President and Founder
Pamela Katz Zakheim, M. Ed.
Pam holds a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Leslie College in Cambridge, MA, with a specialization in psycho-diagnosis and group therapy. She has additional specialized training as a Family Therapist at both the Cambridge Family Institute, Cambridge, MA & the Centro Milanese Di Terapia Della Famiglia, Milan, Italy. She had a private practice as a psychotherapist in Brookline, MA from 1980 until 1995. Concurrently she founded an organizational and management consultation service for small retail businesses and physicians offices. She is the founder of both The Wellness Community-Greater Boston and the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami (formerly The Wellness Community-Greater Miami).  To read more about Pam and her history with the organization, please click here.

Chairman
Erik S. Sherman
John Hancock Life Insurance Co.
Investment Advisor Representative
Erik has been with John Hancock for the past 10 years. Recently, Erik has been recognized as one of the top ten producers nationwide for John Hancock Financial Network. His background in finance, insurance, and investments and his ability to embrace a team philosophy when working with clients has earned him the trust and confidence with his clients in meeting their financial needs.

Vice-Chairman
John Arasi
Sharp General Contractors
President
John M. Arasi founded Sharp General Contractors 15 years ago. He is a State Certified General Contractor and also licensed in Mold remediation. SGC specializes in commercial building, mainly medical facilities and dialysis centers. Although his office is located here in South Florida, his company currently has projects under construction or completed throughout Florida including Fort Meyers, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee and Daytona.

Secretary
Richard Rubinson, MD
Cardio Thoracic Surgeon
(Retired)
Richard Rubinson, M.D. is a Cardio Thoracic surgeon (retired) who practiced in the South Miami - Baptist area for over thirty years. He is past president of the Dade County Medical Association and served on the Public Health Trust for ten years. His retirement interests include fishing, orchid culture, participation in Habitat For Humanity, and collecting the stamps of Canada.

Adam Carlin
The Bermont/Carlin Group - Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Managing Director - Wealth Management / Senior Portfolio Management Director
The Bermont/Carlin Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney was founded in 1974. For more than 30 years, under the leadership of Portfolio Managers Richard B. Bermont and Adam E. Carlin who joined in 1994, the Group's primary mission has been to build close, cooperative, and enduring relationships with clients that judiciously help them preserve and grow their wealth.

Candace Falsetto
Northern Trust Bank
Vice President, Commercial Banking Group
Candace is tasked with promoting a new commercial bank to investors to achieve an initial capital investment of $40 million. She networks with local and out of state investors and advises prospective clients. Candace has a Masters Degree in Finance from Florida International University, and has served on the Board of the Junior League of Miami.

Pete Izaguirre
Pantry Liquors & Fine Wines
Owner
Pete is the owner of Pantry Liquors since 1980. He is also the President of The Sunshine Liquor Group, the largest independent liquor pool buying group in the state of Florida, with over 400 members. He is a member of the Florida Retail Federation, and he also serves on the board of The Retail Beverage Council. He is President of Granada Golf Association in Coral Gables. He is a graduate of Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Jane Mass, R.N. M.S.N.
Jane recently retired after 33 years from the Jackson Health System where she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. In her role she was responsible for the nursing practice of the 3,600 Registered Nurses throughout the system. During her long career she served on many boards and participated in many health care and professional organizations such as the South Florida Nursing Consortium - where she was a founder and long time board member. She was appointed by Governor Crist to serve as a Board member of the Florida Center for Nursing and also was a member of the University of Miami School of Nursing Visiting Committee. Throughout her career she has always been committed to quality patient care and sees working with the Cancer Support Community as a continuation of that work.

Arturo Mesa
Miami Breast Institute and Radiology Association of South Miami, PLCC
Co-founder and Executive Director
Miami Breast Institute is an ACR Breast Imaging Center of Excellence that is fully committed to the early detection of breast cancer. Before opening MBI, Art was Senior Vice President of Investment Services at Bank of America. In 2001 he formed    A.J. Mesa Wealth Management Group on Brickell Avenue in Miami. Art is a graduate of the University of Miami and an active member of the Radiology Business Management Association. He also serves on the finance and education committee of the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.

Arnaldo (Arnie) Perez
Carnival Corporation
General Counsel & Senior Vice President – Legal
Arnaldo Perez joined Carnival Corporation in July 1992 as assistant general counsel and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Miami in 1982 and a J.D. ("Juris Doctor") from Columbia University in 1985. He was a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Perez has been a "Big Brother" through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Miami and Mentoring Resource Center and has chaired the United Way-Legal Division annual campaign several times.

