Regine Monestime Sworn in as Newest Ethics Commissioner
October 24, 2007, Miami, FL - Regine Monestime was sworn in as the newest member of the Mimai-Dade County commission on Ethics and Public Trust on October 24, filling the seat vacated by Gail Dotson.  For more information on Ms. Monestime (see bio   ).

Mr. Kerry E. Rosenthal, Chair
Kerry Rosenthal was appointed by the Miami-Dade League of Cities in 1998. Mr. Rosenthal is a Miami attorney and partner with the law firm of Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Rasco. His primary areas of practice include real estate and development, business transactions, and corporations.

In addition to his role as Chair of the Ethics Commission, Mr. Rosenthal also serves on the Real Estate Certification Committee of the Florida Bar and as pro-bono legal counsel for Stop Hunger, Inc. He is former Director and President of the North Date Bar Association and former Vice-Mayor and Councilman of the town of Golden Beach. He is active in several bar associations and charitable organizations.

Ms. Dawn Addy, Vice Chair
Dawn E. Addy, Ph.D., serves as Director of the Center for Labor Research and Studies at Florida International University (FIU). Professor Addy's academic efforts have focused primarily on issues of workplace diversity and community building. She has designed specialized training programs, curricula, and other materials in numerous areas, including harassment, cultural diversity, workplace violence, conflict resolution, effective communication skills, problem solving, leadership skills, electronic publishing skills, labor law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, HIV-AIDS, stress and self-image, bridging the gender gap, workplace literacy, and adult education techniques. She served on the Equal Opportunity Board for Miami-Dade County for five years prior to her appointment on the Ethics Commission in the fall of 2001.

Prior to her work at FIU, Dr. Addy was on the faculty of the Labor Education Service of the Industrial Relations Center at the University of Minnesota. She completed her graduate work at the University of Minnesota, earning a Master's degree in Industrial Relations and a Ph.D. in work, Community, and Family Education. She is currently president of the group "Many Voices: One Community," which facilitates dialogue on issues of racism and immigration throughout southern Florida. Dr. Addy also serves on the Access and Equity Committee for FIU as Diversity Committee Chair.

Judge Seymour Gelber
Awaiting changes to "Biography for Judge Seymour Gelber"

Ms. Magda Abdo-Gomez
Magda Abdo-Gomez was appointed to the Ethics Commission in March 2007.

Ms. Abdo-Gomez is an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University School of Law where she teaches Debtor-Creditor Rights, Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy Clinic. After earning her LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida, she worked at Robert Feinschreiber and Associates for five months before joining the Chief Counsel's Office of the Internal Revenue Service in Miami. Her work consisted of all aspects of Tax Court litigation, preparation of defense letters and advisory opinions, and coordination of bankruptcy and refund litigation cases with the United States Attorney and the Department of Justice. In 1986, Ms. Abdo-Gomez became a Special Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami handling all aspects of Bankruptcy Court litigation on behalf of the United States Internal Revenue Service. Since 1988, Ms. Abdo-Gomez has had her own practice, Law Offices of Magda Abdo-Gomez. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from the University of Miami, and earned both a J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida.

Robert Meyers, Executive Director
Robert Meyers has served as Executive Director for the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust since June 1998. As Executive Director, he has spoken before several hundred groups, making presentations to business, government, professional and community-based organizations. Mr. Meyers has participated on many ethics panels and seminars organized by governments, chambers of commerce, bar associations and universities. He appears on local television and radio programs relating to government and ethics, and is frequently published in local newspapers.

Prior to his appointment as the Executive Director, Mr. Meyers taught law, government and ethics at two major universities. He has published articles on ethics in several prominent journals, including an article in an environmental law treatise on ethics and land use decisions.
He practiced law for two years in Florida, concentrating on administrative law and labor and employment law. He holds a Juris Doctor earned at the University of Miami, a Master's degree in Public Administration, which he received from Florida International University, and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Florida.