Board of Directors

Our Team

Lori is a small business owner and practicing general dentist at Ultimate Smile Design. Her practice welcomes patients with various special needs and has a loyal staff of over 25 years helping her make that possible. She served in the United States Air Force and completed her General Practice Residency there in July 1984, after graduating from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of Maryland as Valedictorian with her Doctor of Dental Surgery in May 1983. She also holds a BA in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany, graduating summa cum laude. Lori completed an internship in the Special Needs Clinic at the University of Maryland. Lori’s practical experience with individuals with special needs brings wisdom and thoughtful consideration to the goals of Promise.

Lori’s son, Matthew, whose path of recovery from autism continues to inspire many, is currently a resident at Promise and is developing great skills of independence. Lori’s volunteer efforts within the community are many, but currently are solely focused on Promise in Brevard. Having served as Secretary and Treasurer, she now Chairs the Board of Promise and is excited about bringing it to the next level as an organization of excellence in the community.

Terry L. Locke serves as Store Manager of TD Bank’s Melbourne location. An Assistant Vice President, he is responsible for new business development, consumer and business lending, managing personnel and overseeing the day-to-day operations at the store serving customers throughout Brevard County. Locke has more than 10 years in banking with nearly two decades of management experience. Prior to joining TD Bank, he worked at RBC Bank as a Business Specialist and Branch Manager in Melbourne. He also has served as an Assistant Vice President at Fifth Third Bank in Naples, Florida.

Locke is a member of the Melbourne and Palm Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also founded the Center of Influence Network Group (C.O.I). He was the Treasurer for AARP and part of the HBCA- Home Builders Contractor Association. A Satellite Beach resident, Locke is a 2002 graduate of Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida. He is married with three daughters and is always working hard to make an impact within the community by helping small businesses thrive and supporting nonprofits with the help of TD Bank.

Mike’s major practice areas at Berman Hopkins include closely held corporations, employee benefit plans, government contractors and not-for-profit organizations. He has experience with due diligence for purchasing or selling a business and analysis of buy/sell agreements. He also works with clients through employee benefit plan and not-for-profit audits who have investments (assets ranging from $5 million to $300 million) including significant experience auditing alternative investments with complex valuation considerations.

Mike has a B.A. in Accounting from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and became a certified public accountant for the state of New York in 1993 and a certified public accountant for the state of Florida in 2006. His professional activities include PrimeGlobal, LEAD Brevard, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. His civic activities include the Space Coast Early Intervention Center, the Florida Institute of Technology Autism Advisory Board and the Early Childhood Learning Coalition of Brevard County, Inc.

After more than 35 years of newspaper leadership, Frank retired from his role as publisher in May 2013. The Hearst Corporation named him publisher and chairman of the San Francisco Chronicle in January 2005. Vega serves as president of the Board of the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund. He serves as a Host Committee member for the PGA’s Schwab Cup and held the same position for the President’s Cup in 2008 and 2009. Vega was the president and CEO of Detroit Newspapers Inc., the agency that provides business and production services to the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. He served as the CEO of Detroit newspapers beginning in 1991 and is credited with restoring the productivity and profitability of the agency during that time.

Prior to his work in Detroit, Vega, a 26-year veteran of Gannett Company, Inc., and a native of Tampa, Florida, served in a variety of positions with that company, including a tenure at the Bay Area’s Oakland Tribune. Vega was the vice president of circulation for USA Today when the flagship was launched. He was publisher of Florida Today from 1984 to 1991, and was also a regional president, where he oversaw a number of newspapers owned by the company. In addition, Vega has served in various capacities on numerous community nonprofit Boards including President of the Brevard Arts Council, Regional Director for Barnett Banks and member of the State of Florida Arts Council.

Cindy Dropeski of Intercoastal Insurance and J. Mason Williams IV of Widerman Malek have joined the organization’s Board of Directors, each bringing a wide range of expertise and a strong belief in the Promise mission.

Ms. Dropeski is the president of Intercoastal Insurance and a longtime advocate for individuals with special needs. Ms. Dropeski has served as County Coordinator for Special Olympics and has served in various board roles for ARC Brevard/Bridges. She also has served on the boards of the Easter Seals, Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, Civilian Military Council and the Economic Development Council of Florida’s Space Coast.

