Board

Board of Directors

Dr. Huijun Yang, Chairman

Dr. Yang is the Founder of Yang Management, Inc. with interest in commercial real estate investment and management as well other businesses; Managing Director of LongRunn Alpha Capital, LLC., an international venture capital company with current interest in healthcare and green technology; a Founding Board Member and Shareholder of VR Medical Technology, a healthcare device maker.

Dr. Yang is current Board Member of Tampa Bay Regional World Affair Council, and served as Board Member of International Business Summit, the Founding Chairman and past President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay, past President of the Suncoast Association of Chinese Americans, and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of 2006 Tampa Bay China Expo.

Dr. Yang came to US in 1985 from the Peking University, China. After obtaining Ph.D. from the Florida State University in 1991, he worked as a research associate at the University of Chicago for three years, also a visiting professor and scientist at the University of Florida, Princeton University, and MIT/WHOI. He then worked as a visiting associate professor and senior scientist at the University of South Florida for seven years. He served on the editorial boards of two international journals, published a book, and authored more than 35 papers. He also served as Global Organizing Committee Member and Session Chairman for First, Second and Third World Congress of Nonlinear Analysts. He was an invited speaker at national and international conferences as well as many world leading institutions in North America and China.

Mr. William J. Flynn III

Mr. Bill Flynn is a Shareholder of Fowler White Boggs P.A.  He serves as a Member of the Board of Directors and as Secretary/Treasurer of the firm and heads the International Practice Group.  He received his B.A. degree from Georgetown University and his J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from the State University of New York.  Mr. Flynn is a member of the Florida and New York Bars.  Mr. Flynn is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Immigration and Nationality Law.  He is and has been a member, officer or director of numerous civic and trade organization including the Tampa Bay International Trade Council of which he is a former Chairman.  He has lectured extensively on immigration law topics and has published a number of articles on immigration law in professional journals, newspaper and textbooks.  He serves as Adjunct Professor of Immigration Law at Stetson University College of Law. 

Mr. Flynn is a graduate of Leadership Florida Class XXII.  He was selected in 2005 and 2009 by Florida Trend as a member of Florida Legal Elite.  In 2006 – 2009 Mr. Flynn was selected by Chambers USA, Inc. as one of America’s leading lawyers for business, and was also named as a Florida Super Lawyer 2006 – 2009.  He was cited in Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers – 2006 and 2007 editions and was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America 2006 – 2010.  He is AV peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Bill Flynn’s practice has been exclusively in Immigration Law for the past 30 years.  His clients include multinational corporations, medical, financial and academic institutions, athletes and performers, information technology providers and users, foreign investors, manufacturers and individuals from over 70 countries.  He has been an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association since 1980.

MR. GRANT PETERSEN

Mr. Grant Petersen is a Shareholder in the Tampa Office of Ogletree Deakins, the third largest law firm in the U.S. representing and counseling employers in all areas of labor and employment law. For the past 31 years, Mr. Petersen has helped employers comply with U.S. and international labor and employment laws, and has represented employers in employment litigation matters.  Each year since 2007, Mr. Petersen has been listed in Best Lawyers in America and Florida Super Lawyers in the areas of labor and employment law and international law.  Additionally, Mr. Petersen was selected by the Tampa Tribune to be listed in the 2011 edition of Tampa’s Best Lawyers.

Mr. Derek Lloyd

Mr. Derek Lloyd is the Founder and President of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay (CACCTB). Mr. Lloyd is originally from Trinidad & Tobago, and has resided in Nigeria, Scotland, London, Holland, Qatar and has lived and visited numerous Caribbean nations. Mr. Lloyd is the Founder of the Chamber. During his tenure as President, Mr. Lloyd has successfully spearheaded a number of successful initiatives and programs in the Caribbean and Tampa Bay region including the first ever International Business Summit in Tampa along with (9) other bi-lateral Chambers of Commerce from the Tampa Bay region and  another premier event the 18th Annual Retailers Conference of the Americas that brought together over (15) South, Central and Caribbean Latin countries leaders and business professionals to the United States for the first time in 17 years. The event has been previously hosted in South and Central American countries.  His rigor working with businesses, numerous community organizations, speaking engagements and working with both regional and national Universities in addressing social and economic conditions in Florida and the Caribbean region has also led him to key appointments such as:  

  • Vice-President of Procurement Services for FE Samuels (NA).  A London, UK based company with offices in London, Switzerland, Central Africa and North America
  • Director of Caribbean & Africa, Affinity Global
  • Chairman of the Committees of the Americas for the Caribbean Basin
  • Director , CARIB Project
  • Advisory Board of Director of the International Business Summit
  • Board of Director for American Cancer Society
  • Board of Director for Tampa International Airport, Air Service Committee
  • Board of Director for the Tampa Bay World Affairs Regional Council
  • Board of Director of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida

Mr. Jean-Charles Faust

Mr. Jean-Charles Faust was VP Sales and Marketing and General Manager of a Clearwater based joint venture between France largest Homebuilder Maisons Phenix and US Home from 1981 thru 86. In 1986 Faust founded a commercial real estate Brokerage firm, Faust Realty, Inc., specializing in the representation of foreign investors. Faust is a State Certified Building Contractor and Florida Licensed real estate Broker. Faust is a graduate of the European Business School in Paris.

Faust is on the Board of Directors of Workspace Plus, a subsidiary of Paris based Touax, one of the world leading companies in the sale and leasing of modular buildings, shipping containers, barges and railroad cars.

Faust is President of the French American Business Council of west Florida, a member of the French American Chambers of commerce network in the USA. Faust is Honorary Consul of France for the west coast of Florida.

Mr. Arnie Paman

Mr. Arnie Paman is Vice President of Bona Financial Group, Inc. and past President of Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay.

Ms. Maria Eichelberger
Ms. Maria Eichelberger is Vice President and Branch Manager of Regions Bank and Chair of Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Charlotte Starfire
Ms. Starfire is Director of Global Trade Solutions at SunTrust Bank.

Mr. Wade Elliott,
Mr. Wade Elliot is Senior Director of Marketing at Tampa Port Authority.

Advisory Board: past presidents of TBIBC and who is who in international business in the region.

Executive Committee:

Officers:

  • President: Mr. Bill Flynn – listed above
  • Vice President: Ms. Glynis Ross-Munro – Ms. Ross-Munro is the President of Competency and Performance Solutions
  • Treasurer: Ms. Joanne Cornell – Ms. Cornell is on the board of the British American Business Council.
  • Secretary: Ms. Solange Benoit – Ms. Benoit is the Co-Founder and Secretary of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce – Tampa Bay