Business leaders strengthen TBBCA board with diverse professional and cultural expertise

TAMPA, FL (January 28, 2020) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) is pleased to announce the officers for 2020 and the election of three new board directors.

The 2020 board officers are Stephen Gay, Stephen Gay Group of Smith & Associates Real Estate, President; Sharon Britton, attorney and Partner, Gray-Robinson, Vice-President; Adam Unger, Director, Oxford Creative Studio, Secretary; and Lisa Carver, CFO of The Wilson Company, Treasurer.

“The board warmly welcomes new directors Dr. Judette Louis, Jerri Menaul, and Jaqueline Root,” said TBBCA President Stephen Gay. “They bring unique areas of expertise as TBBCA ushers in our non-profit’s 31st year of private sector commitment in support of arts and culture in our community.”

“The Tampa Bay BCA is thrilled to have these new leaders on the board taking an active role to promote a strong and healthy business-arts-cultural eco-system,” said Susana Weymouth, Executive Director. “In this new decade, the board will play a key role in strategically guiding TBBCA to advance the organization’s goals, including fundraising toward an endowment that looks to fund in perpetuity TBBCA Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships program. Since 2008, TBBCA has awarded over 75 scholarships with financial tuition assistance and other resources and support helping talented Tampa Bay high school students pursue higher education in the arts.

Judette Louis, M.D., is permanent Chair and James M. Ingram Endowed Professor in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, with a joint faculty appointment in both the College of Public Health and the College of Medicine at University of South Florida. She is a specialist and is president for the national Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine. Dr. Louis clinical and academic activities focus on making childbirth safer for women. She has led statewide programs to improve the way providers manage obstetric emergencies across Florida, and is recognized nationally for her work in mentoring, leadership and workplace wellness.

Dr. Louis was raised by her Haitian immigrant parents in an atmosphere of dedication to service. Her academic philosophy embraces “Education is the most important gift that we can give”. Her interests in the arts include support for music education.

Jerri Menaul is owner, and together with her late husband, abstract surrealist artist Scott Menaul, co-founded My Favorite Art Place, the visual communications and arts business that includes a 6,400 sq ft gallery and working studio on North Hercules Avenue in Clearwater. MFAP is known for excellence in an array of services, including curating, fine art and custom printing, and art framing, for wholesale and retail clients and residential and wide-ranging commercial projects. Ms. Menaul is recognized for helping businesses brand themselves and create culture through the use of artwork.

A resident of Clearwater since 2003, Ms. Menaul has served as member and chair for the City of Clearwater’s Public Art & Design Advisory Board. She is an active member of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers – Tampa Bay), CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women – Tampa Bay), PPFA (Professional Picture Framing Association) and IIDA (International Interior Design Association), among others.

Jacqueline Root is a partner at Pennington, P.A. She focuses her legal practice on the representation of healthcare providers and facilities, defending against claims for medical malpractice at the trial and appellate levels. She also advises healthcare providers and facilities on how to proactively manage their risks to reduce the frequency and severity of claims, and provides counsel and training on HIPAA issues, adverse incident reporting, subpoenas, confidentiality, and privilege issues. Ms. Root serves as corporate counsel for Aspire Health Partners, Inc., and has particular interest in patient safety, high-acuity medical malpractice litigation, and behavioral health. She is a frequent author, speaker, and presenter on these topics, as well as the management of birth-injury and transplant claims, and she teaches courses in patient safety in the Juris Master program Florida State University.

Ms. Root earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.

A native of Palm Harbor, Florida, Ms. Root is passionate about the arts, with particular interest in visual arts and a growing art collection.

About TBBCA
Tampa Bay BCA is a non-profit founded in 1989, first in Florida and one of the national Business Committees for the Arts, part of the private sector network and national pARTnership Movement of Americans for the Arts. For over 30 years, TBBCA has united Tampa Bay businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community, because the arts are good for business, and business is good for the arts. Through pARTnerships and programs, TBBCA connects, motivates and recognizes the business community’s leadership and support of arts and culture as vital economic drivers, catalysts for innovation, creativity, transformation and development, and essential contributors to quality of life. TBBCA is a 501 (c) (3) #CH32681 www.tbbca.org For more information contact 813-221-2787 or Executive Director susanaweymouth@tbbca.org