Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust Appoints Six Leaders to Board

The Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT) announced the appointment of six accomplished leaders to its Board. The new members bring extensive experience in public service, healthcare, law, business development, infrastructure, and community advocacy. Their leadership will help guide MDEAT’s efforts to expand economic opportunity, support workforce development, and strengthen communities throughout Miami-Dade County.

"The new board members bring together leaders who understand both the challenges and opportunities facing our communities,” said William “Bill” Diggs, Executive Director of the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust. “Their experience and commitment to service will help strengthen our efforts to expand opportunity and support sustainable economic growth across Miami-Dade County."

The addition of these leaders reinforces MDEAT’s continued focus on advancing economic empowerment, strengthening workforce initiatives, and supporting long-term community development throughout the county.

(From L-R) Roy Modkins, Deputy Director Shandra Daniels, Danny Felton, Regina M. Grace, Ryan R. Hawkins, Executive Director William “Bill” Diggs, Raychelle Tasher, Esq., Steven Henriquez, Dantrail Felton Sr., Andrea Forde, and Herman W. Dorsett II, RPSGT, RST, CCSH

Newly Appointed Board Members

Dantrail Felton Sr.
Dantrail Felton Sr. is an award-winning leader with over 20 years of experience spanning energy, telecommunications, construction, and workforce development. A Miami resident, Felton has built a career dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for underserved communities through infrastructure expertise and strategic partnerships across government, education, and industry. He currently serves as an Engineering Inspector for the City of Miami Gardens, ensuring compliance with engineering standards and safety protocols on critical construction and infrastructure projects. Felton has also served as an Adjunct Technology/Trade Specialist at Miami Dade College since 2022, where he develops workforce training programs and delivers technical education to community members. His community leadership includes serving as President of the Blacks in Technology Miami Chapter from 2023 to 2025, where he championed inclusion of Black professionals in technology industries and created upskilling programs for young adults. Earlier in his career, Felton served over 14 years as a Power Distribution Technician at Florida Power & Light, where he was recognized with multiple innovation and safety awards. He holds certifications as a Master Electrician from Miami-Dade County and has earned additional credentials in Construction Project Management from Columbia University, Electric Industry Operations from Duke University, and Six Sigma from NextEra Energy. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Policy from Florida International University.

Raychelle Tasher, Esq.
Raychelle Tasher, Esq. is an accomplished attorney admitted to practice law in both New York and Florida, whose career reflects a deep commitment to public service, fiscal accountability, and legal excellence. She currently serves as an Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, where she handles complex bankruptcy and civil litigation matters including civil fraud and tax investigations. Prior to her federal service, Tasher was a Restructuring Associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in New York, representing multi-million-dollar corporate clients in complex Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases involving companies ranging from $300 million to $850 million in debt. A graduate of Florida A&M University College of Law, she was recognized as National Vice Chair of the ABA Law Student Division and winner of the ABA 2012 Client Counseling Competition. She has received numerous distinguished honors including the Miami-Dade Bar Association's Excellence in Government Award (2024), the Blackshear Presidential Fellowship from the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (2024), and the National Bar Association's "Nations Best Advocate: 40 Lawyers Under 40" Award (2016). Tasher serves in extensive professional leadership roles including At-Large Director of the Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida, Board Member of Funding Florida Legal Aid, and Vice Chair of The Florida Bar Federal Court Practice Committee. She is a dedicated pro bono advocate with over 200 recorded hours serving clients through the U.S. citizenship naturalization and asylum process. 

