April 2022 Luncheon Guest Speaker
COMMISSIONER MARIELLA SMITH
Commissioner Mariella Smith was elected Countywide in 2018. She has been a community advocate for decades, working on community plans, transportation plans, growth management, and environmental protection throughout the county.
Commissioner Smith earned an important award for advocating for smart growth management and organizing public participation in community planning. In addition, she has earned several for her work as an environmental advocate.
Commissioner Smith earned her M.A. in Philosophy, majoring in Ethics, from Florida State University. While at FSU she taught classes in Ethics and Logic. In 1988 she started her own business, InSight Graphic Design, which offered print and web design, and web development services. She volunteered for many years as a Table Official for Wheelchair Rugby in national and international tournaments, including the Paralympics; and for years she led the training for Hillsborough County staff for Tampa’s annual international Wheelchair Rugby tournament.
A fourth-generation native of Tampa, Commissioner Smith grew up in Tampa. She and her husband, Tres, lived in Temple Terrace for 12 years. They now live in Ruskin, at the mouth of the Little Manatee River and enjoy hiking and biking in the parks, preserves, and trails within Hillsborough County. She serves on the
- Arts Council of Hillsborough County
- Environmental Protection Commission
- Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART)
- Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC)
- Tampa Bay Water Board of Directors
- Transportation Planning Organization (TPO)
- The Florida Aquarium Board of Directors
March 2022 Luncheon Guest Speaker
BILL MITCHELL, LTJG (FORMER) US NAVY
Bill Mitchell was commissioned Ensign in the United States Navyin December 1970. He was subsequently stationed at the Navy Supply School in Athens Georgia and then assigned to the USS Simon Lake (AS-33), which was oneof the first vessels to be outfitted for Poseidon missiles. After being discharged from the Navy he went to graduate school of the University of California Berkeley subsequently getting a masters degree in economics and a JD. He subsequently obtained a masters in tax law from Georgetown University. Bill has worked for the Federal Trade Commission and was involved in a major investigation of the oil industry.
Since 1980 he has been a practicing attorney in Tampa, Florida. He is board certified in labor and employment law served as chairman for the certification committee for labor and employment law.He is AV rated and was named the Florida Super Lawyer in labor and employment law. He is the co-author of Employee Fringe Welfare Benefit Plans and the author of the Estate and Retirement Planning Answer Book and Employer Health Care Plans After the Affordable Care Act.He is the president of Mitchell Law Group in Tampa.
- Arts Council of Hillsborough County
- Environmental Protection Commission
- Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART)
- Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC)
- Tampa Bay Water Board of Directors
- Transportation Planning Organization (TPO)
- The Florida Aquarium Board of Directors
February 2022 Luncheon Guest Speakers
BILL MITCHELL, LTJG (FORMER) US NAVY
Indira Cozine
Indira Cozine is a Financial Advisor with 1847Financial. As a former educator of 18 years, she is dedicated to educating transitioning military, young professionals, and teachers about strategies that help them achieve their financial goals! She was frustrated that Financial Literacy was not a priority in school, so she always incorporated activities each year in her classroom. Understanding that this lack of education translates to a general population who is undereducated about their financial options, she has made it her mission to share as much information as possible with those who are willing to have a conversation.
Indira is a Clemson, UNC, and Drexel graduate, who lives in Tampa, Fl, and is married to a retired Marine.
Paul McAneny
Paul McAneny is a 27 year veteran of the United States Air Force where he held multiple leadership positions in logistics, aircraft maintenance, post-graduate instruction, and Combatant Command Headquarters staffs. He served multiple deployments to Southwest Asia Combat Zones as well as in Europe, the Pacific, and throughout the United States. Following military retirement, Paul was a senior manager for over three years with Walmart in the nation’s largest supply chain network.
As a Financial Professional with 1847Financial, Paul is dedicated to helping active duty military, veterans, and their families achieve personal, professional, and financial success. He draws on a vast business and social network as well as extensive experience in both the public and private sector to specialize in assisting military members faced with daunting career changes. Paul takes great pride in his ability to provide military transition process advice and industry connections in addition to a range of options for income protection and detailed analysis/comparison of available military retirement benefits. Paul is a Mentor in the 13th Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough County) Veterans Treatment Court, Chairmen of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee and stays active in the Rough Riders 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, local political organizations, and several other veterans’ support groups.
Paul and his wife, Rebecca – an ultra-marathoner and mother of three daughters – currently live in Lithia, Florida. Their eldest daughter, Campbell, is a senior at Florida Gulf Coast University while middle and youngest daughters, Madeleine, and Erin, are a Senior and Freshman, respectively, at the University of Alabama.
January 2022 Luncheon Guest Speakers
COL David Warren, USA MC RET
Originally from Danvers, Massachusetts, Colonel Warren served in the US Army from 1974-1994. He was commissioned out of ROTC as a Signal Corps Second Lieutenant from Norwich University in Northfield Vermont. Various assignments over his career included Utah, Oklahoma, Georgia, Rhode Island, Germany, Hawaii, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel at Fort McPherson, Georgia in August 1994.
Dr.Warren served in various positions in higher education from 1995-2013 serving at several colleges in the United States and overseas. Positions included Assistant Professor, Dean of Faculty, Chief Operating Officer and President.
Dave holdsa Doctorate in Management with a specialty in Organizational Leadership, andMaster’s Degrees in Public Administration and Strategic Studies.
Davecurrently lives in St Petersburg, Florida with his wife of 49 years and they often visit their two children and four grandchildren in Vermont and Illinois.
He currently volunteers with the Vermont Military Museum as a tour guide in the summer and with the Pinellas County School System serving as a mentor to high school students during the school year.
