Industry Advisory Board

Manuel Arismendy, Senior Vice President
MasTec Utility Services (Southeast portion of the U.S.)

Manuel Arismendy is the Senior Vice President of MasTec Utility Services covering the Southeast portion of the United States. He joined the MasTec North America, Inc. corporation in January 2006 as Accounting Manager. While serving in this role, he was responsible for management of sales and relationships with customers by developing and implementing systems for collecting, analyzing, and reporting financial information and managing staff.

In March 2011, he embarked on his next role as Project Manager where his role was to plan, budget, oversee and document all aspects of MasTec’s new and existing accounts. At the end of 2011, Manuel was promoted to Division Vice President of MasTec South Florida. He holds an Bachelor’s degree from University of Phoenix in business with a minor in accounting. In 2018, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of MasTec Southeast territory covering 5 states and Puerto Rico.

As a Broward County resident, he is active in local organizations including Broward League of Cities, Fort Lauderdale Alliance, member of Davie-Cooper City, Hollywood, Plantation and Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, and his local division at MasTec serves as board members and legislation representatives for Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. and Memorial Healthcare Foundation. He also is active with the Miami Dade League of Cities, Latin Builders Association, and has partnership with colleges throughout Florida promoting education, job placement, and career advancement.

Paul Bianco, Ph.D., Patent and Trademark Attorney

Paul Bianco is a patent and trademark attorney whose practice is focused on patent and trademark transactional work. His patent work is primarily in the areas of materials, mechanical and biomedical technologies. Paul’s practice includes patent and trademark prosecution, licensing, transactional and opinion work, and client counseling.

In addition to his law firm practice, Paul serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Law School. Prior to relocating to South Florida, Paul worked in the Washington D.C. office of Pennie & Edmonds LLP. Paul graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Bioengineering. He also earned his M.S.E. and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

After finishing his Ph.D., he completed a fellowship at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C. Paul received his J.D., Cum Laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Shawna Cartwright, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Technology
Cushman and Wakefield

Shawna Cartwright is the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Technology at Cushman & Wakefield. In this role, Shawna and her team will drive strategic alignment and maturity of the full application and data architecture across our Finance; Legal; Marketing, Communications & Research; Procurement and People function products. Shawna and her team will be accountable for establishing a roadmap for each of our key platform teams while working across the technology business leadership teams to ensure holistic end-to-end architecture of all products are brought to life, creating digitally intuitive workflow while collecting rich actionable data.

Shawna has 20 years of experience in ERP System Implementations, Shared Services, Business Transformation, Continuous Improvement, Strategic Programs, Organizational Change, and Project Management. She has worked across multiple industries including Consulting, Transportation & Logistics, and Insurance; with a key focus on optimizing and transforming Finance and HR processes, organizations, and systems.

Shawna holds a B.S. in both Accounting and Management Information System from Kansas State University. She also maintains certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Alliance Agile Product Owner, and Six Sigma Black Belt.

David Coddington, LEED AP Vice President, Business Development
Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance

David Coddington joined the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance as Vice President – Business Development in June 2010. In his role at the Alliance, David and his team are responsible for attracting and assisting prospective national and international companies from around the world, when considering an expansion and / or relocation to Greater Fort Lauderdale. His team is also responsible for assisting local, national, and international companies already doing business in Greater Fort Lauderdale when they consider an expansion.

David’s focus within the targeted industries sectors is information technology. He is the Facilitator of the South Florida TechGateway. The TechGateway is a regional collaborative effort of economic development organizations, technology businesses, universities and technology industry partners to bring visibility of the strong cluster and legacy of technology companies in South Florida and to assist the continued growth of the technology ecosystem.

David holds B.A. degrees in both International Studies and Geography from the University of South Florida. He is a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional certified by the U.S. Green Building Certification Institute).

David presently serves on the boards and committees of the following;

• Nova Southeastern University College of Engineering and Computer Advisory Board
• The South Florida Technology Alliance Board
• Leadership Broward Foundation Board (alumni of Class 30)
• Chair of the Business Program Day
• The Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce
• Council of Economic Advisors

Joe Ferst, Senior Vice President and General Manager
Hotwire Communications

Joe Ferst serves as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of all regional operations in Broward County, maintaining existing relationships with management companies, HOA boards, and community association managers, ensures customers at communities within Hotwire’s network are receiving the white glove service experience they expect, and opens new revenue streams within the market. With over a decade of experience in sales and the telecommunications industry, Mr. Ferst leadership plays a critical role in expanding Hotwire’s network throughout Broward County.