Roy Modkins
Roy Modkins is a visionary creative and business leader with nearly two decades of experience building multicultural marketing campaigns and fostering community impact across South Florida and beyond. He is Co-Founder of Hip Rock Star – Miami, a forward-thinking agency specializing in branding, integrated marketing communications, public relations, and event production. Under his leadership, the firm has earned an impressive array of national accolades, including the 2024 Small Business of the Year from the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce, multiple Telly Awards, and recognition from the Black Owned Media Alliance as Marketing Firm of the Year in both 2017 and 2018. In 2017, Modkins was honored with a Key to the City of Miami by Mayor Carlos Gimenez and the Beacon Council and was named among South Florida's 50 Most Powerful and Influential Black Professionals in Business and Industry by Legacy Magazine. His career also includes senior-level recruiting roles at major organizations including CNN/Turner Broadcasting, The Weather Channel, Baptist Hospital South Florida, and Chen Medical, where he demonstrated a consistent ability to connect talent with opportunity across diverse industries and markets. Modkins is an active civic leader serving as Chairman of the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce South (2021–present), an SBCDC Board Member, and a member of the Omega Youth Program Board. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of San Francisco and is a member of the Northern California Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Herman W. Dorsett II, RPSGT, RST, CCSH
Herman W. Dorsett II is a highly credentialed sleep medicine professional and entrepreneur whose career spans more than three decades of clinical leadership in polysomnographic technology and sleep health administration. A Miami native, Dorsett currently holds multiple simultaneous roles reflecting both his clinical expertise and commitment to advancing patient care: as a Polysomnographic Technologist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, as a Sleep Consultant at Holtz Children's Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, and as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Flourish Clinical Research. Throughout his career, Dorsett has built and directed sleep disorder centers across Florida, Tennessee, and the Mid-Atlantic region, serving as Technical/Clinical Director for Sleep Care Solutions and United Sleep Diagnostics. Since January 2022, he has also served as Managing Partner of DFL, LLC, a family-owned real estate holding company. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hampton University and has earned advanced professional credentials including Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT), Registered Sleep Technologist (RST), and Certified Clinical Sleep Health Educator (CCSH). Dorsett is an active community member with organizational ties to the Miami-Dade County Community Zoning Appeals Board, 100 Black Men of America, the Brownsville Community and Neighborhood Association, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 

Regina M. Grace
Regina M. Grace is a retired Miami-Dade County government executive whose more than 40 years of distinguished public service have made her a cornerstone of social services and community advocacy in South Florida. A seasoned administrator, Grace built her career through consistent professional advancement within county government, developing deep expertise in program development and implementation, quality assurance, and the social and economic resource landscape of Miami-Dade County. Following her retirement from county service, she has continued her commitment to community through her role as Pro Bono Executive Director of The Anvil Community Development Corporation, where she channels decades of public sector experience into grassroots community development. Grace is widely recognized for her ability to build coalitions and partnerships across sectors and brings strong oral and written communications skills honed over a career spanning both frontline service delivery and senior administration. She holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from St. Thomas University and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Tuskegee University and is certified as a National Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) Peer to Peer Trainer and Peer Reviewer through the Community Action Partnership. Her community involvement includes active membership with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Miami Alumnae Chapter), the Miami Dade County CAHSD Board, the Miami Dade County Nuisance Abatement Board, and Martin Memorial AME Church.

Ryan R. Hawkins
Ryan R. Hawkins is an accomplished senior executive with over a decade of progressive organizational leadership in both the not-for-profit healthcare and governmental sectors. He currently serves as President and CEO of Jessie Trice Community Health System (JTCHS), one of Miami-Dade County's premier federally qualified community health centers, where he provides strategic direction and administrative oversight for an organization delivering comprehensive primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, dentistry, and chronic disease management services across eleven sites and forty-four school-based health suites. Prior to his current role, Hawkins served as Chief Operating Officer and AVP of Operations at Jackson North Medical Center within the Jackson Health System, where he held executive oversight for a $30 million operational budget and 350 staff, and led a $120 million capital renovation project. His career also includes distinguished government affairs leadership, having served in the Office of Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan with the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners as Deputy Chief of Staff, Sr. Legislative Analyst, and Legislative Analyst from 2008 to 2015. Hawkins holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare from the University of Miami, a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Social Work from Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Florida A&M University. He has been recognized as one of Miami's Top 40 Under 40 Black Business Leaders and among South Florida's Top 40 Under 40 Black Healthcare Leaders.