Dr. Federico Martinez for March Meeting

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Federico Martinez M.D. is a United States of America licensed Medical Doctor in the State of Florida originally from Lima-Peru who graduated from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University Medical School where he earned his Medical and Surgeon degree.

He completed his post-graduate training in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Nassau County Medical Center at the New York State University, Stony Brook New York where he was also elected Chief resident of his program.

He has been a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in Florida and has been in active practice in both hospital and medical office setting for over 35 years.

He is currently the Medical Director of Healthpark Medical Center, President of San Ignacio University in Miami, Florida and also a member of the Board of Directors Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima-Peru.

Dr. Martinez actively participates in nationwide training programs with special emphasis on Functional and Preventive Medicine, Anti-aging therapies and Aesthetics procedures holding a variety of certifications.

His areas of expertise include prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions with a Functional Medicine approach, Bio-identical Hormone Replacement, Weight Loss program for children and adults, Detoxification, Intravenous Nutritional Therapy, Immune system support, Vitamins and Nutritional supplementation, Stem Cell therapies as well as non-surgical bio-medical procedures such as Platelet Rich Plasma, Radiofrequency, Laser therapies among others.

February Meeting Featured School Board Member Gloria Branch

The state of the Palm Beach County School District is healthy according to district 5 Board Member Gloria Branch. As one of the conservative members, Gloria looks at the district as a business, with costs and results.

Currently the 10th largest school district in the US, it is “A” rated by the Florida Department of Education with a 96.7% graduation rate. 91% of its high schools are rated “A” or “B”. It is also the largest public food provider in the county, serving 32.8 million meals in a year to its 160,000 students.

Good results are not free of course as the district operates with a budget of $5.9B. Declining enrollments will put pressure on this budget as state payments are per-pupil, but Gloria does not expect to see any school closures as a result. This is unlike Broward county which expects to close 6 or more schools this year. Competition from charters (which are publicly funded) and the voucher program which supports private education are part of the reason for the decline, and we expect changing demographics and the departure of illegal immigrant students contribute as well. The district budget is aided by a 1 mill property tax adder passed by the voters in 2022, and a 1/2 cent sales tax surcharge for capital projects passed in 2024

A great slogan, Gloria sees the mission of the district to be teaching students to “Read, Write, Count and Love America”.

In a short Q&A session, she addressed the recent student ICE protests (“those kids are in trouble”), and the district’s support for the 250 year anniversary celebration with an essay contest to be announced.

In the candidate part of the meeting, we heard from former Representative Rick Roth who is running for Senate District 26 this year, and gubernatorial candidate Caneste Succe. The D+6 Senate district is currently held by Lori Berman who is term limited, and Rick expects to face Democrat and former Representative David Silvers. The Republican primary for these races will be held in August.

School Board Member Gloria Branch for February Meeting

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A native Floridian and resident of Boca Raton since 1983, Gloria Branch has been involved with the Palm Beach County School District for 40 years. Ms. Branch attended Boca Raton Community High School then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida Atlantic University.

She is the past Chair of the FAU National Alumni Board of Directors, a past board member of the FAU Foundation Board of Directors, as well as the Fuller Center for underprivileged children. She has also been involved with numerous non-profit organizations over the past 35 years.

Ms. Branch had a career in banking, business development, and project management that spanned more than 35 years. Most recently, she worked as a substitute teacher for two years gaining valuable knowledge from being in the classroom almost every day. She served on the Spanish River Community High School PTSA Board and SAC Committee.

Ms. Branch is focused on ensuring fiscal responsibility in the District in addition to ensuring that all kids can read, write, and count, getting back to the basic fundamentals. Her other areas of focus include K-12 education preparing students for life through college preparatory classes and/or career academies for workplace readiness programs, as well as the safety and security of our schools.

Sara Baxter and Jon Maples Highlight January Meeting

Our first meeting of the new year started with County Mayor Sara Baxter. Elected in 2022 in what was a D+7 district 6, her re-election chances look good with the district having improved to now R+1. She has drawn a primary challenger in Elizabeth Accomando though, as there is some angst among REC types that she does not always toe the party line. That comes with being independent – she supports things that are right for her constituents and the county, which are sometimes at odds with Republican orthodoxy (like supporting Democrat Ric Bradshaw for Sheriff).

Her priorities for the commission include achieving “roll-back rate” on the millage, and building and maintaining our infrastructure. She seeks solutions to our traffic problems but does not see Palm Tran as the answer, as the buses are never full and it costs a large amount of money. Giving every current bus user a ride-share voucher would be cheaper than what we have now.

Sara favors affordable housing, but not through high density construction that makes the traffic worse. Our roads need better timing of traffic lights and smart technology to manage growth. She praised our new County Administrator Joe Abruzzo for bringing accountability through performance reviews and merit raises instead of across the board COLA policies, and simplifying vender applications for county contracts.