Prior to becoming the regional SVP for Broward County, Vice President of Business Development, responsible for growth and development within Multiple Dwelling Unit (MDU) and Single- Family Home (SFH) Bulk properties across all verticals throughout the South Florida market, including residential, commercial, hospitality, educational, and governmental. Joe has also served as the Regional Director of Commercial and Hospitality sales, encompassing both the Miami-Dade and Fort Lauderdale markets. In this role, Joe managed sales professionals and maximized sales penetration in new construction and overbuild of newly acquired properties by educating clients on the benefits of Hotwire’s fiber optics network.

Under Joe’s leadership in this position, Hotwire Communications greatly expanded its market share in the Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Some of his most prominent acquisitions for the company include municipal contracts in Miami Beach, Dania Beach, and Aventura, a 10 Gigabit symmetrical connection to the BB&T Center, an 872,000 square foot sports & entertainment facility that serves as the home for the Florida Panthers NHL franchise, supplying primary IPTV deployment, 10 Gigabit Enterprise bandwidth capabilities, and full network redundancy to a Professional American Football team in South Florida, and Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) – MPLS for All Aboard Florida locations. Connecting, educating and gratitude comes naturally to Joe, as his vision and passion for technology is expressed in each conversation. Out of the office, Joe enjoys spending quality time with his family, boating, playing music and camping.

Mihai Fonoage, Vice President of Engineering
Modernizing Medicine

Mihai is the Vice President of Engineering for Modernizing Medicine. In this role, he leads a Team of Engineers and Quality Assurance Professionals that are working on building high-quality software for medical practices to increase efficiency and improve patient care.

Mihai has been in the software engineering field for over 14 years and has spoken at a number of industry events including as Keynote in 2016 Making a Difference Scientists Reception hosted by Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast. Mihai has been an invaluable part of growing Modernizing Medicine from a once unknown startup to one of Forbes’ Most Promising Companies in 2013 and 2015. Co-founders Dan Cane and Dr. Michael Sherling developed modmed EMA™ as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, and Mihai’s mobile development expertise helped bring their vision of an iPad-based EHR system to fruition. Mihai’s technical prowess has strongly contributed to Modernizing Medicine’s success, and he was honored by being included among Sun Sentinel’s Top Workplace Professionals in 2015 and is a recipient of the South Florida Business Journal’s 2014 40 Under 40 award.

Mihai has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Florida Atlantic University. When he was a doctoral candidate, his advisor suggested that Dan meet him. As a result, he became Modernizing Medicine’s first employee and has since risen from Product Development Engineer to his current role.

His work on modmed EMA has resulted in significant achievements. In 2014 the product became the first mobile EHR system and the first iPad application for ambulatory EHR systems to meet the Meaningful Use certification requirements. Mihai also leads the development of Modernizing Medicine’s patent-pending ICD-10 solution on the iPad, which greatly eased the transition for physicians to the new billing and coding standard. Due in large part to Mihai’s efforts building the native iPad applications, Black Book Rankings listed six of Modernizing Medicine’s solutions as the highest-ranked ambulatory EHR systems in the dermatology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, and gastroenterology specialties.

Mihai also serves as an Executive Board Member for South Florida Tech, holding the position of Chair for the Talent and Education Committee.

John Machado, Chief Technology Officer

Elite Technology

John Machado serves as Elite Technology’s Chief Technology Officer, having been a leader and technologist for more than two decades, including serving as Ultimate Software’s Senior Vice President of Development, overseeing the company’s product development and product delivery. John joined Ultimate in 2007 and helped lead the company in its pioneering efforts to deliver innovative HCM solutions. John’s teams of top-ranked technologists architect, develop, and deploy Ultimate’s UltiPro.

Evette Maynard-Noel, Ph.D., Associate Chief Information Security Officer
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Evette Maynard-Noel serves as the Associate Chief Information Security Officer of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, Evette leads an organization responsible for enterprise security governance, risk, compliance and oversight of information and systems, while supporting CISA’s mission in leading the National effort to understand and manage cyber and physical risk to our critical infrastructure. Evette has over 25 years of practitioner and leadership experience in the planning, development, delivery, and monitoring of solutions, addressing the needs of stakeholders in supporting missions in both the public and private sectors.

