Meet Our Leadership

Emilio Nuñez '83

President & Chairman

Executive Director, International Medicine Institute, University of Miami Health System

Current Responsibilities: Nuñez develops and implements strategic growth initiatives and manages UHealth’s international operations, including: clinical, research, and education and training divisions

Professional Associations: Association for Academic Health Centers; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

Sarah Nesbitt Artecona '83

Assistant Vice President and Chief of Staff for the Senior Vice President and CFO, University of Miami

Current Responsibilities: Nesbitt Artecona performs day-to-day project management responsibilities for the Senior Vice President of Business and Finance & Chief Financial Officer

Professional Associations: 2009-2010 Chair, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors, Miami-Dade Parks Foundation; United Way of Miami-Dade Women’s Leadership Council

Volunteer Associations: Goodwill Industries of South Florida; Miami-Dade County Task Force on Efficiency and Performance; Junior League of Miami

Jeffrey Bartel '84

Vice Chairman

Chairman and Managing Director, Hamptons Group LLC

Current Responsibilities: Bartel manages a private investment and strategic consulting firm focused on private equity and private debt in real estate and real estate-related services, energy, infrastructure, telecommunication and entertainment sectors. 

Professional Associations: Trustee and committee chair, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; Executive Committee member, The Beacon Council; Lecturer at Florida State University College of Business and its Ethics Roundtable

Volunteer Associations: Trustee, LeRoy Collins Institute; Member and committee chair, Orange Bowl Committee; Board member, United Way of Miami-Dade and its Leadership Circle; Board member, Miami Children’s Museum; Florida Grand Opera Lyric Society; Executive Producer, Miami International Film Festival; Member, Harvard College Schools Committee; Life Trustee, Vizcaya Foundation; Life Trustee, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden; Benefactor to St. Jude’s Research Hospital, Miami Children’s Hospital, Baptist Hospital Foundation, New World School of the Arts, New World Symphony, and the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts

Barry S. Gould

Treasurer

Director, Mallah Furman, Certified Public Accountants

Current Responsibilities: Gould works in public accounting and coordinates the planning and execution of various continuing client engagements for high net worth individuals and closely held companies in the area of taxation, accounting and family office services

Professional Associations: Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Director and Member, Mallah Furman’s Executive Committee

Volunteer Associations (Present and Past): Board of Directors, Breakthrough Miami; Member, Young Presidents Club for the Mount Sinai Medical Center Foundation; Treasurer and Memberof the Board of Directors, The Samantha Foundation; President and Secretary/Treasurer, Business Network International (BNI); Pillar Trustee, Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce; Member of the Board of Directors, Bet Shira Congregation; Member of the Network (Board of Directors) and Young Leadership Council for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation

William (“Bill”) Kerdyk, Jr.

President and CEO, Kerdyk Real Estate; President, Kerdyk Referral Service

Current Responsibilities: Kerdyk operates a company which brokers both Residential and Commercial transactions as well as representing numerous banking institutions, selling REO'S and advising them on distressed assets

Professional Associations: Vice Mayor of Coral Gables; Coral Gables City Commissioner (1995 – 2011); Chairman of the Board, Bank of Coral Gables; Chairman, Toyota Golf Championships in Japan; Public Service Commission Nominating Council; Metropolitan Planning Organization; Participant in the Leadership Florida Program

Volunteer Associations: Board Member, Big Brothers and Big Sisters; Active Member, Rotary; Active Member, Orange Bowl Committee

Abigail Watts-FitzGerald
Secretary

Partner, Weiss Serota Helfman

Current Responsibilities: Watts-FitzGerald is a corporate lawyer with more than 32 years of experience who acts as outside general counsel to various for profit and nonprofit entities, including public charities and private foundations. She has been professionally recognized nationally and state-wide for her legal experience, including, without limitation, by the following: "Best Lawyers," Mergers and Acquisitions Law, The Best Lawyers in America; "Leader in the Field," Corporate/M&A & Private Equity, Chambers USA: Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business; Named one of the top 25 "Most Influential Business Women," South Florida Business Journal, 2010; Master of the Bench, American Inns of Court (Spellman-Hoeveler Chapter); Selected for inclusion as a Florida "Super Lawyer," Mergers and Acquisitions Law; listed among "Top Attorneys," Super Lawyers, The Corporate Counsel Edition; Selected for inclusion in "Top Lawyers," Corporate/Securities Law, South Florida Legal Guide; and named one of Florida's "Legal Elite" in Florida Trend magazine; and Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review - AV Preeminent

