Board of Trustees

Rebecca Sachs is a retired attorney who practiced as an active partner in New Jersey and Florida for 37 years, before retiring in 2016. She practiced in the area of first-party coverage and litigation. Ms. Sachs was a recognized lecturer and author of programs presented by the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, the Property Loss Research Bureau, the Loss Executives Association, the ABA Property Insurance Committee and the Windstorm Association. She has been elected as a fellow of the American Bar Association, named to the Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers by Martindale-Hubbell™, named as one of Florida’s Super Lawyers in Insurance Coverage and named to the Sarasota and Manatee Counties and the Tampa Bay Top Lawyers lists from 2012 to 2015 prior to her retirement. Rebecca and her husband, Frank, are avid boaters and golfers and live at Sara Bay Country Club. They have three sons, as well as six grandchildren ranging from the ages of 14 to 25.

Eric Bledsoe is a Certified Public Accountant and is a shareholder with Miles & Thirion, CPA Firm, Inc. A University of Central Missouri alumnus, his areas of practice include individual, corporate and partnership with specific knowledge of the medical, construction and land development industries. He also holds an Enrolled Agent designation with the IRS and a credential membership with the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries practicing as a 401(k) third party administrator. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Enrolled Agents and the Florida Society of Enrolled Agents. Eric is originally from Florida and has been practicing in Sarasota for 20 years. He is married to Robin Bledsoe and their children are eight rescue dogs.

Lee DeLieto, Jr. is a professional in real estate and joined the Commercial Group at Michael Saunders & Company more than 15 years ago, creating the DeLieto Team with his father, Lee DeLieto, Sr. Their team has received repeated success and recognition as a Top Commercial Real Estate Team. In addition to the retail and office market staples, Lee Jr. opened the team’s breadth by including industrial and lands sales. And just like his father, having started in leasing, Lee Jr. also heads up the leasing division of the team. In addition to neighborhood leadership in Gillespie Park, he has positioned himself as a recognized leader and collaborative member of business and non-profit boards. Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Florida.

Warren Bacon is a banking executive with broad ranging accomplishments in commercial and consumer lending, domestic and international risk management, staff development and project design and completion. He has experience at several banks including TD Bank North, Bank of Boston and Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company. Warren’s leadership also includes the development of minority owned enterprises through strategic consulting and pairing with contract opportunities – first as Chief Operating Officer of The Initiative For A New Economy, a Boston based privately funded non-profit, and then as Director for the Boston Region of the US Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. He also has extensive experience on several non-profit boards in Boston. Warren holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Oberlin College and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago. As a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ, he has served as Finance Committee chair and Moderator. Warren enjoys bicycle vacations, gourmet cooking, collecting good music and exploring Sarasota’s arts and culture. He and his wife, Barbara Smith-Bacon, are permanent Sarasota residents and look forward to frequent visits from their two adult children.

Carl Koenig’s youth was spent in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wayne State University, and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. The next 10 years he worked on the development of Precision Teaching and the first non-discriminatory assessment instrument. He then taught computer science at Maple Woods Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City and chaired their business division. Carl then taught online courses for the next 10 years. He served on his local school board for nine years and served on the County Board of Adjusters and the area Vocational School Board. He then became business manager for the International Council of Fine Arts Deans. Each December, he and his wife Connie have “family” dinners for their kids; one in Kansas City and one in Sarasota.

Ray Neff grew up in Michigan, and after obtaining a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Mathematics and Business Management, he obtained a master’s degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Michigan.

Subsequent to various jobs in Michigan, Ray moved to Florida in 1979 with his wife Ann and four teenagers to work in Tallahassee for the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR). In 1985, he moved to Sarasota after accepting employment with FCCI Insurance Group. He served as Executive Vice President and then as President and CEO from 1986 until 1999 before retiring and starting a consulting company.

Ray and his wife moved to Plymouth Harbor in 2014 and became active in the Residents Association of Plymouth Harbor in various capacities, including member of the Gratuity Committee, Chairman of the Finance Committee, Chairman of the Health Committee, Colony Associate Director, Colony Director, and one year as Treasurer.

He is honored to be the Vice President of the Residents Association and a Trustee of Plymouth Harbor Inc.  

Bob Dawson was born in Chicago and worked more than 20 different jobs in Midwestern cities. He was drafted in 1969, and after the service went to work for IBM and then completed his B.S. in Business Management. After 34 years in a variety of positions, he retired from IBM as a Project Manager for large U.S. government contracts. In one of his last assignments, Bob managed the deployment of, at the time, the largest single installation in IBM’s history which included over 15,000 locations. Immediately upon retiring, Bob and his wife Gretchen began traveling the world, usually spending at least 3 to 4 months minimum each year somewhere in the world. Bob enjoys bridge, traveling, reading in science, bicycling, tennis and inventing. Bob’s wife, Gretchen, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish, French and “gets by” in Italian. They have been married since 1985.

Jeff Charlotte is a professional in the construction industry and is a State of Florida Certified General Contractor. In 1996, Jeff’s company began as J. Charlotte & Associates, Inc. in Sarasota, Florida and merged in 2001. Then as Executive Vice President and Co-Owner of Hennessy Construction Services, Jeff’s skills helped grow Hennessy from $25 million to more than $50 million in revenue sales. In 2007, Jeff founded J.E. Charlotte Construction Corporation, specializing in General Contracting and Construction Management with focus on commercial offices, medical offices and retail construction projects in southwest Florida. Jeff is President and Chief Executive Officer of JEC and serves as Project Executive for all projects. He is responsible for final contract and fee negotiation, overseeing budgets and cost analysis and monitoring the progression and quality of the construction. Jeff began his construction career after graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Building Construction.

