The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners voted yesterday to approve the addition of Florida Senator Nick DiCeglie, Benjamin Friedman, Russell Williams, and Nikisha Lezama to the CareerSource Pinellas Board of Directors.
CareerSource Pinellas seeks candidates on an ongoing basis to join its board. Candidates must be eligible under one of the following four categories.
- Business: owners or executives of firms providing employment opportunities in in-demand industry sectors or occupations in Pinellas County.
- Workforce: representatives of labor organizations, apprenticeship programs, or community-based organizations who assist individuals with barriers to employment or out-of-school youth.
- Education and Training: providers of adult education and literacy under Title II, community colleges, and local educational agencies and community-based organizations providing education or training to individuals with barriers to employment.
- Government, Economic and Community Development: representatives of entities serving the local area relating to transportation, housing, and public assistance; or philanthropic organizations serving the local area.
Learn more about the four new members
Florida Senator Nick DiCeglie
Florida Senator Nick DiCeglie was appointed as a workforce representative to the board. He is President and CEO of Hope Villages of America, formerly RCS Pinellas. This a faith-based nonprofit responding to hunger, homelessness, domestic violence, or a lack of basic needs. Sen. DiCeglie was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018 and to the Florida Senate in 2022, representing Pinellas County. He is a Leadership Pinellas graduate and a past chairman of the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Benjamin Friedman
Benjamin Friedman, CERP was appointed as a business representative to the board. He has been an economic development specialist for Duke Energy since December 2021. Prior to Duke Energy, he spent nearly five years at Pinellas County Economic Development as a business assistant specialist and market intelligence specialist. He is a Certified Economic Research Professional (CERP) by the Council for Community and Economic Research.
Related: CareerSource Pinellas to Help With Second Chance Careers
Nikisha Lezama
Nikisha Lezama was appointed as a business representative to the board. Lezama is a senior human resources generalist for TSE Industries. This is a global polymer manufacturer founded in St. Petersburg in 1962 now under its third generation of family-owned leadership.
Russell Williams
Russell Williams was appointed as a business representative to the board. Williams is director of recruiting for Power Design, a national design-build contractor headquartered in St. Petersburg. He is a graduate of Leadership St. Pete.
“Our newest board members represent a strong slate of businesses and organizations, and their leadership will contribute significantly to the promising future of Pinellas County’s workforce,” said Steve Meier. He’s CEO of CareerSource Pinellas.
CareerSource Pinellas is one of 24 local workforce development boards in Florida. It is governed by a Board of Directors whose members are appointed by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.
