Women In Distress's Leadership Team is composed of a dedicated Board of Directors and Trustees, as well as an executive staff who together strive to fulfull our mission. The Board of Directors consists of highly dedicated individuals representing our diverse community with various professional backgrounds including executives, domestic violence survivors, legal, law enforcement, political, and financial professionals, and high profile community donors. The Board oversees our President and Chief Executive Officer Mary A. Riedel, APR, ABC who assumed her position on March 31, 2008.

Board of Directors Executive Board:  
Audrey Ring - AutoNation, Inc.   
Raymond de la Feuilliez - James A. Cummings, Inc.
Carla Albano - Alternative Home Health Care
Arlene Pecora - Signature Grand
Stuart Rosenfeldt - Rosenfeldt & Birken, P.A.
Josette Van Putten - Northern Trust N.A.
Mary Riedel - Women In Distress

Board of Directors:
Ashlea Ayer - SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Cindy Basham - Holland & Knight, LLP
Marcia Barry-Smith - BankAtlantic
Anjali Besley - Bank of America
Sandy Benz - American Maritime Officers Training Center
Janet A. Boyle - Community Volunteer
Kim Feeley - Women In Distress Auxiliary
Howard Gitten - Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP
David Guzman - Wells Fargo
Tom Harrington - Fort Lauderdale Police Dept.
Hal Herman - Worth International Media GRP
Kim Miller - Pollo Tropical
Fatima Perez - Akerman Senterfitt
Steve Pomeranz - Pomeranz Financial Management
Dr. Irving Rosenbaum - Nova Southeastern University
Judy Thiel - Community Volunteer
Phyllis Thomas - Community Volunteer

Trustees:
Howard Gitten, Chair
Matthew Anthony
Janet A. Boyle
Cindy Bibliowicz
Michelle Case
Martha Corwin
Joseph C. Dorsey
Ira Drescher
Sara Jane Drescher
Joanne Gaines
Marta Goldberg-Cohen
Judge Cynthia Imperato
Commissioner Kristin Jacobs
Jenifer Johnson
Wendy Lieber
Lynn Martinez
Carol Molnar
John G. Primeau
Ruben Rozental
Andrew Scott
Martin W. Schlosberg
Karen Sylvester
Judy Thiel
Terri Warren
Julia Yarbough
 

Women In Distress Staff 

Women In Distress employs over 85 full-time and part-time members of the community under the direction and leadership of President & CEO Mary A. Riedel. Prior to working in cultivation and stewardship of major gifts for NSU, Riedel worked in media marketing and community relations for nearly 37 years, including more than 18 years as Community Affairs Manager at the South Florida Sun Sentinel, where she was also Publisher of the newspaper’s weekly Society section.

Our Executvie Director of Programs, Sheryl Schwab, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 10 years experience working at Women In Distress in a variety of positions. Her tasks have ranged from overseeing individual and group counseling for women and children survivors of domestic violence, to clinical supervision of counseling staff and interns, and advocating in the community for domestic violence and social change. Most recently she has taken on overseeing the operations of Women In Distress' programs and services.

All staff and volunteers are trained and certified according to the Florida statute for “Victim Advocate Privilege” and also maintain an additional 24 hours of training annually. Women In Distress requires all staff and volunteers to go through Core Competency Training, which provides 24 of the 30 training hours required for all domestic violence advocates to be registered for domestic violence victim/ advocate privilege pursuant to Florida Statutes 90.5036 and 39.905. Staff, volunteers and interns at Women In Distress also participate in six hours of observational learning. Staff regularly participates in joint agency trainings with other service providers to ensure all participant needs are met without duplication.