We would love to hear from you. Please contact us to talk about the things that are important to you and/or with any questions. We are open to any and all suggestions and recommendations. nowpbc@gmail.com
President – Jennifer Cunha
Vice President, Communications – Natalie Andre
Vice President, Programs – Arlene Ustin
Treasurer – Janet Clark
Membership – Sheila Jaffe
Legislation Director – James Bonfiglio
Secretary – Adele Guadalupe
Media – Rebecca Andre’
Graphics & Promotion – Cristina Mejia
Directors – Gloria Stein, Michelle Damone
President – Jennifer Cunha
Jennifer Cunha has been interested in public service since childhood. As a teenager she tutored at-risk children in the inner-city of Indianapolis. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (with an emphasis on Behavioral Neuroscience) from the University of Florida. Jennifer worked as a case worker for the Florida Department of Children and Families before attending law school. Throughout law school, she was involved with the International Human Rights Clinic, representing asylum-seeking immigrants.
As a young lawyer, Jennifer worked for Florida Rural Legal Services, advocating for low-income tenants. She was recruited by Palm Beach County Housing Authority to become their General Counsel, and handled legal matters for a program that administered Section 8 and Public Housing to over 11,000 recipients. Jennifer is now the managing partner of her own successful Condo and HOA law practice, devotes hundreds of hours per year to community legal education, and continues to advocate for women’s issues.
Communications Vice President – Natalie Andre
An activist since always, Natalie Andre settled into Palm Beach County in 1987 and joined NOW shortly after. After successfully campaigning with Vivian Burch and Jean Poleshuck for comprehensive sex-education while her children were attending public school, Natalie moved into leadership roles, including a stint as Membership Chair for Florida NOW. Along with Sheila and Bob Jaffe, she signed the 1998 Declaration of Sentiments of the National Organization for Women, in Seneca Falls, 150 years after the original 1848 Declaration of Sentiments was signed in the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls.
In 2004, she joined the March for Women’s Lives along with numerous members of South Palm Beach County NOW–Jean Poleshuck, Sheila and Bob Jaffe, Gloria Alpert, Maria Romero-Cuesta and her husband Skip Clements, Katie Dvorak and her parents, Joe and Barbara Dvorak, Allan Taylor, Gloria Stein, Roz Rothman, and several others. She was also instrumental in creating and promoting Families Against Court Travesties (FACTS), a NOW spin-off, along with Sheila Jaffe and Adele Guadalupe; this court-watch based organization has campaigned for family court reform and helped defeat two sitting judges. Recently, she was President of the merged Palm Beach County NOW. Currently, she is President of FACTS, which can be seen at http://factscourtwatch.org/
Programs Vice President – Arlene R Ustin
When Arlene relocated to Florida she was already primed to be a humble, but firm and fearless, advocate/activist. What took her by surprise was how far Florida had to go! She is proud to be president of PBC NOW because its board and membership are like-minded, active, and compassionate volunteers. They walk their talk and make a difference in the lives of many who do not have a fair voice.
Credit for her social consciousness began in The Bronx with her mother and grandfather. By ten she was raising money for children in need. Brought up with a sharing/serving ethic, no matter how little the family had, she learned how much she loved interactions with people and how much she hated suffering, unfairness, and unkindness.
In the ‘60s Arlene taught at a junior high in the south Bronx taking students to museums, shows, parks, etc. to expand their horizons beyond the burnt out, crime-ridden streets of their neighborhoods. In the ‘70s, she broke ground at the male-dominated Outward Bound Schools when she joined the one in NC. It was a search, rescue, and firefighting unit, but she implemented a community service component into its courses. Her purpose was to instill the concept that insights or affirmations gained in the wilderness must never stop there; they need to be extended to fellow human beings, met and unmet, everywhere, to truly have full meaning.
For the next 28 Arlene taught at The Athenian School in CA, a rigorous college preparatory HS equally committed to developing its students’ sense of responsibility for making the world a better place. She directed the Athenian Wilderness Experience (AWE) and the Community Service Program (CSP). She built environmental- and people-oriented service projects into each 28-day wilderness course, and in the ‘80s, developed the CSP for the entire student body and faculty.
In 2005, she joined the faculty of the Master of Arts Program at Prescott College in AZ, a liberal arts institution that required its graduate students to address issues of social justice and environmental sustainability in every paper and project they designed.