Margarita M. Pons, CPA
Advanced Medical Specialties (AMS)
Executive Director
With financial operations leadership for healthcare since 1987, Maggy currently serves as Executive Director for AMS, a forty-one physician oncology practice she helped form via consolidation in 2005.  Historically, Maggy’s financial career began in Miami as a Staff Accountant at a private practice.  Then, from 1984 through 1987, she worked with the global accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand in the Audit Staff and Emerging Business Services departments.  With Coopers & Lybrand, she provided financial leadership to a diversity of business sectors, since 1987, she has specialized in healthcare.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Maggy’s interests include the performing arts and fine arts with a special affinity for works by Cuban artists. She also enjoys the culinary arts and experiencing diverse cultures and destinations through world travel.

Joe Roisman
Perry Ellis International
Executive Vice-President
Roisman just completed 41 years of service at Perry Ellis International. The company is a leading designer, distributor and licensor of apparel and accessories for men and women. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns or licenses a portfolio of brands including 29 of leading names in fashion such as Savane®, Jantzen®, Original Penguin®, Callaway®, Nike® Swim, Cubavera®, Laundry by Shelli Siegal®, C & C California.®

Additionally, he has been an active member of the Beacon Council since 1998. He serves on the executive Board of directors and is the Chairman of the Fashion Lifestyle committee. He also serves on the cabinet of United Way of Miami Dade overseeing the retail division. He served on the executive Board of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, The Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center, South Dade Executive Council of AIPAC and is a past president of Temple Samu-El Or Olom.

Joe came to the United States from Cuba via Israel. He served in the Israeli Defense Forces and is a veteran of the 1967 six day war. Married to Wife Aida for 42 years and they have 4 sons and 3 grandchildren.

Debra Schottenstein
Debra has focused on volunteer work in Miami for the past 17 years. For 14 years she has been a member of the Community Council, a volunteer arm of Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation and has served as past president and Gala chairman for that organization. Debra is also a past Board Chairman of the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami as well as a founding Board Member.

Adam Spiegel, CPA
Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLC
Principal, Tax and Accounting
Adam Spiegel, CPA, is a principal in the Tax and Accounting Department at MBAF. Adam has been involved in all aspects of accounting services and accounting systems for closely-held businesses and individuals ranging in size from start-ups to $1 billion. He focuses his practice in providing financial analysis and tax planning services to various industries including professional services firms, real estate and hospitality. He is a member of the United Way of Miami-Dade Young Leaders Society and a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Miami Graduate.

Edie Spiegel
Edie has a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education and has taught and worked in many areas of the field including public and private school education for teens and adults. Volunteerism has been a major part of her life. She has been affiliated with the American Cancer Society as a Chairperson of the Relay For Life for ten years, a member of the Relay Advisory Team for the Mid South Division of the American Cancer Society, and its Chairman of the Mississippi Leadership Council. She is the past president of the Kosciusko Rotary Club and the past president of Kosciusko Foundation for Excellence in Education. She has been part of the creation of many educational institutions such as Brandeis Academy of Miami, The Literacy Council and Adult High School of Livingston, Tennessee, and The Oprah Winfrey Boys and Girls Club in Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Robert Stamen, Esq
Packman, Neuwahl & Rosenberg
Bob has spent his entire legal career at Packman, Neuwahl & Rosenberg, and has concentrated his practice on estate planning, pension and profit sharing plans, individual income taxation, and corporation law. He is a member of The Estate Planning Council of Dade County and a former Board Chairman of the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami.

Carole Wright
Gibraltar Private
Senior Vice President / Private Banking Officer
Carole Wright joined Gibraltar Private as a Senior Vice President, Private Banking Officer. Prior to joining Gibraltar, Ms. Wright worked for SunTrust as a Vice President for 16 years where she spent the majority of her career in the Private Banking Division. Ms. Wright is involved in several community organizations including being a member of the Miami City Club, Florida State Alumni Association and the Seminole Club of Greater Miami where she was also a past treasurer. In addition, she is active in her local Church.

Richard Zakheim, MD
Miami Children's Hospital
Founder & Director Emeritus: Pediatric Cardiology Department
Director: Adult Congenital Heart Program
Dr. Zakheim founded Miami Children's Hospital's Cardiology Department and served as its director until 2002. Previously, he was Director of the Pediatric Cardiology Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.  Dr. Zakheim received his medical degree at Albert Einstein Medical School in New York and trained in pediatric cardiology at Children's Hospital Boston. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics and the Sub-board of Pediatric Cardiology.

Danielle F. Spiegelman
Executive Director
A Miami native, Danielle Spiegelman has more than 20 years of corporate and non-profit fundraising experience. Before joining the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami, Spiegelman was the Development Director for Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest where she partnered with lay leadership to create and implement a fundraising program for the Synagogue, Day and Religious Schools.

Prior to joining Temple Beth Am Spiegelman was the Marketing Director for The Falls shopping center for eight years.  Spiegelman was responsible for all marketing, advertising, local branding, public relations, corporate and promotional partnerships, center special events and web based marketing.  Spiegelman came to The Falls from the University of Miami / Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center where she served as Director of Special Events for three years overseeing all fundraising events and auxiliary organizations as well as implementing Hospital-based special events and dedications.  Formally she worked as the National Regional Accounts Manager and as the Sales Manager at Elegant Bride magazine and Senior Accounts Manager for Herb Weiner Associates.