Evette earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Mercer University, a Master of Science degree in Information Assurance from Norwich University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University. She holds the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification, is a member of the Greater Washington DC Chapter of ISACA, is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and is a charter member of the Northern Virginia chapter of ISC2.

Manuel B. Miranda, Senior Vice President
Florida Power & Light Company

Manny Miranda is senior vice president of power delivery for Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). He is responsible for the planning, engineering, construction, maintenance and operations of the company’s transmission, substation and distribution facilities. Mr. Miranda was named to this position in April 2013.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Miranda served as vice president of transmission & substation, and before that, as vice president of distribution system performance, where he was responsible for FPL’s Storm Secure initiative to substantially strengthen the distribution infrastructure against future hurricanes. Mr. Miranda has held a variety of roles within the customer service and distribution areas of the business, including commercial and industrial manager and roles in engineering and dispatch operations. He joined FPL in 1982.

Mr. Miranda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Miami and a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He serves on the Board of Governors for NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship and is the Chair of the NSU College of Engineering and Computing’s Industry Advisory Board.

Mr. Miranda is on the University of Miami College of Engineering Advisory Board. He serves as the President of the Southeastern Electric Exchange (SEE) Board of Directors and is a Board of Directors member for the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC). Previously, Mr. Miranda has served on the boards of both the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council and the North American Transmission Forum.

Mr. Miranda has won numerous industry awards throughout his career, most recently the 2014 Association of Cuban Engineers Engineer of the Year Award and the 2014 Alumnus of Distinction Award from the University of Miami College of Engineering.

Peter Moore, President and CEO
Chen Moore and Associates

A Broward County native, Peter Moore has spent his life involved with STEM applications and education. As the President and CEO of Chen Moore and Associates, a statewide multi-disciplinary engineering and consulting business, the projects his firm produce literally make Florida a better place.

As a community leader, he applies his skillset and background to prepare the next generation for careers of the future. He is a graduate and life member of Leadership Florida, the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute and Leadership Broward, where he also served as Chair of the Board of Directors.

He’s a past president of numerous engineering organizations and currently serves on the Society Board of Direction for the American Society of Civil Engineers, the largest engineering organization in the world, where he has also been named a Fellow.

A two-time graduate of the University of Florida (BSCE, ME), Peter remains involved as a past President of the Broward County Gator Club and as a member of the Advisory Board for the ESSIE School. Recently, he has been a member of the Industry Advisory Board for the College of Engineering and Computer Science at NSU.

Vinita Rajpal, Technology Enablement Leader, Office of the CIO & Transformation
Modernizing Medicine

Vinita Rajpal is a Sr. Director for Agile Program Management Office at Modernizing Medicine, driving Agile Transformation, Program Management and supporting Product Development in the R&D organization. She is managing the scaled agile practice launch across 3 main value streams of ModMed’s main product portfolio of EMR/EHR.

With a key focus on driving efficiency and quality, she is driving ModMed’s digital transformation by providing high-end technology solutions, strong IT-Business alignment, with an entrepreneurial mindset contributing to revenue growth and innovation.

Vinita is an innovative technology professional with strong portfolio of success directing the development of technology architecture, systems, and services to significantly enhance corporate bottom lines. Effective leader with more than 23+years progressive experience in product lifecycle development.

Vinita holds CIO Certificate from Carnegie Mellon, MBA degree from Florida Atlantic University and Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Florida International University along with a Bachelors in Business Administration from India. She specializes in Agile product development and holds numerous agile certifications like SPC, Scrum, SAFe, CSM, CSPO, Certified Agile Coach.

Andrew Seely, Consultant and company "NSU CCE Alumni Representative" 

Andrew “Andy” Seely has 30 years of experience designing, developing, and delivering Information Technology solutions, spanning systems administration, software development, engineering, architecture, entrepreneurship, education, and leadership in commercial, academic, government, and military settings in the United States, Asia, and Europe.

He is a Senior Member of IEEE, where he is the Vice Chair of the Florida West Coast Section, the Region 3 Senior Membership Advancement Coordinator, and the Secretary for IEEE Standards Association P1228 working group for software safety. Andy is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus, and he previously taught at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida, and at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences in Oslo, Norway.