Mark Sultana is the founder of DSDG Architects based in Sarasota, Florida. Since establishing the company in 2001, Mark has made it his mission to excel in all aspects of the architectural business, including design, execution, personnel management, and professionalism. Working closely with clients and his team at DSDG, Mark ensures that their collective vision becomes a reality, consistently delivering projects that have received recognition and awards. Mark earned his Architecture degree from the New York Institute of Technology in 1994 and has since established his career and family in Sarasota. He has held leadership positions in prominent organizations such as the Gulf Coast Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and InStride Therapy, showcasing his dedication to his profession and community. As an active member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the Florida Green Building Coalition, Mark remains up-to-date with industry standards and practices. Additionally, he is involved with organizations like the GCBX and Argus Foundation.

Craig M. Steinhoff, CPA, CITP, is the Principal-in-Charge at HBK CPAs & Consultants in Sarasota, Florida. HBK is the 45th largest accounting firm in the U.S., according to Accounting Today’s 2023 top 100 firms. Craig specializes in tax and accounting for private companies in construction, manufacturing, entertainment, retail, non-profits, and employee benefit plans. He leads HBK’s Client Accounting & Advisory Services and technology niche, providing guidance on IT and general computer control reviews for audits and SOC engagements. Craig has been with HBK since 2007, holding various positions, and previously worked at Schneider Downs & Co., Inc. and BKR Longanbach Giusti, LLC. He holds a B.A. in Accounting from Capital University. Craig is active in several volunteer leadership roles and committees, including The Argus Foundation and American Institute of CPAs. He lives in Sarasota with his wife, Joelle, and daughters, Lauren and Chloe.

Marlene Lancaster is a native Floridian. She has been part of the Sarasota professional Community for almost 45 years. She holds a BS in Housing and Urban Planning from Florida State, an MPA in Public Administration from USF, and is a Graduate of the Real Estate Institute and Certified Residential Specialist. She served as a Senior Planner for Sarasota County Government handling rezonings and special exceptions in the eighties and has been a full-time realtor in Sarasota for over 22 years, managing, listing, and selling commercial properties, primarily in downtown Sarasota. She is an active member of SYC and is a past President of their Woman’s Group, GEMS. I have been involved with her in organizing several events at the yacht club. Like Bobby Overall, who recently served on the Foundation, she and her husband Alex, a Sarasota attorney, live aboard their boat at SYC, next door to us.

Dr. Kenneth D. Henson, MD, FACC is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease (2013) as well as Internal Medicine (2014). (He was recommended to us by Dr. Chris Sforzo). Dr. Henson has had a medical practice in Sarasota since 1995 and is a former Chief of Cardiology at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. After completing his Internal Medicine residency, he worked full time as an emergency department doctor until he started his training in cardiology at the University of Florida. Upon completion of his cardiology fellowship at the University of Florida, Dr. Henson was accepted to a prestigious Interventional Cardiology training program at Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University (the busiest cardiac program in the world at that time). While at Washington Hospital Center, he helped develop and test new medical technologies such as coronary stents, lasers, and atherectomy devices as well as new pharmacologic treatments. His research was presented at national meetings of the American College of Cardiology and published in prominent peer reviewed scientific journals. In 2014, he founded a concierge medical practice that combines Internal Medicine, urgent care, and Cardiology, which combines a more personal whole-body approach to his patients. His Certifications also include Founding Physician/Scientist Member of the Society of Cardiovascular Computerized Tomography (CT); Registered Physician for Vascular Interpretation (RPVI); Certification in Travel Health and American Society of Preventative Cardiology.

John Waskom is a shareholder at Icard Merrill, where he has practiced law for almost 30 years and currently serves as vice president. His practice areas include estate planning, guardianship, probate administration, trust administration and business transactions. He regularly represents clients in circuit court, state appellate court and in federal court diversity actions. An emphasis of his practice includes contested or litigated matters related to estates, trusts and guardianships, conducting both bench and jury trials.

For almost three decades, John has devoted a significant portion of his practice to local individuals in need of legal aid, and he has been honored numerous times for his extensive pro bono service. He is the recipient of The Florida Bar President’s 2022 Pro Bono Service Award for the 12th Judicial Circuit. In many cases, he works with incapacitated people who don’t have a genuine understanding of the proceedings in which they are involved. In addition, he assists guardians who wish to protect or serve family members and minor children who need help understanding their best interests and rights.

Waskom received his M.B.A. and B.S. with high honors from the University of Tennessee. He received his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. During his second year of law school, he clerked with United Technologies’ in-house legal counsel at their European headquarters in Paris, France. During his final year of law school, he worked as a pro bono attorney at Three Rivers Legal Services in Gainesville under the Florida Supreme Court’s provisional admission program. He was named a member of the Florida Chapter of the Order of the Coif in recognition of his ranking in the top 10% of the graduating class. Following graduation, John worked in various management capacities with both General Electric and United Technologies.