development of emergency and permanent housing for the homeless in Monroe County, transitional and permanent housing for persons with disabilities in Miami Beach and scattered-site rental programs throughout Miami-Dade County. She currently works for Citrus Health Network, assisting in housing development, advocacy and other legal issues. Ms. Golik has served on the Board for over ten years and actively advocates for policy and legislative changes that impact persons who are homeless and persons with disabilities. Immediate Past President, Yvonne Grassie: Top Ms. Grassie served as President of the Board of Directors of the Miami Coalition for the Homeless from 1994-1997 and from 2002-2005. She is a strong advocate for the homeless and an active volunteer in the community. Ms. Grassie received her Juris Doctorate from Washington University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Chicago. She currently practices corporate and transactional health care law with Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, L.L.P. and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Gibson Charter School and the Miami-Dade County League of Women Voters and is the founder and President of United WAG, Inc., an animal welfare and advocacy group. Director, Barbara A. Junge: Top Barbara A. Junge currently clerks for the Honorable William M. Hoeveler, Senior United States District Judge, Southern District of Florida, for whom she previously clerked for ten years. Ms. Junge also has served as an Assistant United States Attorney, and litigated as a partner in a small law firm. In 1993, she received her law degree from New York University and her Master’s Degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University. Ms. Junge is a former member of The Florida Bar Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee and Judicial Evaluation Committee, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Federal Court Practice Committee. She also has chaired a Grievance Committee for The Florida Bar. Ms. Junge served for many years as a Trustee for Bay Shore Lutheran Church. In 1994, Ms. Junge created a “Homelessness Prevention Project” for the Sarasota office of Gulfcoast Legal Services, and was instrumental in establishing the Sarasota County Coalition for the Homeless. She also served for many years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Coalition for the Homeless. Director, Linda Whitehead: Top Ms. Whitehead has been a dedicated member of the Coalition since 1980 and has served as secretary and vice president. She is director of administration for the University of Miami where she has worked for over 30 years. She is a strong advocate for the homeless and works to identify problems and solve them with a combination of services and love. |