Arlene also campaigns with all her might for candidates who have integrity, vision, and smarts. She is the secretary on the Board of PBC LWV, represents PBC NOW on POAST (Partner Organizations Against Sex Trafficking), volunteers with CAGV (Committee Against Gun Violence), Get Covered America; she registers voters; participates in rallies; gathers signatures for citizen-initiated petitions (currently, to restore voting rights to former offenders of non-violent crimes, legalize medical marijuana, and promote solar energy in FL).
Treasurer – Janet Clark
Upon graduating with a degree in Accounting, Janet pursued a lengthy career in Information Technology. Much of her focus during those years was in developing, training and implementing financial applications for a wide variety of clients. Although not an “activist” until retirement, during her career Janet became fully aware of the pervasive pay discrepancies in the technology sector as well the plight of mothers trying to work while raising a family. Also, as a native Floridian who grew up during the Civil Rights movement, Janet has first-hand knowledge of the segregation and discrimination so prevalent in the South during that time.
In 2007 Janet began volunteering as a mentor with Big Brother, Big Sister and Children’s Home Society. Experience with these children propelled her to pursue organizations like NOW that advocate for women’s issues and children’s rights. In 2015 Janet joined NOW and Families Against Court Travesties (FACTS) to become actively involved in court watch and family court reform. She also volunteers with Mental Health Association’s Listen to Children program in schools as well as tutoring with Literacy Coalition’s Building Better Readers. As a firm believer in the need to choose legislators who share our values, she works closely with Women’s March and Palm Beach Indivisibles’ Get Out The Vote (GOTV).
Janet and her husband are avid water-skiers and she is past Treasurer of the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches. She has also served as Treasurer and Secretary for FACTS, handling its scheduling of courtwatches.
Membership – Sheila Jaffe
Sheila Jaffe first became involved in the women’s rights movement in Philadelphia on August 26, 1970 at the Women’s Strike for Equality. That day thousands of women in America didn’t go to work to show how valuable was their labor. Women were celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of passage of the nineteenth amendment, which granted women the right to vote. The next year Congresswoman Bella Abzug got that day designated as Women’s Equality Day.
After moving to Florida, Sheila became involved in the South Palm Beach County chapter of NOW in 1988 when her printing company started printing NOW’s newsletters. She has been the chapter’s president and vice president of Florida NOW.
In 1996 she was one of the founding members of the Feminist Scholarship Fund and is still on the board of directors. The fund has awarded scholarships to over one hundred women and men to pursue their studies.
Sheila has been involved in FACTs Court Watch and health issue concerns with women and tobacco addiction.
Sheila is married to Bob and has a merged family of three daughters and one son.
Legislation Director – James Bonfiglio
I was born and raised in Jamestown NY by my loving mom and dad along with 3 sisters. I graduated from the University of Rochester in 1975 with a double major in Political Science & History. I Attended Loyola University School of Law and graduated in 1979. I moved to Palm Beach County in 1978 and have lived in Ocean Ridge, Fl for since 1988 in the same home where I now live with my 2 rescue Shar Pei dogs.
I have practiced law in Palm Beach County for 40 years. I have committed most of my professional life to protecting wronged consumers by using various consumer protection statutes to try and save their homes from foreclosure.
I was Honored by the Palm Beach County Legal Aid society as the 2008 recipient of the Pro Bono Consumer Law award and was one of the initial inductees in the Palm Beach County Legal Aid Pro Bono Hall of Fame after providing more than 500 hours of pro bono services to indigent clients. I was nominated for the 2008 Florida Bar Foundation Medal of Honor Award. I have since contributed hundreds more hours to pro bono indigent work through the HOPE program, the Miami Dade Consumer Services Department, the District 1 Foreclosure Prevention Clinic and gave monthly free advice to consumers for Wellington for several months from May, 2009. I have presented pro bono lectures and created and taught dozens of Continuing Legal Education classes to legal aid societies around the state and on a fee basis.
I am a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Florida Bar, the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, the Florida Justice Association, The Palm Beach County Justice Association. The National Organization for Women, Planned Parenthood, the Palm Beach County DEC, Boca – Delray Dems, Boynton Dems, Palm Beach Dems, West Palm Beach Dems PBC Democratic Women, the PBC HRC, and The LBGTQ Caucus.
