Joel S. Fass, Esq. – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Joel Stephen Fass is known by his peers and clients as a skilled litigator, negotiator and client advocate. Since partnering with Mike Colodny in 1974,
Joel Stephen Fass is known by his peers and clients as a skilled litigator, negotiator and client advocate. Since partnering with Mike Colodny in 1974,
Mark Forst is the proud and successful owner of his own small company, A.M.E.’s Uniforms in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He and his wife, Susan, are enthusiastic and committed child advocates in the area. They recently developed a relationship with Florida’s Children First, which grew very strong in a short amount of time. Complete Bio
Debbie and George have devoted their lives and careers towards rehabilitation, with animals. They are the proud owners of Gentle Carousel, Inc. which is an
Professor Glynn received his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University, his law degree from American University, Washington College of Law, Master’s in Justice also from American University, and his LLM, Master’s in Legal Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center. Complete Bio
Evan earned his B.A. from American University and his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. He currently serves as the Manager of Public Affairs and Organizational Development for the Children’s Services Council of Broward County. He has extensive government, not-for profit and… Complete Bio
Nancy W. Gregoire attended the University of Florida, receiving her B.A., with honors in 1965; and her Masters in Education in 1970; as well as graduating from the University of Miami College of Law with honors, in 1984. Nancy became a Florida Bar Certified Appellate Attorney in 1994. Complete Bio
Walter earned his B.A. in anthropology from Franklin and Marshal College, Master’s in Intercultural Human Service Management from the School of International Training, and his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University. He is currently the supervising attorney of the Children’s Advocacy Program of… Complete Bio
Jay is currently an attorney representing child and adult victims of crime in a variety of civil cases. In 1984 he founded and served as the first Executive Director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington D.C. He has authored Florida statutes on the issues of sexual predators… Complete Bio
Chris graduated from Rutgers University with Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and Psychology. He received his law degree from the University of California in Berkeley where he was awarded a Berkeley Law Foundation Fellowship. He is currently the Executive Director of Florida Institutional Legal Services, Inc. (FILS), which… Complete Bio
Dr. Lippman received his degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Columbia University College of Pharmacy and holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration. He has been a community pharmacist for over 20 years, and currently serves as the chief academic officer and Chancellor of Health Professions of… Complete Bio
FYS Events & Meeting Chair
(Palm Beach)
Hello, My name is Alexia Nechayev. I am 25 years old and I am an alumna of Florida International University where I received my B.A. in Psychology. My future career goal is to be a Lawyer. I was in care for about one year from age 17 to 18. Prior to entering care, I only knew about the negative stigma regarding foster care and while in care that narrative was unfortunately my experience.
In school I felt like I was on display because my status in care was broadcast to other students and in my placement behavior was leveraged for “privileges” that should be a natural right of all children. Because I did not know my rights I did not know that what I was experiencing was wrong. Today this is exactly why I advocate, because I don’t want this to be the same for other youth who are experiencing foster care.
This is my second year on the FYS Statewide Board and I’m happy to be the Events and Meetings Chair this year because my main goal through advocacy is to reach as many people as possible. My favorite thing as a board member is to see how comfortable members become while working together. The community needs to know that youth in foster care are real people, going through some of the hardest moments of their life and youth need to know that their voice is powerful. I believe that we have to speak up and bring these issues to people’s attention so that they do not forget us. Advocacy, education and consistency is the only way.