Garren Cone
Volunteer for AVET Project non profit helping our Military Family
Lisa Gehin
Lisa comes to Melbourne with over 30 years in the printing industry. Together with her team will make your printing project a success!
Dana Good
Alec Hall
Alexander "Alec" Hall, the President of Alliance Cyber, is a leader of innovation and dedication in the cybersecurity realm. A native of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Alec's journey in cybersecurity began with an illustrious 28-year career in the US Air Force, culminating in the highest enlisted rank of Chief Master Sergeant. His military tenure is marked by his defense of critical command, control, and intelligence networks, spanning small campuses to global operations.
Alec's expertise was further highlighted during his tenure at the Pentagon, serving the Air Force Chief Information Officer. Here, he revolutionized the IT workforce, overseeing the training and development of 18,500 cyber professionals. His role extended to a national level as he co-authored the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, a testament to his commitment to enhancing cyber education across the country. This endeavor earned him recognition at the White House and the prestigious 2015 SANS Institute “Difference Makers” Award.
Transitioning to the private sector, Alec continued to influence the cybersecurity landscape. He played a pivotal role in the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB), shaping training and certification standards for the Defense Industrial Base. His efforts in this domain led to the creation of a groundbreaking cybersecurity compliance service for defense contractors, earning him a spot among Orlando Business Journal’s 2021 Top 50 Industry “Power Players”. His visionary leadership drove Alliance Cyber to win the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce 2023 “Small Business of the Year” award and earned him personal honors as an Orlando Business Journal 2023 “Veteran of Influence”.
Ali Johnston
Having led a successful and fulfilled career in IT for over 20 years, I finally seized the opportunity to build my own business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Turning what could have been an insurmountable challenge into a chance to pursue my most ambitious goals, I leveraged my experience in the tech arena to establish Bel Tech Services - a full-service IT consulting company that specializes in cybersecurity for small- to medium-sized businesses across the nation.
Armed with a Multimedia and Web Design Bachelor of Arts degree, I had my start in the working world managing a local company's websites. Without anyone to manage their IT issues, my web design job quickly transformed into an IT support role, and just like that, my career as a woman in tech was born.
At the time, I was one of the few women in the industry, and I spent the next several years attending conferences where I was notably one of the only females in attendance. I chose to see this as an opportunity to stand out and expand my network, and my hard work and dedication paid off when I joined a small business and worked my way up the ranks to IT Director.
I spent the next two decades growing with the company, which stretched not only my technical abilities but also my leadership and project management skills as the business grew from 40 users to over 300 users while I held my position. I became intimately familiar with the pain points that many SMBs experience as they grow and change, and I knew that I could provide a much needed solution with my own company.
When the pandemic hit, my family and I had just made the move to Satellite Beach from South Florida, and many businesses were being forced to shutter their doors. Driven to help small businesses succeed despite the challenging landscape, I took a leap of faith and launched Bel Tech with a vision of educating SMBs on the importance of cybersecurity and helping them to implement the best possible defenses against attacks. My passion for helping businesses protect their data, ensuring that they avoid the pitfalls that many SMBs encounter while scaling, and empowering them to succeed in the digital age is what has shaped our dynamic service offering and what fuels me to continue making a tangible difference in their growth trajectory.
The smiles on my clients' faces when they tell me that I've helped them to avoid a costly data breach, a catastrophic cyber-attack, or even saved some of their budget with a simple internet service review are what make all of the hard work worth it. As Bel Tech grows forward, I'm excited to see the innovative ways that we can continue supporting SMBs as they thrive into the future with the knowledge that their most important asset - their data - is protected.
Jimmy Lane, IOM
Patricia Padrick
Pat is your full-time Real Estate agent with LPT Realty, LLC. As a Florida native and resident of Merritt Island, she has over 30 yrs. of Residential and Commercial Real Estate experience. She is a truly dedicated agent who brings insight, intelligence, and passion to her profession. She is a member of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS®, The Florida Association of REALTORS®, and the National Association of REALTORS®. She is also a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors, Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce, The Central Brevard Humane Society and the Rotary Club of Cocoa. She volunteers her time on various committees including The Brevard Children and Families in Need, Community Outreach Committee and Military Affairs Committee Pat also serves as an Ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Central Brevard Humane Society along with being past chairman of the Professional Standards Committee in Real Estate. Her team includes many business partners who are the best in their fields – Banking, Insurance, Title Work just to name a few. You can feel confident when you are working with Pat and her group of professionals. In her free time, she enjoys boating, fishing, RV camping and spending time with family and her 2 dogs.
