Governor Ron DeSantis Announces the Appointment of Seven Persons to the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors

Abraham “Abe” Alangaden, Erick Arroyo, Bayne Beecher, Melvin “Mel” Ponder, Brian Sartain, Meredith Stanfield, and Representative Dana Trabulsy have been appointed to the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Alangaden works for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. as a Senior Project Portfolio Manager. He is a member of the First Coast Manufacturing Association’s board of directors and the Secretary of FloridaMakes. Alangaden graduated from Bangalore University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and from Temple University with a master’s degree in environmental health.

Arroyo is the current Mayor of Sarasota and a City Commissioner. He also works as an attorney with Band, Gates, and Dramis. Arroyo serves on the boards of the Sarasota County Economic Development Corporation and the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness. Arroyo graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications and a juris doctorate from Florida A&M University.

Beecher is a Senior Manager of Supply Chain at PGT Innovations. He is the President of the Sarasota-Manatee Manufacturers Association, the Treasurer of FloridaMakes, and a member of the Hass Center’s Economic Advisory Board at the University of West Florida. Beecher graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration.

Ponder serves as the President and CEO of Business Empowered, Inc. He is also an Okaloosa County Commissioner and the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors’ Government Affairs Director. Ponder is a member of the Chambers of Commerce in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Crestview. Ponder graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance..

Sartain is AAR Corporation’s Senior Vice President of Aerospace Repair and Overhaul. Previously, he was the General Manager of United Technologies Corporation. Sartain graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in business.

Stanfield is the Florida Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Legislative Policy Director. She previously served as the Director of Legislative and Cabinet Affairs for the Florida Department of Financial Services, as well as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Florida Departments of Management Services and Juvenile Justice. Stanfield graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Trabulsy serves as Co-CEO of the Treasure Coast Business Summit and All Things Treasure Coast. In the Florida House of Representatives, she currently represents District 84. Trabulsy is currently enrolled at Indian River State College and serves on the Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys as well as the Place of Hope Advisory Board.