Andy’s experience includes Director of Architecture and Engineering at MindPoint Group, a cybersecurity services firm headquartered in Virginia, and multiple roles at defense contractor SAIC, including Vice President for Solution Architecture for National Security and Space, the leader of the SAIC Fellows program, Solution Director for Digital Transformation, Solution Architect, Engineering Manager, Chief Engineer, and Command and Control Systems team lead at the Headquarters, United States Central Command on MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Previous to SAIC, Andy worked in systems, engineering, and leadership roles on large defense contracts for CSC, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics, as well as “dot-coming” as a self-employed consultant and for San Mateo, California start-up There.com. Andy is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Modesto Tabares, Vice President of Engineering
Akamai

In his role, he leads a team that has a presence here in Fort Lauderdale, in Nanjing China, and in Cambridge UK. His position gives him a great vantage point to understand what makes Engineers successful in a Cloud company not only in terms of technical skills but also in areas of leadership and influence. Modesto has been with Citrix for 15 years and started as a Software Developer and eventually took a role in Engineering Leadership. Four years ago, he played a lead role in the beginning of Citrix’s journey to the Cloud and his role in that endeavor has been growing ever since. Modesto graduated from the University of Florida with a BSEE (electrical engineering) with Honors. His first position after college with Motorola where he quickly discovered that Software Development was really what he was interested in. Motorola, at the time, had very strong University Relations programs along with great structure into how they onboarded recent college hires. This really facilitated the transition to a career in Computer Science. Ideally, he will be able to work with you and the team at NSU to achieve similar results.

Jonathan Wolfe, Senior Director, Audit Services Department
AutoNation

Jonathan Wolfe serves as the Senior Director of the Audit Services Department for AutoNation. In this role, his responsibilities include managing the fraud risk management program, providing consultation on risk and controls for the organization’s transformation and brand extensions as well as supporting the finance organization in managing the operational risks across the company.

Under his leadership, the Audit Services department has enhanced its impact through improved systems and tools to increase the frequency and effectiveness of the audit function to help identify risks as well as value opportunities to the company’s operations.

Mr. Wolfe has over 20 years of risk and operations experience within a variety of industries. Prior to joining AutoNation, Mr. Wolfe was the head of global audit for Rosetta Stone, a leading software developer for languages and prior to Rosetta Stone was the Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for a regional bank in South Florida. Mr. Wolfe began his career at KPMG in Philadelphia and subsequently joined Ernst & Young where he was a Manager in their Financial Services practice.

Mr. Wolfe holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting from Drexel University and is also a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in the State of Pennsylvania. He serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Nova Southeastern University for the College of Engineering and Computing as well as the Nova Southeastern University Ambassador Board as the Chairman for the Liaison Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Ali Sarkarati, Vice President Operations II, Fiserv

Ali Sarkarati is a seasoned executive, currently serving as the Vice President of Operations at Fiserv. In this role, Ali and his dedicated team provide invaluable support to all of Fiserv’s lines of business, encompassing assistance to merchants, financial institutions, and their clients. Ali's responsibilities include overseeing tactical support for inbound calls and back-office functions while driving strategic endeavors aimed at fostering an unparalleled client experience and achieving world-class operational capabilities.

With over 23 years of executive leadership experience, Ali possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various domains, including Global Operations, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Business Reengineering, Process Transformation, Business Systems Intelligence, and Workforce Management and Planning. Throughout his career, Ali has consistently demonstrated a commitment to innovation and operational excellence.

Ali and his team are currently at the forefront of integrating robotics and AI into every facet of service delivery at Fiserv, a strategic move that promises to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.

 In addition to his impressive corporate career, Ali has also dedicated time to serve his country as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army, an experience that undoubtedly instilled discipline and leadership qualities in him.

Ali holds a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has earned certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt. His education and qualifications underscore his ability to excel in his current role and drive positive change.

Ali's multifaceted experience, leadership acumen, and dedication to cutting-edge innovation position him as a valuable asset to Fiserv's mission of delivering top-tier financial services solutions.

Kristian Gravelle, Chief Marketing Officer, Adastra

Kristian Gravelle has over 25+ years of experience working in many industries focused on driving business value and identifying opportunities with Data.  He has successfully implemented several transformational data projects in the areas of Data Warehousing, Data Governance and Data Visualization and Analytics.  He is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Adastra Group, a Data Analytics and AI pure play consulting firm. 

Outside of his drive to help organizations leverage their data for value creation, Kristian has tremendous passion for people development and mentorship.  He thrives on the successes of the individuals he mentors and coaches.  His guiding principle is continuous improvement.

He holds a master’s degree in chemistry and an MBA from the University of Ottawa.