CARD

Ted Miller is the founder of Ted Miller Group, LLC, a boutique public relations firm supporting technology companies and startups in South Florida and around the globe. Prior to founding his own firm, Ted served as Associate VP of Public Relations & Social Media for Royal Caribbean International and spent 8 years on the senior communications team at Apple working on global product launches and key initiatives in health and accessibility. Ted has been instrumental in securing high-visibility media opportunities for CARD’s Autism Friendly Initiative and led the production of the 2020 Tropical Nights virtual event. Ted and his wife Chrissy, along with boys, aged 5 and 7, reside in Pinecrest. The couple’s 7-year old son Jack was diagnosed with ASD in April 2019 by University of Miami’s Autism Spectrum Assessment Clinic. They are active in many of CARD’s programs, fundraising efforts, and grant programs. 

Nory M. Acosta-Lopez was born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida. A double ‘Cane, she obtained her B.B.A. in Legal Studies, cum laude, with a minor in Spanish from the University of Miami School of Business. She then received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

Since 2006, Ms. Acosta-Lopez has focused her practice on representing both large and small business clients with numerous issues, including banking issues, commercial foreclosures, UCC-related matters, negotiable instruments, real estate disputes, corporate law, and labor/employment matters.

Ms. Acosta-Lopez has the unique ability to conduct cases entirely in either English or Spanish. Ms. Acosta-Lopez’s practice has included all aspects of case and trial preparation, for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Ms. Acosta-Lopez is a member of the Florida Bar, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She is an active member of the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) – sitting on the CABA Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Ms. Acosta-Lopez’s family has been registered with CARD since her oldest son’s non-verbal autism diagnosis in early 2018. After meeting with Dr. Adreon, Ms. Acosta-Lopez and her family were able to put together a plan to start therapies, apply for scholarships, and generally “get the ball rolling” to help their son reach his maximum potential. Their participation in UM CARD was crucial in starting to understand their new life. Ms. Acosta-Lopez knows first-hand that such a resource is crucial, especially for families with a new diagnosis.

Given her prior Board experience, Ms. Acosta-Lopez believes that she can be a very productive member of UM CARD’s constituency board. Both of her board participation experiences were/are on working boards that put together fundraising initiatives, networking activities, legislative initiatives, and membership boosting drives. Ms. Acosta-Lopez understands that CARD’s mission of providing support to families like hers can only be achieved if people are aware of what CARD actually does.

Diana Abril is a corporate attorney and legal executive with 18 years of experience spanning large law firms and multinational public and private corporations.  She and her husband, Tomas Fernandez, are residents of Palmetto Bay and have three young children. They have been constituents and supporters of CARD since their middle child was diagnosed with Autism in 2017.  Diana is a passionate advocate for the rights of children and adults with disabilities.  She is a proud graduate of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council’s Partners in Policymaking program, and a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and of the Florida Association of Special Education Attorneys.  She currently Chairs the Autism Society of Florida's Safe Schools Taskforce.

Jairo Arana is a resident of Miami-Dade County and began his journey as a self-advocate after receiving his diagnosis and participating in CARD’s Job SEEKers Program. He participated and graduated from the UM Mailman Center for Child Development Project SALT (Self-Advocate Leadership Training) Program. After graduating, he became a trainer for Project SALT and a consultant for the UM Mailman Center for Child Development. He was also the UM Mailman Center for Child Development’s first LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Self-advocate trainee. He holds Bachelor’s Degrees of Arts and Science in Communication/Motion Pictures and in English/Creative Writing, from UM and works fulltime at the UM Mailman Center as a Clinical Program Coordinator.

Julliana Carranza Escobar, a resident of Broward County, is the proud mother of a young adult on the autism spectrum. She and her family currently live in the Pompano Beach and have been clients of CARD since 2008. Julliana and her family are very active in their community not only by promoting inclusion, law enforcement training, autism awareness and autism acceptance but also by keeping their son involved in different activities such as self-advocacy, community involvement, community service, arts, etc. Julliana previously served as an Autism Ambassador for the Autism Society of Broward County. Besides being a very active and proactive mom, she works in banking and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management from the Universidad San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru.

Chendo Chavarria is currently a Vice President for Client Services at VISA’s Latin America and the Caribbean region. Over 25 years, Chendo has built a career in international management, building multicultural teams and leading people around the world. Chendo and his wife Lorena are parents of a young adult with Autism and have become active in advocating for a better understanding and acceptance of Neurodivergence in society and workplaces. Chendo services as the Latin America Caribbean chair of VISA’s Viable employee resource group for people with disabilities and is a charter member and chair of the VISA Neurodiversity and Autism group. Chendo and his family live in Pinecrest in Miami-Date County. They have been proud CARD constituents since 2011.

Sam Chera, is the founder of Posh Tech LLC, a company specializing in Fashion Tech accessories. Posh Tech caters to a diverse clientele, serving both retailers and online customers with a wide range of innovative products. Alongside his wife, Chanel, Sam is a proud parent of two remarkable children, aged 8 and 5, who are on the Autism Spectrum. Originally from New York, Sam & Chanel made the decision to relocate to South Florida in September 2020, driven by their commitment to providing their children with an enhanced quality of life.

Since 2021, Sam's family has been fortunate to receive vital services from CARD. The support and assistance provided has played a pivotal role in their journey.  Sam and Chanel actively participate in the Parent Support groups, cherishing the opportunity to connect with fellow parents who understand their unique experiences.