Given the coming proposal for a “Transportation” sales tax surcharge, Sara urges us to vote NO!

The second speaker was Jon Maples who just won the House District 87 primary and will face a Democrat in the special election on March 24th. Jon talked about his priorities if elected and asked for support, and gave his personal view of an approach to limiting property taxes by providing insurance deductions. The current Legislative session is considering various ways to cut taxes at the local level. Regarding CFO Blaise Ingoglia’s claim of overspending in the county budget, Sara added that he is “running for election” and hasn’t provided any concrete examples of wasteful spending. If they want to “DOGE” the county, they need to get more specific.

Candidates who spoke at the end of the meeting included:

Jon Maples HD87
Boca Mayor Scott Singer running for CD23
Elizabeth Accomando (CC6)
Selena Samios (RPB Council)

CD22 candidate Deb Adeimy was also present but did not speak.

Commissioner Sara Baxter to Highlight January Meeting

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District 6 Commissioner Sara Baxter was born at Good Samaritan Hospital and is a second-generation local. She is happily married to Brian and a proud mother of three boys, Sara has always found her heart anchored in her faith. She now resides with her family in the Acreage.

In her early career, Sara worked as a Certified Retinal Angiographer at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. However, a new path opened up in 2011 when she and her husband, a BMW Master Technician, started an auto repair business. As she nurtured the growth of their business, Sara also pursued higher education, she graduated from Palm Beach State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. After more than a decade of dedication and hard work, the couple was able to purchase their own building and operates a successful business known as Foreign Auto Specialists.

The difficult process of establishing their business inspired Sara to run for office. Determined to streamline county procedures for other entrepreneurs, she also committed herself to actively support small businesses. She firmly believes that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and nurturing an environment that promotes their growth is essential for Palm Beach County’s future.

Since her tenure as a Commissioner, Sara has channeled her efforts into reducing red tape that stops people from realizing their full potential. She has actively worked on eliminating unnecessary regulations, staunchly supporting our law enforcement officers, enhancing road conditions, and fixing traffic issues in western Palm Beach County. As a small business owner herself, Sara prioritizes empowering her community members with the tools they need to succeed. She’s committed to fostering an environment that encourages personal and economic growth, making Palm Beach County a place where everyone can thrive.​

Jexit at October Meeting

Our October meeting featured President Michele Terris and Event Coordinator Karyn Basle of Jexit.

They started the meeting with a short video in which Jexit presented President Trump the “American Defender of Zion” award at Mar-a-Lago in 2022. The award recognizes President Trump for having done more than any other U.S. president for Israel and the Jewish people. During his time as president, he moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights and brokered the Abraham Accords.

Michelle described her start in 2018 fighting the Broward Supervisor of Elections over the vote counting. She described the difficulty of convincing Jewish voters to abandon the Democrats, and that she is the first non-Dem in her family. Progress is being made however as in 2024, 43% Jewish voters went for Trump, up from the teens in 2016.

Part of the problem she described is that surprisingly, 70% of mainstream American Jews are not religious, lean far left, and most do not care what happens to Israel. Orthodox Jews on the other hand are conservative and vote 2:1 Republican.

Our education efforts in this regard should feature the early efforts of Jews in the American Revolution, such as Haym Salomon who was a member of the Sons of Liberty and helped finance the Continental Congress.

Hatred of Jews is an age old problem – currently 69% of all hate in the US is directed at Jews who make up less that 2% of the population. Michelle described the desire of many during Covid, when we were being lied to by our government, to see religious leaders (Christian and Jews) stand up and tell the truth, as we (and they) are the last line of defense against the Global Jihad and the communists in our midst.

Also at the meeting were candidates Gretchen Feng (HD87), Deb Adeimy (CD22). Angela Templeton acted as a surrogate for Jon Maples (also HD87)

Note that there will be a special primary election on January 13th and a general election on March 24th to replace Mike Caruso who has been appointed Palm Beach County Clerk. Mike’s wife Tracy is also running, in addition to Gretchen and Jon.

Michelle Terris and Siggy Flicker of JEXIT on October 28th

JEXIT believes that American Jews can no longer blindly vote Democrat. Founded in 2018, JEXIT stands for Jews Exiting the Democrat Party. Our mission is to help educate and encourage Jews to understand that the Democrat party has abandoned them and Israel.

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An accomplished executive in both the corporate and nonprofit worlds, Michelle Terris saw a need in the community to educate Jews on the drastic and alarming changes happening within the Democrat Party. Inspired by Ivanka Trump’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, Michelle co-founded The Trump Towel, where proceeds go to Gold Star families for their service to our country. She was co-chair for the Jews for Trump Coalition during the 2016 elections, founded JEXIT in 2018, and rallied on Capitol Hill against antisemitism.

