Ambassadors

Are you interested in becoming an Ambassador? Ambassador Application (.pdf)

Lindsey Godfrey, Chairperson

Lindsey Godfrey is a property manager/Realtor for Ponte Vedra Beach Realty. Lindsey is a long time resident of Ponte Vedra and after acquiring her BS in Interior Design from Florida State, she returned here to start her career. She has practiced Interior Design since 2004 with The Design Studio. Lindsey has been an active member of the chamber for the past two years and was an Ambassador for 2008-2009. Last year, she took a leave of absence to concentrate on her career and returned to the group.

Dana Merrill

Dana Merrill, a Licensed Real Estate Agent since 2003, is a University of North Florida graduate. She uses her degree in Communications and Graphic design to effectively and attractively market homes with an upscale, professional edge that makes them stand out among the rest. Along with her partner, Pennie S. Cobb, Dana has her own successful real estate company, Home Star John Merrill Realty Network.

Dana has experience marketing and selling residential real estate in every price range, and spent several years of her career working extensively with the sale of distressed and foreclosure properties. A Jacksonville resident for 15 years, Dana’s wide knowledge of the city’s neighborhoods helps her to accurately price property in any market. She has remained in touch with many of her customers, and often gets referrals from satisfied buyers and sellers.

In addition to real estate sales, Dana acts as Marketing Director for her husband Adam’s construction, renovation, addition and cabinetry business, John Merrill Homes. Between the services of Home Star John Merrill Realty and her responsibilities with John Merrill Homes, Dana and Adam can offer a full range of real estate services.  The two companies have proven to be an asset to one another. Dana’s passion for health and fitness has lead her to become is a direct distributor for Juice Plus+ products.   Understanding the need for complete health for herself and their two young children, Dana personally endorses the Juice Plus line, which offers quality products for the entire family.

Ed Mercel

Ed Mercel was born in Toronto, Canada and attended Ryerson Institute of Technology, where he majored in Radio and Television Arts. After college, he worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and then the CTV Television network. While in television as a Producer/Director, Ed worked on many different kinds of productions, but finished up in sports where he produced and/or directed for a multitude of networks in many sports including ABC, ESPN, Turner Broadcasting and CTV. In addition, he has produced and directed at seven Olympic Games.

Ed moved to Jacksonville in 1996 to work for the PGA Tour and in 1998, he switched careers receiving his Real Estate License then earned his Brokers License and began a career in general real estate. In 2004, he became a site agent for several condo projects and recently joined Queens Harbour Real Estate. Ed is married with two children in college and enjoys bike riding, skiing, fishing and martial arts holding a second degree black belt in karate.

Debbie Michala

Debbie Michala is an Account Executive with Processing Solutions, a local merchant services company. Her primary function is to educate companies on their current credit card charges and offer solutions to lower their processing fees. On a part-time basis, Debbie owns Expense Reduction Analysts, a cost reduction consultancy firm. Prior to joining Processing Solutions, she served as Corporate Programs Manager for a large southeast bank. Debbie has a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Human Resource Management from Capella University and is PHR certified. She and her family have lived in Jacksonville for 6 ½ years.

Kristin Pirris

Kristin Pirris, LUTCF, CFP was born and raised in the suburbs outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She attended Penn State University and obtained her bachelor’s degree in 2002. Kristin is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM with eight years of experience and is the owner of Pirris Insurance and Financial Services. She began her financial services career focusing on employee benefits and planning for business owners. Experience and ongoing education shifted her focus to specialized financial planning for medical professionals and business owners. Kristin represents a number of insurance and financial service companies including New York Life Insurance Company, the country’s largest mutual life insurance company which Fortune Magazine recently rated as the #1 Insurer in the World. Kristin relocated to Ponte Vedra Beach from Pittsburgh in the summer of 2009 with her husband Stephen and their Goldendoodle puppy Heinz.

Nina Oakley

Nina Oakley is a part-owner of the local store Original Piece. She is in the process of getting her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Post University in Connecticut. Four years ago, she moved here from Houston, Texas. In her spare time Nina loves reading, scrap-booking, and spending time with her family.

Bob Baer

Bob Baer was born in Chicago, and grew up in Mt. Vernon, New York. He has a BA from Champlain College and a MS in Advertising and Marketing from The Graduate School of Business, Columbia University. Bob started in sales in 1940 selling The Saturday Evening Post – winning a hunting knife in a sales contest. After selling advertising space for trade publishers in New York, he started his publishers’ representative firm in 1968. Bob currently is an advertising representative for H Magazine – published by The Florida Times-Union. He is also the United State advertising representative for publications in London and Singapore.

Heather Senterfitt

Heather Senterfitt owner of First Coast Focus, is “almost” a native of the Jacksonville beaches. Her dad came to sunny Florida in the middle of a Maine snowstorm to interview at the University of North Florida. Not surprisingly, he accepted their offered professorship. Heather grew up around the beaches and attended San Pablo Elementary and Fletcher Junior and Senior High Schools. She graduated from Jacksonville University with a degree in Business Administration and went on to complete her Master’s in Management at Webster University. After nearly 11 years of not-for-profit work with the University of North Florida, she went out on her own and began consulting with a variety of individuals and companies. In 2009, Heather turned her consulting work into First Coast Focus, which offers creative, customized business solutions to small businesses and independent contractors with limited time and staff. Her company handles marketing, organization, coordination, facilitation and research services so that you can focus on the aspects of your business that you love.

Brian Crooke

Brian Crooke is a native Floridian who was born in Pensacola and relocated to the Jacksonville Area in 1994. He is a graduate of The Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. Brian began his banking career locally in 2005 providing financial services to the beaches community. As of 2010, Brian took on the role of Assistant Vice President/ Financial Center Leader at the Ponte Vedra Beach location of BB&T. He currently resides in South Jacksonville Beach with his wife Merry Anne.

Jennifer Foreman

Jennifer Foreman is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and has 10 years of bank and financial services management experience. She is licensed with her Series 7, Series 63, Life and Health. Jennifer joined SunTrust last February as the Branch Manager for their Sawgrass Office, located at 100 Sawgrass Corners Drive, just off A1A. Jennifer recently moved from Ann Arbor, MI in July 2009 and also just got married.

April Biller

April Biller, with over 15 years in the hospitality industry, has worked for several prestigious hotel companies promoted from Conference Services Manager to Director of Sales and Conference Services. She is a Certified Meeting Planner and a member of the North Florida Chapter of MPI. She calls Ponte Vedra Beach home after relocating from Boca Raton, Florida five years ago. In her free time, April enjoys spending time with her family, playing tennis and golf and volunteering in the local community.

Margaret Miele

Margaret Miele joined BBVA Compass in January 2006. In 2006, she was appointed vice president and preferred client manager of Northeast Florida. In 2008, she was named district sales manager of the Retail Banking Branch which involved supporting relationships with 35 branch networks.  Margaret has been  the Business Relationship Manager of the Ponte Vedra Branch since 2010.  She focuses on helping local business owners with all of their business banking needs; such as helping them manage cash flow, providing financing for growth, helping them think strategically and plan for the future. Prior to BBVA Compass, she spent 10 years working for MBNA America Bank in Cleveland, Ohio in a variety of management positions.

Carly Oakley

Carly Oakley is a part-owner of the local store Original Piece. She is in the process of getting her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Post University in Connecticut. Four years ago, she moved here from Houston, Texas. In her spare time Carly loves spending time with her family, writing, and shopping.