Mr. Williams IV is a partner with law firm of Widerman Malek and specializes in Construction, Estate Planning, Estate Litigation, Guardianship and Probate. Prior to his law career, Mr. Williams IV was a civil engineer with BRPH Architects/Engineers. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville and a Law Degree from Barry University.

Mr. Williams serves on the Board of Directors for The Morgan Project; is past president of the Barry University Alumni Association; a board member for the Space Coast Guardianship Association; and member of the Junior Achievement Charity Golf Tournament Committee.

Dudley and his late wife, Sue, of 56 years have two children, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Born in Franklin County, Tennessee, Dudley served locally at First Baptist Indialantic for 30 years and First Baptist Melbourne for the past 20 years. Dudley earned a BSEE degree from Tennessee Tech University and started as an electronics design engineer with aerospace companies in the Dallas, Texas, area where he earned an MSEE from Southern Methodist University. He contributed detail design and project management experience for the F-8U Crusader and F-4 aircraft, the Bomarc missile and the Saturn V booster. In 1963, he moved to the Melbourne area and made design and management contributions to electronics for the Titan III and Advanced Minuteman missiles, Lunar Orbiter Spacecraft, classified satellites and scientific digital computers as well as laser facsimile product lines. In 1977, Dudley started rebuilding Symetrics Industries where he served as engineer, President and Chairman. Symetrics is a responsive firm designing, manufacturing and marketing electronics worldwide for many aircraft platforms. He retired in 2010.

Dudley is a longtime support of Promise and has a granddaughter with special needs.

Lynn is a lifelong resident of Brevard County and co-owner of Star Real Estate, Inc., Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate and Prudential. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from St. Leo College in Florida and earned a certificate of industrial and organizational psychology from The Chicago School of Psychology.

Lynn is active in the community having served on the parish council and committees at the Church of Our Savior and as chairwoman of the Space Coasts Challenged Athletes. She currently serves as a volunteer at Promise and developed and sponsors Promise Pulse, an interactive website for Promise families. Her daughter, Nicole, who works at Publix, was one of the first residents to move into Promise.

A resident of Florida for the past 20 years, Peggie attended the Ultrasound Diagnostic School in New York and is a Registered Vascular Technologist. She served as Chief Technologist and Manager at the Vascular Laboratory at both the Brooklyn Hospital and Methodist Hospital in New York between 1988-93. A longtime volunteer of Promise Treasures Thrift Shoppe and at the Promise Main Campus, she is a parent to twin boys, both of whom reside at Promise – Daniel, who graduated from the On Campus Transition Program at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and Thomas, who is currently a junior at the University of North Florida studying Photography.

Peggie’s volunteer work in the community includes her involvement with Manatee Elementary School, a committee member of the Feed a Family Foundation from 2010-14 and the 2016 Brevard Zoo’s “Safari Under the Stars.” As part of this event, Peggie was part of the committee that achieved its goal of bringing to fruition the “Exceptional Nature Space” at Brevard Zoo, an area that is the first of its kind designed to meet the needs of children with varying exceptionalities. She served as a presenter during the Brevard Public Schools Start Conference in 2016 and 2017 where she spoke about navigating potential post-secondary programs geared toward students with special needs, as well as financial options for the special needs population, including the Medicaid Waiver and Step Up for Students.

For more than 13 years, Rusty Melle has served as the broker for local real estate company, ITG Realty, as well as ITG Property Management. He is a proud veteran of the United States Navy serving during Desert Storm Desert Shield. Rusty has been a longtime support of Promise both serving as a past member of the Promise Board of Directors and a sponsor of many Promise fundraising events. Rusty currently serves on the Board for the Henegar Center for the Performing Arts; the Florida Realtor Board of Directors District 2; and the Space Coast Association of Realtors and serves as chairman of the Commercial Investment Committee and the CIC Task Force. He also serves as a member of the National Association of Residential Property Managers; chairman of the West Melbourne Business Advisory Board; a board member of the Buena Vida Foundation; and a Melbourne Regional Chamber Board of Director.

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Our Team