I was appointed to Ocean Ridge’s Planning and Zoning Commission in April 2000, elected as the vice chairman for 7 years and then elected chairman in 2008.I continued to serve as the Chair until March 2014 when I was elected to the Ocean Ridge Town Commission for a 3 year term, then reelected to a 2nd 3 year term in March 2017. 1 served 1 year as the vice – mayor and then as the mayor until I resigned to run for state house district 89 representative in November 2018
I was the Ocean Ridge representative to Palm Beach County cares, which was the county committee that coordinated tons of emergency donated supplies to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands following Hurricane Maria and most recently for the Bahamian relief effort.
Secretary – Adele Guadalupe
Adele Guadalupe of Palm Beach County NOW, and one of the founders of Families Against Court Travesties, Inc. (FACTS), has presented “Florida’s Family Court System and Its Effect on Women and Children” to many groups and organizations in Florida. She is also on the Florida NOW Child Custody Committee and National NOW Family Law Committee.
She was born and raised in N.Y.C., is married to Manny, the wind beneath her sails, is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She graduated from Goddard College in Vermont with a degree in journalism, and also studied psychology. She later attended N.Y. School of Design and worked in the field of interior design for many years.
Media – Rebecca Andre’
Rebecca Andre’ marched with her family against the Vietnam War in Washington D.C. while in high school and has been an activist ever since. She majored in Business Administration and caught the fever for life-long learning in Women’s Studies courses, where she earned a Minor and a Master’s Degree at Ohio State University. Beck ultimately earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership with an emphasis on women’s issues in higher education. Educational Technology developed into another fever 23 years ago and Beck served several universities and schools as Ed Tech Director, sharing her love of technology with faculty, staff, and K-20+ students. Beck is a long-time PBC NOW member and also enthusiastically serves on the Advisory Committee for FAU’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She moved to Delray Beach in 2008 where she designs websites and happily resides with her spouse in a super supportive community.
Graphics & Promotion – Cristina Mejia
Cristina is a native of Colombia and became a U.S. citizen last year. She lived in Bogotá with her family for 12 years doing social work.
Cristina has 30+ years of experience in the graphic design industry after obtaining her BFA in Communication Arts after studying at Virginia Commonwealth and Harvard University’s Extension School.
Her experience has been in international editorial design for commercial organizations such as ELLE, Impremedia and General Mills- to social organizations such as the National Immigration Forum, Catholic Relief Services, Rotary Club in Colombia, HOPE worldwide in Latin America. An activist and designer at National Organization for Women in Palm Beach County, FL. and POAST (Partner Organizations Against Sex Trafficking).
CEO of true índigo textiles in Sopó, Colombia (empowering women in remote villages), and she is honored to be part of the team at Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism. Cristina is a certified Spiritual Director from the Hesychia School, a member of Spiritual Directors International, and focuses on the evocative method in her practice.
Director – Michelle Damone
Michelle Damone is a native Floridian and has been a resident of Palm Beach County for the past 23 years where she raised her children through the public school system. Michelle first became active within the community as a park advocate and then served 4 terms in her community as a local elected official.
Michelle has been a life long Democrat first getting involved as a student in the 1988 Presidential campaign in New Hampshire meeting then candidate Michael Dukakis. When asked why Michelle is a Democrat, she will state “to protect Roe vs Wade so women have the right to choose”.
Michelle believes in the ERA as she was raised by a single mother and her grandmother who was widowed at a young age raising 3 children during a time when careers were limited for women. Michelle believes in Planned Parenthood and other organizations similar that provide affordable healthcare for women so women never have to receive medical services in unsafe environments.
Michelle is honored to serve on the local Palm Beach County NOW as she has tremendous respect for the women who blazed paths before her to secure equal opportunities for all women. She will continue to carry the torch to protect women’s rights as women reproductive rights are
being threatened. Michelle will be a strong, wise and vocal advocate for equality as she serves on the PBC NOW Board.
Director — Gloria Stein
Gloria Stein, a NOW member of this chapter for over 20 years, lists these achievements:
- “Raging Granny 4 Peace” singer
- Prolific poetry writer
- Creator and performer of political parodies
- Three daughters, six grandchildren and two great-grandsons
- Has met Gloria Steinem seven times
- Sings Broadway “Baby” everywhere
Leave a Reply