Spiegelman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising from the University of Florida.  Her personal community and philanthropic involvement spans the following organizations: the Greater Miami Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Former Marketing Committee Board; Greater Miami Jewish Federation - Women's Division for Southwest Dade, UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; Hadassah; Children's Home Society; Miami Children's Hospital, Temple Beth Am, the Greater Miami Advertising Federation – Former Board Member, and the National Society of Fundraising Executives.

Spiegelman is married with three children.

Peggy Rios, Ph.D
Program Director
Dr. Peggy Rios received her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Maryland in 1995. She further complemented her training with a post-doctoral appointment at the University of Houston where she focused on intercultural and cross cultural aspects of health. In 1996, she transferred to the University of Miami as a full-time faculty member. After five years studying and teaching about cultural influences on mental health and developing a private practice serving critically ill patients, Dr. Rios transitioned to The Wellness Community - Greater Miami, where she is the program director. The Wellness Community is now known as the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami. In the last nine years, Dr. Peggy Rios has dedicated herself to the growth of Cancer Support Community programs to the benefit of cancer patients and in particular Hispanic underserved patients.

Presenting her work at conferences for the American Psycho-Oncology Society and the International Psycho-Oncology Society as well as for many local organizations, Dr. Rios is also an Adjunct Faculty member at University of Miami.  She also facilitates support groups online through the Cancer Support Community National Headquarters.

Amparo Alvarez
Outreach Coordinator
Amparo Alvarez first joined the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami (formally The Wellness Community – Greater Miami) as a volunteer medical interpreter for the Return to Wellness program that CSC began offering at UM-Jackson Memorial Hospital in the spring of 2003. With considerable experience in the development of community outreach programs to underserved populations, she was soon hired as the Coordinator for Community Outreach. 

Alvarez is an alumna of Douglass College-Rutgers University in NJ and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Psychology, and a Certificate of Translation Studies in Spanish. As Community Outreach Coordinator, she is responsible for the promotion of CSC programs and services to the healthcare community and to people affected by cancer. She assists the Program Director in the editing of translations and other Program publications. Additionally, she provides simultaneous language interpretation of cancer-related lectures to monolingual Spanish speaking Participants at CSC. Amparo has received awards from the American Cancer Society, the Baptist Health Congregational Health Program, and the Church of the Ascension for community partnering and collaborations in the advancement of cancer education, advocacy and community service.

Prior to moving to Miami in 2002, Alvarez worked with the Dean for Community Health at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey (UMDNJ) to create an innovative program of medical interpreting to help non-English speaking patients to communicate more effectively with healthcare providers in clinical settings. While at UMDNJ, she spoke about language access programs for the underserved at various health disparities workshops and conferences. At Rutgers University, she designed and taught the first offering of the Hospital & Community Interpreting course at this university in 2000.

Miriam Prieto Lopez
Program Assistant
Miriam Prieto Lopez has been with the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami (formally The Wellness Community - Greater Miami) since it opened its doors in 2002.  She holds an Associate of Science in Administrative Healthcare Management and has specialized training for physician offices, medical specialty clinics and hospital environments.  She has advanced knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting, standardized medical coding, records management, and the professional operations of the healthcare facilities.

Prieto Lopez is responsible for assisting the Program Director in all aspects of Community programming as necessary, as well as maintaining an open level of communication and hospitability towards all participants and inquirers.  She is also responsible for maintaining all of the participant records and data information as well as preparing various statistical reports for the Program Director and the National arm of the Cancer Support Community. Additionally, Prieto Lopez does all the graphic design for the monthly program calendar, and is responsible for distributing them to our participants, medical offices, and other interested parties.

As a licensed cosmetologist, Prieto Lopez has been trained to offer the American Cancer Society's "Look Good, Feel Better" program for women undergoing cancer treatment, which she volunteers to run monthly at the Cancer Support Community facility.

Susie Winslow-Garcia
Administrative Assistant
Susie Winslow-Garcia graduated from Florida International University’s School of Architecture in 2008 where she earned her Bachelor of Interiors degree in Interior Design.  Before joining the Cancer Support Community Greater Miami in July 2011, Susie worked for Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra LLC as a Tax Processor in the Tax & Accounting Department.

Winslow-Garcia acts as a volunteer for The Universal Charity Foundation, Inc., United Way and has participated in the Susan G. Komen, Race For The Cure.  Her experience in these, and many other important charitable causes, has motivated Winslow-Garcia to dedicate herself to a career in the non-profit arena.  In addition to her new role as the CSCGM Administrative Assistant, Susie is a graduate student pursuing her Master’s degree in Public Administration at Florida International University.