Sherri DiMarco was first introduced to CARD in 2017 when her daughter, Ansley, was 3 and received her ASD diagnosis. Sherri and her family are grateful to CARD for their help and have been enthusiastic supporters of the organization ever since. Sherri previously owned and operated The Bar Method Miami, a boutique fitness studio and practiced law as a corporate attorney. She has a BS in Finance from the University of Florida and JD from Georgetown University Law Center. Sherri has been married to her husband, Paul, since 2004. They also have a son, Christian, born in 2011. They reside in Coral Gables.

Juan Fernandez, a resident of Miami-Dade County, is a healthcare technology professional delivering improved workflow and revenue cycle efficiencies to payers and post-acute healthcare providers.  A member of HFMA and a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional.  Juan currently serves as a senior director for a leading SaaS homecare technology firm. He and his spouse Natalie, have one child who was diagnosed with Autism in 2017. The Fernandez Family has received services from CARD since 2017.

Pastor Fuster Jr., a resident of Miami-Dade County, has been a CARD constituent since 2018, a supporter of Tropical Nights, and a frequent attendee at the ‘Just for Dads’ support group. A proud father of two beautiful children, Joshua and Natalia. He and his wife, Adriana, received Joshua’s diagnosis of ASD in the summer of 2017 (he was 3 years old). Pastor is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner and practices at his own firm in the Miami Lakes area. He focuses on retirement planning, estate planning, investments, and insurance. Pastor is pursuing the Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC) designation to help families navigate the complexities of financial planning for individuals with special needs. Pastor is a part of the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce, has served as Director in various organizations within the church community, and was recognized by FIU with a Medal of Distinction for his civic engagement.

Lorraine Grobarek is the parent of a flourishing young man on the autism spectrum. She has been an active CARD constituent, working to expand services and impact in the Florida Keys, and served two earlier terms on the CARD Constituency Board (2017-2023). She is motivated to see her son and others on the spectrum achieve their maximum potential in life, and she is focused on community service primarily with youth and special needs organizations after a career with extensive experience in management and marketing at the national level with Fortune 500 companies.

Ariana Habib, a resident of Broward County, has been a CARD constituent since 2015. They are passionate about affordable housing and other social issues for individuals on the spectrum and are very open about their diagnoses. As a self-advocate, Ariana hopes to bring new perspectives to the CARD constituent board including on topics they are most passionate about. In their spare time, they like to listen to music, play video games, chat with friends, and go to anime conferences. 

Ysela Heim, founder of Special Education Advocacy Services, LLC, has been a tireless advocate for students with disabilities in South Florida for over 16 years. Ysela has always been a supporter of CARD and serves many of our families in need of first-rate advocacy services. In addition to her professional advocacy work, Ysela is a former Chairperson and member of the CARD Constituency Board and has also chaired Tropical Nights and Autumn Moonlight. In addition, through the years, Ysela has served as a past board member and co-chair for NAAR, Autism Speaks, Autism Society of Broward County, and SFACS. She has served as PTO/PTA President for the Baudhuin School and SFACS. Proud mother of 3, her 19-year old son Chandler was diagnosed at the age of 2 with Autism and at the age of 16 with Epilepsy. In addition to all her work in the community, she is a community philanthropist and supports various organizations. Ysela is excited to be back and looking forward to work alongside this amazing board. 

Gianni LaCapra, a Miami native with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Florida International University is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Decorative Sales Associates. Gianni and her husband, Cristian, were first introduced to CARD when their son, Nico, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2018 just before he turned 2. They will forever be grateful for the guidance and support that CARD  provided their family at such a difficult time. 

She was a proud board member of the Girls Inc of Greater Miami from 2018 – 2022, where she was able to embrace her passion of empowering all women and inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold.  Additionally, she has dedicated her time and efforts to the Dolphins Cancer Challenge that raises funds and awareness for cancer research for the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Gianni believes in CARD’s mission of optimizing the potential of people with autism and related diseases.  She is truly passionate about the influence CARD can have on the autism community and would love to be a part of sharing this organization with our community.

Jean-Baptiste Ramet is originally from Nice in the south of France and has now been living in Miami for 16 years. His family include his wife of 8 years Daisy and both are parents of Adrian, a 6 years old non verbal boy in the spectrum and Emilia, a 3 year old.

He started his relationship with CARD after his son was diagnosed at 18 months and has been a member of the Just for Dads group ever since.

Jean-Baptiste is a commercial real estate broker and investor based in Coral Gables, who also manages Short Term Rentals. He graduated from the University of Monaco with a business degree and got a Master’s in Real Estate from FIU.

Robbin Simmons, is a wife and mother of two. Before her youngest turned one, she and her husband, Paolo Mugnaini suspected he might be on the autism spectrum. That started a bumpy and frustrating road to get an official diagnosis. After an early screening, the health professional said there was nothing amiss and suggested Robbin might benefit from help. Pursuing a second opinion, their child was finally diagnosed at 18 months. Robbin is an anchor and reporter at WSVN-TV. She has a Bachelor of Communication Studies from the University of Iowa and a Master of Journalism from Northwestern University. Robbin has reported on racial disparities in healthcare and has learned firsthand how critical early diagnoses are for autism. She feels humbled and honored to join the CARD community in a different capacity. Their resources were invaluable as a client…now she’s thrilled to join as a member of the constituency board.