Beth Bashaw Cameron, President
Beth
has been employed by St. Michael Lutheran School for the past 18 years,
first as a four-year olds preschool teacher and currently as the
Director of their Extended Care Program. Beth has been very
involved with the Adonis organization over the years, serving in various
roles. Her youngest brother, Ian is autistic.
Kathy Meyer, Secretary
Kathy
Meyer is full-time Executive Assistant of Neighborhood America, as well
as partner with her daughter as a rep for whole-food supplement Juice
Plus and is an on-going student and advocate of natural health and
nutrition. Kathy is mother and guardian of Jessica, an adult with
autism, who she moved to southwest Florida from her New York group home
in April 2004.
Directors:
Maureen Bashaw
Maureen is a freelance writer.
She worked at News-Press as a feature writer and drama critic. Her
33-year-old son, Ian, is autistic. She is the widow of Richard Bashaw
who along with Maureen was one of the founders of the Adonis Autism
Center in 1985.
L.D. Bochette
L.D. is the past director of East First National Bank in Fort Myers,
as well as Landmark First National Bank and C&S National Bank of
Lee County. He now manages personal investments. He is actively involved
with the Southwest Florida Boy Scouts Council, Fort Myers Community
Concert Association, Edison-Ford Winter Estates Advisory Board, Southwest
Florida Beautification Advisory Board, Southwest Florida Historical
Society and Fort Myers City of Palms Day Committee.
Armando Galella
Armando
Galella is the Director of Catholic Charities of Collier County.
Armando has 34 years of experience in non-profit management,
institutional marketing, fund raising, and public relations.
Galella
recently served as Executive Director of Eden Florida, a provider of
services for children and adults with autism, and prior to that as
executive director for Sunrise Community of Southwest Florida that
offers services for developmentally disabled children and adults,
including many with ASD. Galella obtained a masters degree in public
administration from Pace University in White Plains , New York ,
attended the Graduate School of Journalism at Boston University , and
received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the College
of Holy Cross in Worcester , Mass.
As
Director of Catholic Charities of Collier County he is responsible for
program operations, program development, funding development,
maintaining certifications, and cultivating community partnerships. He
also serves as the liaison for the Advisory Board of Catholic Charities
of Collier County. Catholic Charities program locations in Collier
County include the Family Resource Center and Refugee Youth and Family
Services both located in Naples, and Guadalupe Social Services in
Immokalee.
Deborah Randell
I am the proud daughter of Colonel and Patricia Randell, who moved
to Lee County in 1969 for the purpose of providing my brother Ricky, a
farm-like environment where he as an adult with autism, could live the
most productive, self-sufficient life possible and be accepted as the
wonderfully, kind, clever person he is. Today, my goal in joining
the Adonis Autism Center of S.W. Florida would be to assist the board in
their efforts "to enhance the quality of life for people with autism in
Southwest Florida by providing programs that encourage progressive
lifestyles, participation in the life of the community and
decision-making skills through training and education".
Pumfey Edythe Steffens
Holds a BS in Marketing; her career included executive
marketing positions in computer/software companies including SEI
Corporation and Commodore Computers, she was also a partner in Marketing
Formats, a marketing consulting/advertising firm, Partner in Crossroads
Publishing which developed educational magazines, and owner of ELS
Communications which published the Graduate Studies Directory magazine,
she was included in the 1980's Who's Who of American Women. In the
last ten years she has actively worked in the field of learning
disorders and autism, started the BR Scholarship Program at the Autism
Research Institute for doctors and medical professionals to attend their
Biomedical training conferences, and introduced the Low Oxalate
Diet Therapies Study into the autism community, which promotes a
diet and other protocols for healing and behavioral changes in autistic
children. She privately consults with mothers in helping them develop
strategies for helping their children with autism.
