Central Florida Public Media welcomes new trustees to its board

Central Florida Public Media recently elected its 2025 Board of Trustees leadership and six new Board members. Leading the Board this year are Chair Markita D. Cooper, Board Vice Chair Richard (Rich) Reiner and Board Secretary, Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr. The six new trustees are Dr. Gary Montoute, Barbara Oswalt, Sibille Hart Pritchard, Yusila Ramirez, Dan McIntosh and Jorge Hernández Pleitez.

“We are honored to welcome our 2025 Board of Trustees members and leadership,” said Judith Smelser, president and general manager of Central Florida Public Media. “This dynamic group brings diverse perspectives, a passion for public media and public service journalism and a strong commitment to strengthening Central Florida Public Media’s mission to provide trustworthy, independent journalism that empowers and builds understanding in our community.”

Board Leadership

• Chair Markita D. Cooper is a professor of law at Florida A&M University College of Law, where she has also served as associate dean for Academic Affairs. Cooper has been a longtime public media enthusiast, serving in various roles at Central Florida Public Media and other nonprofit organizations. 

• Vice Chair Rich Reiner has held a variety of executive-level positions within the Adventist Health System, now known as AdventHealth, which he retired from in 2015. He provided years of strategic oversight as executive vice president and president/CEO of the system’s multi-state division. 

• Secretary Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr. serves as the City Manager of Sanford and has extensive experience in government leadership and public administration. His commitment to the community is reflected in his leadership roles with the University of Central Florida’s School of Public Administration Advisory Board, the HCA Lake Monroe Hospital Board of Trustees and local chambers of commerce. 

New Trustees

• Dan McIntosh serves as a shareholder at Lowndes and chair of the firm’s real estate department. He holds a J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and has been named to Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Legal Elite by Florida Trend. 

• Dr. Gary Montoute serves as the director of IT/CE in the Office of Chief Technology at Orlando Health. He holds a doctorate in healthcare administration from the University of Lynchburg and is dedicated to creating a voice and space for those experiencing disparities in healthcare.  

• Barbara Oswalt is a semi-retired partner in the regional CPA firm of Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC. She holds a law degree from Ohio State University College of Law and has served on the boards of several community theatre groups and the Space Coast Science Center.  

• Jorge Hernández Pleitez is the chief financial officer for AdventHealth for Children and AdventHealth for Women, as well as vice president of finance for AdventHealth Orlando. He holds two master’s degrees in financial management and business administration with an emphasis in healthcare administration. 

• Sibille Hard Pritchard is a businesswoman with a professional background in journalism, public and government relations, commercial and tourism development and international business development. She currently serves as chair of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and is a member of multiple arts and tourism boards. 

• Yusila Ramirez serves as director of communications for Tavistock, where she helps inspire innovation, foster connections and deliver memorable experiences for several Central Florida communities. She has shaped impactful messaging for global brands such as Walt Disney World, PepsiCo and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Central Florida Public Media is grateful to these community leaders for giving their time and expertise to support and guide the organization’s critical work to empower and inform our community in the years to come.