Before transitioning to CEO, Amy Lyon served in multiple roles at New Life Mission including case manager, facilities coordinator, volunteer coordinator and program director. In 2020, amid the Coronavirus pandemic, Lyon launched New Life Mission’s social enterprise, the Transformed Shop, a sewing center where women in the program learn to cut, sew and create items using repurposed fabric and denim.
Prior to nonprofit work, Lyon had a 20-year career as an award-winning journalist and editor in Minnesota. She earned her Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership. She is also a published author.
Her humanitarian efforts span decades from rebuilding homes in Homestead, Florida in 1990, with Habitat for Humanity, to serving as co-founder and volunteer coordinator of The First Covenant Emergency Homeless Shelter in Minneapolis.
Lyon’s dedication to advocating for families coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit have her uniquely poised to lead the New Life Mission team in this next chapter of equipping homeless moms to transform their families for generations.
Dustin was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and earned his Bachelors’ Degree from Penn State University. Following graduation, he joined the US Navy, where he and his family spent 22 years traveling the United States and the globe in support of our great nation. Dustin’s naval career was predominantly spent flying in aircraft and sailing around the world on aircraft carriers. Following transition from Active Duty, the Hagy family settled down in Brevard County, immediately feeling a sense of community. Dustin has a daughter and a son who attend Viera High School. Dustin currently works in the Aerospace industry as a Program Manager for Northrop Grumman in Melbourne.
Jennifer Kriete is the former Director of the Eastern Florida State College Foundation, Inc. Jennifer graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. She then continued her education at University of Central Florida where she received her Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management.Jennifer began her career as an elementary school teacher. While raising her own children, she became involved in volunteer and philanthropic work. She has volunteered with many organizations, most notably Junior League of South Brevard, Holy Name of Jesus Church, Changes Lives Now, Inc., and Amani Ya Ju. She also was a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Florida Council of Resource Development, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Brevard Estate Planning Council. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce and The Mission on the Mountain, Brevard, NC.Jennifer is married and has two children and 4 granddaughters. She lives in Indialantic, Florida. She loves to exercise, play tennis, and travel.
Robert (Rob) L. Broline Jr. is a Partner for a Top 25 Accounting Firm in Melbourne – Carr, Riggs, & Ingram, LLC. Rob is a certified public accountant and a certified construction auditor. Rob is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), and the National Association of Construction Auditors (NACA). Rob earned his Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Cedarville University in Ohio. Rob also holds a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Theology and was an ordained pastor for about 8 years. Rob and his family are members of Covenant Presbyterian Church. Rob and his wife have two daughters. Rob is an outgoing optimist, non-fiction reader, sports enthusiast and beach lover. Rob is excited to have a part in serving those in need in the Brevard community.
Sami is a graduate of Oglethorpe University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and the University of Central Florida with a Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology. As a 57-year resident of Brevard County and closely tied to the Kennedy Space Program, she is the daughter, wife, and mother of men who have been a part of the Space program since the Apollo era. She has enjoyed several roles in the community as a volunteer, including the Guardian Ad Litem program, Take Stock in Children mentoring program, and School Advisory Committee for her children’s elementary school. She began a women’s weekend retreat program at Georgiana Methodist Church and was one of the original volunteers at New Life Mission. Sami is also a local real estate agent at Coastal Life Properties in Merritt Island, Fla.
Steve Bierbrunner joined Berman Hopkins in 2003 and became an Audit Partner in 2009. With over 35 years of experience, Steve is the firm’s technical expert for Assurance & Advisory engagements. He works with numerous clients and has extensive knowledge of the commercial construction and technology industries. Steve is a true asset to the firm and tirelessly delivers top-notch service to all his clients.
EDUCATION
Master of Science in Taxation Widener University
Bachelor of Science in Accounting Rutgers University
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Public Accountant
States of Florida, New Jersey, and Virginia
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Dr. Michael A. Cadore Sr. has proudly served his community for over three decades through education, public safety, civic engagement, and mentoring. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Community Engagement for External Affairs at Eastern Florida State College.
Dr. Cadore’s background in professional football helped instill the value of teamwork, dedication, and focus. His journey began at Eastern Kentucky University, where he received national recognition as a record-setting kick returner. Dr. Cadore continued his football career in the National Football League when the New Orleans Saints drafted him. He finished his professional football career in Montreal, Canada. His athletic excellence led him to be inducted into the 2014 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame and the 2020 Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Seeking a way to give back to the community, Dr. Cadore became a law enforcement officer, where he served the City of Rockledge until his retirement in 2019. He now serves as a Rockledge city councilman. As founder and President of Magnus Solutions Incorporated, he continues to support the community through consulting, mentoring, community service opportunities, inspirational messaging, and workshops on leadership and business. His community efforts led to him receiving the distinguished alumni award for 2021 from Eastern Florida State College and the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from Eastern Kentucky University.
Throughout all his endeavors, Dr. Cadore prioritizes faith and family. He has been happily married to his high school sweetheart, Cornelia Cadore, for 31 years, and they have three children. He strives to live by the motto, “If you don’t serve your community now, don’t expect your community to serve you later.”
