For Immediate Release
Easterseals South Florida announces the appointment of three new members to our Board of Directors
Miami, FL, March 10, 2025
Media Contact:
Pietro Bonacossa
pbonacossa@sfl.easterseals.com
Miami, FL – Easterseals South Florida (ESSF) is proud to announce that Loreen Chant, Craig Applebaum, and Alicia Gonzalez-Monrabal have joined the Easterseals South Florida Board of Directors.“I’m excited to welcome three incredible, passionate, and strategic leaders to our Easterseals South Florida family,” says President & CEO, Camila Rocha. “Our former CEO and my mentor, Loreen Chant, returns to us with a wealth of knowledge and invaluable experience that will help strengthen our work. Alicia Gonzalez-Monrabal and Craig Applebaum are not only wonderful additions to our Board but also dedicated community leaders who lead with heart and purpose. Each of them truly understands the power of meaningful partnerships in driving our mission forward and creating a lasting impact in the lives of those we serve.”
Loreen Chantis recognized as a community leader in South Florida, Loreen Chant currently serves as the president and CEO of the Health Foundation of South Florida. Since her appointment in 2021 as the first woman to lead the Foundation in its thirty-year history, she has led the Foundation’s strategic investments and advanced important initiatives and partnerships to advance health equity in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe Counties.The Foundation’s mission is to invest in collaborations, policy, and systems changes that improve the health of South Florida communities with a focus on low-income communities. Prior to leading The Health Foundation of South Florida, Loreen served as President and CEO of Easterseals South Florida where she led the organization through a period of transformative growth by expanding programs and services, opening new centers, and achieving unprecedented fundraising milestones. Loreen also spent more than 20 years working in higher education, serving as Vice President and then President of Johnson & Wales University’s North Miami Campus.
Craig Applebaum is an experienced litigating attorney in complex commercial, class action, insurance, wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, and unlawful termination. Craig has successfully briefed state appellate courts, federal appellate courts, and the Florida Supreme Court. In total, Craig has helped clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars with his vast knowledge and experience.Craig worked as an associate general counsel for a publicly traded company until clerking for the complex business litigation division in Miami for the Honorable John Thornton Jr. Since that time, he has worked and expanded his areas of expertise into class action, complex commercial litigation, and insurance at a boutique firm in Coral Gables. He then spent went on to become the General Counsel and Senior Vice President for an insurance services company focused on helping Insureds recover. Now, Craig manages his law firm and excels at helping his clients achieve favorable results in complex business, neighboring construction, insurance, catastrophic personal injury, and employee disputes.
Alicia Gonzalez-Monrabal is an Executive Director with Community Impact Team at JPMorgan Chase, leading Racial Equity Commitments in Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Detroit. Alicia has dedicated 36 years of service to JPMorgan Chase. Prior to her current role in Community Impact Team, most of her career was in the Consumer Banking Retail Branch network where she held several leadership roles. In her current role, Alicia works
closely with Market Leadership to localize Financial Resources and help close the wealth gap that exists in our communities.
Please join us in welcoming these extraordinary leaders and community pillars – whose passion, commitment, and dedication to our mission are truly unbounded. Thank you for your continued support!
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About Easterseals
Easterseals empowers people to live independent, full lives. We make a lasting difference in the lives of 1.5 million people each year by providing essential services to children and adults with disabilities, older adults, veterans, and their families. Our national network of 70 Affiliates is trusted to provide programs customized to meet the needs of each community we serve from coast-to-coast—trust earned for more than 100 years. We positively shape perceptions and address the evolving needs of more than one in four Americans with disabilities through public education, policy, and advocacy. That’s our impact. In thousands of communities across America. To learn more, visit Easterseals.com or follow our socials.
About Easterseals South Florida
Easterseals South Florida (ESSF) has been a leading provider of disability services since its founding in 1942. With more than 80 years of service in Miami Dade County, Easterseals provides vital programs and services. Our mission is to change the way the world defines and views disabilities by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day. ESSF’s vision is to provide quality services for every stage of life so that children, adults, and seniors can reach their full potential and live dignified lives. We will achieve that through our mission, to provide services that address equity and inclusion disparities for individuals with disabilities, by enhancing education, advancing health, expanding employment, and elevating the community.
