Our Team

Promise Team Members

Jeff Kiel

President/CEO

Jeff joined Promise in 2020 after a career with media companies Gannett and Knight Ridder where he served senior leadership roles as Regional President, President and Publisher, VP/Sales and VP/Finance and CFO. He is graduate of the University of Florida Fisher School of Accounting; became a Florida CPA; and spent the beginning years of his career with Ernst and Young, an International Accounting Firm.

Jeff was born in Brooklyn, New York, and spent most of his life in Miami and San Jose California prior to moving to Brevard County in 2012.

Jeff has a long history of nonprofit involvement including United Way, Chambers of Commerce, Hospital Foundations, Special Olympics, etc. Most recently, Jeff served as United Way of Brevard County Board Chair and Countywide Fundraising Chair. While new to Promise, Jeff is no stranger as he was never far away when working at Gannett including assisting in the $100,000 grant Promise received from the Gannett Foundation in 2017.

Jeff is proud to serve as an Advisor for Casa Familia, a nonprofit organization and future planned community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Miami-Dade County.

Jeff and his wife Gayle have a son Ryan (married to Joanna) with grandsons Brady and Ryder; and daughter Alexa (married to Josh).

Mary Griffin

Director of Finance

Mary was hired as Promise’s Finance Manager in June 2020 after a 27-year career with Florida Today Newspaper/Gannett Co., Inc. She is honored to become part of the team at Promise. Born and raised in Brevard County, Mary has three daughters and four grandchildren.

Donna McWilliams

Development Director

Patty Knowles

Residents Services Coordinator

Patty moved to Cocoa Florida from upstate NY in 2016. She has her degree in Administration of Community and Human Services. For the last five years she has worked in local nursing homes as the social services manager and the activities coordinator. In NY she was the Assistant Director of Residential Services for Saratoga Bridges, NYSARC. She spent over 25 years in NY working with special needs populations and is thrilled to now be a part of the Promise team.

Kristin Schwartz

Employment Specialist

Kristin was hired as Promise’s Employment Specialist in October 2021. Kristin’s professional background is in social work working with a variety of populations including families involved with the child welfare system, youth in foster care and adults with intellectual disabilities receiving Medicaid waiver services. Kristin is excited and honored to be a part of the Promise team. Born and raised in Florida, Kristin and her husband, Jason, have two sons.

Tammy Farmer

Marketing & Communications Manager/Volunteer Coordinator

Tammy Farmer was hired as Promise in Brevard’s Marketing & Communications Manager in February 2017 after a 10-year career as the Managing Editor of the Hometown News newspaper. After growing up in the Space Coast area, Tammy earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Communications from the University of Florida in Gainesville. The daughter-in-law of co-founder Betsy Farmer, and sister-in-law of co-founder, Luke, Tammy has had a behind-the-scenes look of Promise since the very beginning and could not be more thrilled to now be a part of such a unique and thriving organization. She and her husband, Josh, have two sons.

Jill Dunham

Promise Treasures Store Manager

Jill was hired as Store Manager of Promise Treasures in May 2017 and brings with her a wealth of managerial and disability experience. Prior to coming to Promise, Jill was the Executive Director of the Space Coast Center for Independent Living in Rockledge, which is a nonprofit agency that assists folks with disabilities with gaining their independence at home, in the community and in the workplace. Jill also held Vice President and Treasurer positions on the Florida Association for Centers of Independent Living Board of Directors, which served as a statewide voice to advocate equal rights for people with disabilities. Jill said she enjoys working with the Promisers and seeing them flourish in their daily lives with the opportunities Promise has made possible for them.

John Anglin

Main Campus Chef

Born and raised in New York, Chef John started cooking professionally at age 15 as an employee of the Howard Johnson restaurant chain. After graduating high school, Chef John began a career with the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Manhattan, New York. He was employed with the hotel chain throughout the country for about 20 years helping to develop menus and open new hotels. Chef John became part of the Promise team in July 2020. He said he loves the interaction that he has with the residents and the friendships he is building with them. Being able to create food that the residents can enjoy and put their name on is something he said he appreciates very much.

Cindi Spainhour

Resident Community Program Manager

Born in North Carolina, Cindi has lived in Brevard County for 23 years after spending 18 years in Austin, Texas. She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education and has been working with adults with disabilities for the last eight years as a technology instructor and Education Administrator. Cindi earned a Master of Arts degree in Applied Learning and Instruction from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Developmental Psychology from Rollins College. She has a long history of working with nonprofit organizations and is excited about being a part of the Promise community.

Interested in living at Promise?

Click Here  to fill out a survey that will tell us a little more about the potential resident and his or her needs. When we do have openings, we pull from this list. Please direct any additional questions to Rae Howard at rae@promiseinbrevard.com or (321) 722-7400, Ext. 109.

Interested in touring Promise?

Prior to Covid-19, we provided tours of the Promise Main Campus on the third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. but have since put all tours on hold for the time being.
If interested in a tour, please call (321) 722-7400.

Bethany Mullins

Events & Catering Coordinator

Bethany was hired as Promise’s Events & Catering Coordinator in June 2021. She recently graduated from Point University in West Point, Georgia, in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Business Administration while also playing collegiate lacrosse. Growing up with a family who loved hosting parties, Bethany has always had an excitement for event planning and looks forward to sharing that and expanding her knowledge and creativity at Promise.

Interested in living at Promise?

Click Here  to fill out a survey that will tell us a little more about the potential resident and his or her needs. When we do have openings, we pull from this list. Please direct any additional questions to Rae Howard at rae@promiseinbrevard.com or (321) 722-7400, Ext. 109.

Interested in touring Promise?

Prior to Covid-19, we provided tours of the Promise Main Campus on the third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. but have since put all tours on hold for the time being.
If interested in a tour, please call (321) 722-7400.

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Promise in Brevard

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Promise Inc.
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4105 Norfolk Parkway,
West Melbourne, FL 32904

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