Marlene Williams, a retired Xerox International executive who was the first Black woman to be named to Vice President of Graphic Arts in the Southeastern United States overseeing the U.S and Canada, has been elected as board chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County for a 2-year term. Williams, the first Black woman to serve as board chair, has been a dedicated board member at the nonprofit for seven years and brings unmatched international business experience as well as a heartfelt commitment to the agency’s top leadership position.

“With her depth knowledge of our community, the business world and our one-to-one mentoring program, we couldn’t be more thrilled to have Marlene as our new board chair,” said Malena Mendez, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward. “Marlene sparks enthusiasm by her visionary approach and has always been a leader who serves by example. We’re thankful for her and all of our board members.”

Joining Marlene on the executive board is Lania Rittenhouse of Spirit Airlines, board vice chair; David Angel, Esq., treasurer; Chelsea Koff of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A., legal counsel; and Guillermo “Willy” Gomez as immediate past chair.

In addition, two new community leaders joined the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County board of directors, WolfCreek Consultants owner Jay Reynolds and top executive Manuel Catedral.

Reynolds has owned and operated WolfCreek Consulting, Inc., a top-rated executive search firm specializing in placing professions in finance, accounting, healthcare and IT for the past 21 years. Reynolds and his team at WolfCreek are involved in the growth and development of the youth through community partnerships with several high school and college programs, providing paid student internships and scholarships to support their readiness for college and/or career choices. Reynolds also is the past president of the Alpha Phi Alpha, committed to mentoring youth of color through it’s Men of Tomorrow program, which aligns with the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission.

Catedral has over 25 years of corporate leadership experience, currently the Vice President of Business Development for the Americas at Collinson – Priority Pass. Prior to his current role, he was Vice President/Country Manager at Mastercard, where he successfully developed business strategies to increase the company’s profitability, loyalty solutions and product growth. His thriving career path also includes leadership roles at American Express where was accountable for the exponential growth of key markets in Latin America, as well as the launch of three youth development programs that he personally championed. Catedral is a certified coach who genuinely enjoys mentoring the next generation of leaders and professionals, empowering the youth to reach their maximum potential. He has been Board of Directors at Hispanic Unity of Florida, mentor with Junior Achievement, Finance Committee at Big Brothers Big Sisters Broward Chapter, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, and Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association.

For more than 50 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County has offered unprecedented access to resources, empowering youth to reach their full potential through meaningful mentoring relationships. These mentoring relationships build self-confidence and emotional well-being, encourage young people to stay on a path to graduation and higher education, and help them establish a plan for a successful future. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County is to ignite the power and promise of youth.  For more information, visit www.bbbsbroward.org.