Israeli born and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Siggy Flicker is a staunch supporter of Judeo-Christian values and known for her passion for the Jewish community and Israel. Outspoken and fearless, the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star stands up for those who don’t have a voice. She supports organizations combating the rise in anti-Semitism around the world, as well as the survival of Israel and condemning anti-Zionism. Team #JEXIT is incredibly blessed to have this extraordinary woman as the face of our movement.

Ferrell Brown of Street Grace Florida at September Lunch

Street Grace is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children by leveraging the power of partnerships across government, business, and Faith communities. Ferrell’s organization combats demand and empowers youth through education, technology and community engagement. Their innovative initiatives includes awareness campaigns, survivor support, legislative advocacy, and cutting edge tools like artificial intelligence to disrupt trafficking networks.

During the presentation, Executive Director Ferrell Brown stated that Street Grace leads in the fight to eradicate the commercial sexual exploitation of children, taking a holistic, evidence-based approach that focuses on the four Ps:

• Prevention – preventing sexual exploitation by training parents youth and caring adults. 5th to 8th grader Youth Leadership Academy provides courses dedicated to help students thrive physically, emotionally, mentally, academically and socially. Leaders in communities have provided ~20,000 services to survivors of exploitation and their families survivors/families
• Protection – caring for at-risk children and survivors of sexual exploitation
• Policy – shaping legislation to reduce impunity for predators and better care for survivors
• Pursuit – leveraging the power of AI to deter sexual predators online

Sexual trafficking is basically a supply and demand issue. The supply are children / women mostly on the internet and the demand is many men on the internet purchasing children / women. It was noted that South Florida (Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties) leads sex trafficking in Florida. Just in the last couple of years the need has increased significantly:

• The number of individuals sex trafficked in the United States has increased 92% from 2015 to 2019
• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys will be sexually exploited by the age of 18
• The number of children / women recruited on Facebook and Instagram increased by 120% from 2019 to 2020
• The commercial sex economy per year in major US cities ranges from $40 million to $290 million

To help eradicate sexual trafficking Street Grace is pioneering solutions to disrupt and prevent the sexual exploitation of children:

• Transaction Intercept – created in collaboration with BBDO, a team of 175 technology developer volunteers, and law enforcement agencies; Transaction Intercept works to find the buyers of minor sex, remove the cloak of anonymity, and disrupt potential transactions
• Justice Protection – Street Grace trains attorneys on how to use current laws to represent survivors who need their records expunged and connect them with survivors in need

If you’re interested in more information about Street Grace and their vision to see a world where all children are free from sexual exploitation, below is their contact information:

Aspects of Human Trafficking with Ferrel Brown

One of the problems exacerbated by four years of Biden’s open borders is the proliferation of human trafficking. For some understanding of this insidious business and what can be done about it

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As the Executive Director of Street Grace in Florida, a leading nonprofit organization committed to combating human trafficking, Ferrell Brown brings extensive experience in both nonprofit and business leadership. Most recently, he led a department tasked with funding millions of dollars in projects in collaboration with nonprofit partners. Through this role, Ferrell has developed a deep passion and burden for addressing the critical issue of human trafficking in our society.

Throughout his career, Ferrell has successfully guided large, diverse teams, drawing on his strengths in leadership, team building, and delivering exceptional service. Ferrell’s achievements include international ministry projects – building orphanages, organizing largescale outdoor gatherings, and establishing service and medical facilities for underserved communities – and managing profitable business ventures.

Ferrell’s background also includes pastoral leadership in multiple American churches, where he has had the honor of supporting and nurturing communities. Personally, he is blessed with a wonderful wife of nearly 30 years and a 15-year-old son; together, they enjoy the beach, pool days, and roller coasters. Outside of family and work, Ferrell is passionate about Georgia Bulldogs football and piloting his V Tail Bonanza

Representative Anne Gerwig Highlights June Lunch

The 60-day session has passed without the budget (so far). It was an amazing experience for me, along with the other “Freshmen” legislators. We have heard that no sessions are mundane but this one surely meets the status of “supernatural.” I have learned so much and vow to be even more effective come January of 2026.

We were able to get 2 bills across the finish line, which is pretty good considering the climate in Tallahassee. Speaking of the climate, we did have a real snow day! I was packed up and ready to drive up when I received notice that the week’s events were canceled. When I did return the following Sunday, there was still snow on the rooftops!

Our first bill that passed established a state-wide Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day. Florida will match the National Day of Awareness on August 21st. Localities are encouraged to meet and discuss the dangers and the loss of life due to this devastating problem.

The second bill allows school districts to remain compliant with the required later start times by filing a detailed report with the Department of Education.

It is my sincere honor to serve District 93 and to work together with all local and state agencies to ensure the best value for your tax dollars and the best quality of life for all of us here in Palm Beach County District 93.

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