Born in St. Petersburg, Fla., Kevin Downs is a Florida Native and has lived in The Sunshine State his entire life. After graduating from The University of Florida (Go Gators!) in 2000 with a degree in Finance, Kevin sold insurance policies for the first five years of his career. He then became a Florida State Licensed Public Claims Adjuster following Hurricane Wilma, which struck Florida in October 2005.
In June of 2006, Kevin and his teammate started Ask An Adjuster, which has helped more than 50,000 claimants recover over $1 billion from property insurance carriers. With more than 80 adjusters and 30+ office team members, Ask an Adjuster is the largest public adjusting firm in the State of Florida and they are passionate about helping policyholders.
Kevin has a tenacious passion for helping those in need and started his non-profit career sitting on the development council of 4 Kids of South Florida in 2008. He has also helped found a non-profit called Live To Give Family Foundation, and serves in numerous roles throughout the community helping those that need it most.
Kevin has been married for 14 years and has 3 children.
Since founding Guardian Manufacturing in 1993, Chuck Smith’s reach is worldwide. The initial focus of the company was the design, development, and sales implementation of second-generation alcohol interlock devices for the automotive industry. These devices, used by numerous state and city municipalities, regulate the use of automobiles (or other related equipment) to clients who have been convicted of (DUI) driving under the influence of alcohol. Mr. Smith began to learn and develop control systems for providing automated controls of industrial processes. Guardian began to bid and win projects in space and entertainment industries in and around Brevard County. Today, Guardian Manufacturing is known as an industry leader in many areas of control system integration and control. Mr. Smith began exploring the multiple uses and benefits of using ozone to solve industrial treatment problems. This fascination, coupled with unique product innovation, continues and has become a strong growth sector of Guardian’s business. Today, Guardian is recognized as an industry leader in ozone generation products used for gaseous and aqueous applications in food safety and industrial sectors. Headquartered in Cocoa, Florida, and located adjacent to the Cape Canaveral space industry complexes, Guardian’s reach is worldwide. Guardian Manufacturing products and systems are installed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Thailand, China, and Turkey.
Kristina is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, followed by a Master of Social Work from the University of Georgia.
Kristina is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker as well as a Certified Addictions Professional. She has served the Brevard community providing mental health care for over fifteen years through her work in non-profits and private practice.
In 2022, Kristina founded ARISE Mental Health Consulting Services to support the growing need for mental health care services in the community. She has been a long-time supporter of New Life Mission and has been involved with many ministries at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church.
Kristina is also a contributing writer for Catholicmom.com where she shares about ways to incorporate faith into the gift of motherhood.
She has lived in Brevard County since 2007 with her husband, Daniel. They have four school-aged children. She loves sports, fitness, outdoors and musical theater.
Robert Beckner is a partner in the real estate company, Lightle Beckner and Robison. Before Rob’s career in commercial real estate, he spent four years in retail sales management, including managing a staff of over fifteen people, negotiating purchases for products, and satisfying clients’ needs. Rob’s professional services focus primarily on the successful marketing of commercial real estate in East Central Florida and tenant representation throughout the state. Rob rarely turns down the opportunity to spend time with clients and makes extra efforts to solidify a relationship of trust and respect. He is a lifetime follower of Christ, an Eagle Scout, a Florida Iron Man competitor (2010), and a dedicated husband and father of two children.
A 30-year resident of Brevard County, Pennie DiPrima has spent nearly 25 years working in the non-profit and healthcare fundraising sector, lending her talents to organizations such as Wuesthoff Hospital in Rockledge and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After retiring in 2006, she continues her love for helping others by volunteering on several community boards and committees, in addition to fundraising consulting, DiPrima is also is a fashion consultant for ETCETERA, a New York-based designer of women’s clothing. Her agency, Sassy Chic, hosts four seasonal trunk shows a year.
Teresa has lived in the beachside area since 1965 and is a graduate of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School and Melbourne Central Catholic High School. Teresa has been married to Rick for 31 years, and they have three beautiful children. She has earned an A.S. Degree in Dental Hygiene from Palm Beach State College and has a B.S. Degree from the University of Central Florida. She is very involved in her community and church, serving in many capacities in the following organizations: Brevard County Dental Hygiene Society, Junior League of South Brevard, Melbourne Alumnae Panhellenic, Holy Name of Jesus School Board, and The Haven for Children. Her interests include tennis, waterskiing, snow skiing, travel, and reading.
Michelle Shoultz is the President of Frazier Engineering, Inc., a construction and engineering firm and is a licensed professional engineer. She has a BS in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University and an MS in Environmental Engineering from Florida Tech. Michelle is an active parishioner at Holy Name of Jesus and supports many organizations throughout the community. She looks forward to utilizing her problem-solving skills and engineering mind to help build the future of the NLM. Michelle is married and has two very entertaining, energetic, and fearless boys (just like their dad).
As a Brevard County native of Rockledge, Brian has worked in the Insurance and Financial Services field for over fifteen years. He attends Church at Viera and is married with two beautiful children. Brian is a State Farm Agent in West Melbourne, where he has served the community for ten years. New Life Mission is grateful for Brian West’s experience and expertise that will help support the continued growth and development of New Life Mission.