Tickets & Packages

Our Board & Staff

Officers

PRESIDENT
Winfred Chad McKendrick

Primerica Regional VP
Member since 2009
VICE PRESIDENT
Tadayuki (Tad) Hara, Ph.D.

UCF, Rosen College of
Hospitality Management
Member since 2009

TREASURER
Harietta Finley

U.S. Postal Service (Retired)
Member since 2015

SECRETARY
SECRETARY

R.G. Smith & Associates, LLC
Member since 2019

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Marie-José François, M.D.

Center for Multicultural
Wellness & Prevention, Inc.
Member since 2009

CHAIR OF DEVELOPMENT
Winnifred Hurston

Chair of Development
Member since 2024

Members

Ava K. Doppelt, Esq.

Allen, Dyer, Doppelt + Gilchrist, P.A.
Member since 1992

Reginald Lewis

ClaDom Enterprises, LLC
Member since 2019
Reginald B. McGill

City of Orlando
Office of the Mayor
Member since 2000

Johnny Rivers

International Entrepreneur 
Past President; Returning Member since 2019

Joshua Smith-Benson, PharmD.

Walgreens
Member since 2015

Staff

N.Y. Nathiri

Executive Director
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Visual Art. Lonnie Graham (Pennsylvania State University)

Resident Curator,
Zora Neale Hurston®
National Museum of Fine Arts (The Hurston®) 

Alice M. Grant

Education Consultant
Rajkumarie (Raj) Bergalowski

Bookkeeper

 
Cynthia Haywood
Museum Operations Director
Shirley Abdullah

Museum Assistant

Chris Bendall

Community Archivist (Courtesy of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation)

Winnifred Hurston

Board Representative, Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.)

Winnifred Hurston, P.E.C. Board Representative, brings decades-long experience in the corporate arena, having served as Executive Administrative Support at the C-suite level.

Her background spans corporate NYSE/NASDAQ entities, law firms, and the nonprofit sector. Winnifred is an award-winning Executive Strategic Partner, earning the 2018 Carriage Services High Performance Hero Award and the 2024 Admin Awards Colleen Barrett Award.

Recognized in P.O.W.E.R. Magazine in 2023, she has served in numerous leadership roles, including Board Director, Executive Strategic Partner, and mentor. Winnifred is passionate about volunteerism and community service.

Reginald Lewis

Founder, ClaDom Enterprise, LLC

Reginald Lewis (Heritage Concert Series), founder of ClaDom Enterprise, LLC, brings over 45 years of experience in event production, concert promotion, and business management, featuring genres such as R&B, Jazz, Gospel, Reggae, Rock, and Country.

ClaDom has promoted renowned artists like Frankie Beverly and Maze, Anthony Hamilton, Charlie Wilson, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Lewis also co-produced major festivals, including the MOJA Arts Festival and the Noon 2 Moon GiGantacore Rock Festival. A former restaurant owner, he is known for his strategic planning, strong city partnerships, and successful touring events.

N.Y. Nathiri, M.S. (Library Science)

Executive Director, Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.) & "Eatonville Rising" Project Manager

N.Y. Nathiri, M.S. (Library Science), “Eatonville Rising” Project Manager, is the executive director of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.), a historic preservation/cultural arts/community revitalization organization committed to promoting the town’s considerable heritage and historical resources as a means for its revitalization and economic development.

Under her leadership, P.E.C. has earned national recognition for its programs and festivals. Nathiri holds a B.A. in history from Ithaca College, an M.S. in library science from Syracuse University, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Rollins College. She is the editor of ZORA! Zora Neale Hurston: A Woman and Her Community and serves as Vice President for Cultural Heritage Tourism for the Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance.

Alice Morgan Grant, M.A., M.S.

Owner & Editor/Consultant, VISION Writing Services

Alice Morgan Grant, M.A., M.S. (Sankofa Showdown), a retired college English professor and student services administrator, is passionate about addressing the educational needs of underserved youth.

In 1997, she founded the E-WE Computer Laboratory and Learning Center in Eatonville, FL, impacting over 3,000 children in grades pre-K to 12.

A Spelman College alumna, Mrs. Grant holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Southern Illinois University, along with a master’s degree in counseling from Rollins College. She is passionate about addressing the educational needs of underserved youth.

Cynthia Haywood

Manager of Museum Operations, Zora Neale Hurston® National Museum of Fine Arts (The Hurston®)

Cynthia Haywood (Welcome to Eatonville Team) serves as Manager of Museum Operations at the Zora Neale Hurston® National Museum of Fine Arts. Her leadership ensures a welcoming visitor experience that advances P.E.C.’s mission.

She has been affiliated with P.E.C. for more than two decades, beginning as a dedicated volunteer for the ZORA! ® Festival. In 2020, she joined the paid staff, providing both museum and administrative service.

She is a retiree from the State of Florida, Department of Children and Family Services, having worked as a staffer for 36 years of service.