Professional Associations: Member, American Bar Association; Member, Florida and District of Columbia Bar Associations; General Counsel to various not-for-profit corporations and foundations

Volunteer Associations: Board Member, Karen Peterson Dancers & Company, a nonprofit corporation that provides dance and training for able and disabled dancers

Libby Witherspoon '87

Senior Director, BNY Mellon Wealth Management

Current Responsibilities: Witherspoon acts as team leader and portfolio manager for high net worth individuals, foundations, endowments, etc.

Volunteer Associations: American Red Cross - Tiffany Circle; College Assistance Program, Inc. (CAP, Inc.); Junior League of Miami; Beaux Arts; Kristi House

John Krutulis
Director and Head of Schools

Areas Under His Guidance: Oversees all school operations and strategic initiatives

Located at: The Preparatory Campus

Professional Associations: Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce; Chamber of Commerce South; Independent Schools of South Florida (ISSF) Boardmember

Gloria Bracciano
Senior Director, Provost

Areas Under Her Guidance: Academics and Curriculum Development; Advisory Capacity for Athletics, Admission, and Student Activities; Strategic Initiatives

Located at: The Executive Office in Coral Gables

Professional Associations: Senior Executives of Greater Miami; Advisory Board of U of M's Sports Administration Program; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce

Prior Work Experience: Director of Public School Academics and Urban Partnerships for Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan

Jose Fuente
Senior Director, Finance

Areas Under His Guidance: Finance; Strategic Initiatives; Board of Trustees Liaison

Located at: The Executive Office in Coral Gables

Professional Associations: Registered School Business Official; Certified Public Accountant (CPA); Member of the Florida Institute of CPA's

Prior Work Experience: Partner in the Coral Gables firm of Riera & Fuente CPAs; Adjunct Professor of Accounting at University of Miami and Barry University

Ron Hurst
Senior Director, Controller

Areas Under His Guidance: Accounts Payable; Accounts Receivable, Billing and Collections; Payroll; General Accounting; Forecasting; Financial Aid; Budgeting; Strategic Initiatives

Located at: The Executive Office in Coral Gables

Professional Associations: Certified Public Accountant (CPA); American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Prior Work Experience: Controller for the Burger King Distribution Services/Prosource

Edward Latour
Senior Director, Operations and Risk Management

Areas Under His Guidance: Risk Management, Technology, Operations including Maintenance, Landscaping, Transportation, Cafeteria services, and Legal services; Strategic Initiatives

Located At: The Executive Office in Coral Gables

Professional Associations: Leadership Miami

Prior Work Experience: Director of Finance and Operations for Ransom Everglades School-2002-2011 and Palmer Trinity School-1993-2002

Ted Milford
Senior Director, Advancement

Areas Under His Guidance: Development; Parent and Alumni Relations; Gift and Event Planning; Communications and Public Relations; Strategic Initiatives

Located at: The Advancement Office in Coral Gables

Professional Associations: Member of the Screen Actors Guild; Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce; Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)

Prior Work Experience: Director of Admission, Director of Advancement, and additional administrative positions at both the high school and college levels

Jaime Prosper
Senior Director, Construction

Areas Under His Guidance: Architecture; Engineering; Legal Services; Landscaping; Internships; New Construction; Building and Zoning Issues; Strategic Initiatives

Located at: The Prep House on the Preparatory Campus

Professional Associations: Past President of the Execs of Greater Miami; State Certified General Contractor

Prior Work Experience: Urban Renewal Developer in Upstate New York

James Santoro
Senior Director, Human Resources

Areas Under His Guidance: Salary Administration; HR Compliance; Recordkeeping and Training; Performance Appraisals; Pre-Enrollment Screening; Recruitment; Employee Benefits/ Relations, Employee Events, and Recognition; Strategic Initiatives

Located at: The Executive Office in Coral Gables

Professional Associations: Member of the Greater Miami Society for Human Resources Management; Member of the Human Resource Association of Broward County; Lifetime Designated Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR); Lifetime Achievement Award by the Greater Miami Society of Human Resources Management; Recognized as Human Resources Executive of the Year in Florida

Prior Work Experience: Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Management for SunTrust Operations Co.