Richie Painter
Name: Richie Painter.
Current Resident: Rockledge / Viera. since late 2005.
Hometown: Grew Up in central Florida - Oviedo / Tuscawilla
College: Tulane University (BSCE) and University of West FLA (MBA)
Military Career: 21 years U.S. Air Force - retired LtCol in 2005.
Civilian Career: Northrop Grumman, IBM, KSC, Ventech, Aegis Research, P3I
Business Owner: Advisors & Consultants with Military Experience (ACME) - provides BD-Capture services to small businesses in the DoD/Federal space. Since 2015.
Business Owner: Launch Pad Golf Club - opened 10 Apr 2023 - located in Rockledge FL.
Marian Shelpman
Cory Skeates, JD, FCCP, IOM
Les Vail
Les Vail is very passionate about giving back to the community at large and has only accepted positions in which he believes in the organization’s mission and feels he can be an asset. With 35+ years of sales, management and entrepreneurial experience, Les thrives on developing relationships and growing the community which earned him the distinction of being named the New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Award for Executive Leadership Medal Honoree. Helping others to grow their business, develop long-term relationships and give back is of great importance. Les is thrilled to part of the CoAdvantage team as Regional Sales Manager,
In 2001, while involved in the corporate business world, Les joined the newly formed Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce. He chaired the Ambassador & Donations Committee and, within a year, was appointed to the Board of Directors. While on the board, his goal was to change the focus of the organization to one of not only giving back to its members but also giving back to the community. He worked with fellow Board members to also support the non-profit community, foster economic and workforce development opportunities, and increase education awareness throughout the region. In 2007, he was elected as the Chairman of the Board. His involvement in the County & region grew and the position became such a huge part of his life that when the opportunity arose in 2010, he decided to leave his position with ADP to serve as President/CEO of the Chamber until deciding to join Workplace HCM.
Today, Les serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the March of Dimes Tampa Region Board of Directors and was also the Chair for the 2013 & 2014 Gloucester County March for Babies. Les is the Co-Founder of the Total Experience Foundation, Honorary Commander Emeritus Joint Base M-D-L and is currently the Chair of the Gloucester County Workforce Development Board, Immediate Past Chair for the Rowan College of South Jersey Foundation Board.
In 2019, Les was awarded the New Jersey Business Industry Association’s Non-Profit Executive of the Year as well as the NJ Governors Jefferson Award Medal, Executive Leadership. Les’s accomplishments to the community and business have been recognized by his peers where he also received, most recently:
- Boy Scouts of America – Distinguished Citizen Award
- Nonprofit Development Council – Chairman’s Award
- South Jersey Biz – Top 25 Executives of the Year
- Burlington County Regional Chamber – Chairman’s Award of Excellence
- South Jersey Biz – Power 50
- South Jersey Magazine – 2017 Men of the Year
- NJ Governors Jefferson Award – 2019 Executive Leadership
- NJBIA – 2019 Nonprofit Executive of the Year
- 2023 NJ Cares/SJ Volunteer Center Lifetime Achievement Award
Les’s proudest accomplishment is the life he shares with his Family.
Christian Vargas
Since my graduation from Salve Regina University in 2018, I have gained experience in multiple industries such as civil engineering, logistics, and wealth management. I graduated with my M.B.A. with a concentration in Entrepreneurship in 2020 while deployed overseas to Djibouti, Africa as a Logistics Officer in the United States Army Reserve. Through my previous managerial roles and educational experiences, I found that my passion was budgeting/planning and financial analysis. This passion coupled with my military experience provides me with exceptional communication skills, a keen eye for details, and advisory skills to prepare clients during prosperous and recessive cycles while maintaining a focus on their strategic goals.
As a Financial Advisor, I am privileged to learn from the over 50 years of combined experience that The Carpenter Falconi Group has to offer. I am committed to providing clients with a tailored financial plan that is relevant to their day-to-day life. Through implementing the financial plan and advising clients through difficult life decisions, we remain focused on long-terms goals, making it easier to make decisions today. My focus is working with business owners and Veterans, through my firsthand experiences and comprehensive understanding of their specific needs.
In my free time, I enjoy coaching baseball, working out, and volunteering with various local organizations. I currently reside in Palm Bay with my wife Kaitlynn and daughter Penelope.