Our Board
Haley Maple
Haley Maple is a Florida Bar Board Certified attorney in Construction Law with a litigation practice throughout the state who devotes substantial time to Voter Protection and Get Out The Vote efforts and to lifting up campaigns in key elections throughout the country. Haley earned a scholarship to attend the Governing for Non-Profit Excellence program at Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program, and previously, she served as Board Chair for Tampa area non-profits organizations.
Joe Geller
Mr. Geller was elected to the State House of Representatives, District 100, representing parts of Northeast Dade and Southeast Broward, in November, 2014 and was reelected without opposition in November, 2016 and again in November, 2018. He was previously elected as Mayor of North Bay Village in 2004 and was reelected in 2006 serving until 2008. Mr. Geller is also the former long-time Chair of the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party. Additionally, Mr. Geller served as the Village Attorney for the Village of El Portal for many years. He also previously served as City Attorney for the City of Opa-Locka. He is the former Town Attorney for the Town of Miami Lakes and the Town of Golden Beach and former City Attorney for the City of North Bay Village. Mr. Geller is a member of the Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund. Mr. Geller has also served as the Southeast Regional President of the American Jewish Congress.
Mr. Geller has more than 35 years experience, including state and federal court litigation, at both the trial and appellate level. In addition to Complex Civil Litigation matters, Mr. Geller’s practice focuses on government relations, land use and zoning, election law, government relations, municipal law and administrative law. Mr. Geller is especially well known for a series of landmark Election Law cases, beginning with the City of Miami Mayoral Election Vote Fraud case in 1997, and including Recount Litigation, including the Gore Presidential Campaign in 2000, the “Ted’s Shed” School Board residency case in 2000, successful representation of judicial candidates in the 2006 Election cycle, and successful representation in the 2010 cycle of candidates facing Resign to Run and Entitlement to Run-off issues. Most recently, he successfully defended a candidate's eligibility to run in the 2018 cycle.
Paula Ryan
Paula Ryan is a former City Commissioner for West Palm Beach, Fl, and a retired Investment Banker and Affordable Housing Developer. Ms. Ryan has been a Community Organizer for various Political and policy campaigns. She was the Neighborhood Team Leader for West Palm Beach in 2008 for the Obama Presidential Campaign and reprised her role again in 2012. She was a local liaison and organizer for Mayor Bloomberg’s Mayors Demand Action Against Illegal Guns Committee, as well as an organizer for the Affordable Health Care Navigator Program.
Ms. Ryan was responsible for building a team of over 3000 engaged volunteers and organized the establishment of a local office for the Obama Campaign. In 2013 helped established the Palm Beach County Youth Leadership Academy for the Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee. The Youth Leadership Academy provided local students with educational opportunities and hands-on learning activities, along with discussions, and internship opportunities with local, state and national legislatures. Students were introduced to grassroots and media tactics and campaign finance rules and regulations. This program and its activities provided the students with networking opportunities both locally and nationally.
Ms. Ryan continues to work with governments, private non-profits and political causes that are dedicated to building safe, clean, and healthy environments for her community. She is married to Clifford Hertz, a land-use attorney in Palm Beach County and is a grandmother to seven grandchildren.
Toni Russell
Toni is a Tampa Bay Native and lives in St. Petersburg. She is the Broker/Owner of a small family owned and operated Real Estate Brokerage with her son, Spencer. Russell Property Group LLC specializes in Residential & Commercial Property Management, Leasing and Sales.
As a 6th Generation Floridian, Toni has deep roots in Central Florida, and has a legacy of helping her fellow Floridians. Her grandfather, an original settler in Orlando, was a representative in Florida’s first legislature. Her great-grandfather was the sheriff of Sumter County in the early 1900’s. Toni was born in Ybor City, a small and diverse neighborhood in Tampa. After graduating Chamberlain High School, she worked for a national law firm with headquarters in Tampa for 15 years, when she received an opportunity to move to Washington DC. She went to work with one of the world’s largest law firms, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in the Environmental Section. She worked very closely with the EPA on regulatory and legislative developments, specifically contamination of drinking and ground water. While in the nation’s Capital, she also picked up the political bug. She became an advocate for the Human Rights Campaign and proudly marched on the Capitol for the right to choose in 1989.
She returned to the Tampa Bay area in 1996, and continues her involvement in environmental issues, especially drinking and ground water sustainability. She continues to be a staunch advocate for human equality.
Jocelyn Schnier
Jocelyn Schnier was an accountant, a catering firm owner, recruiting firm owner, and a real estate investor. She did door-to-door canvassing for Obama. Since moving to Florida, she’s volunteered to sign people to vote by mail and has participated in Get Out The Vote efforts for gubernatorial and presidential elections in Palm Beach County.
Andrew Learned
Andrew was born in Sarasota, grew up in Valrico, and graduated High School in Fort Myers before enrolling at the University of Tampa. There, he studied economics, and government and world affairs in addition to his duties in the Navy ROTC program. During his junior year, Andrew was elected as the Student Body President and served as Company Commander for his Navy ROTC unit.
After graduation, Andrew commissioned as an officer into the United States Navy, serving on active duty for four years. He was a Surface Warfare Officer who specialized as his ship’s Boarding Officer. In that role, Andrew led small teams on boarding operations throughout two deployments to the Middle East and North Africa. In 2014, as a Lieutenant, Andrew transitioned to the United States Navy Reserves.
When Andrew returned home, he sold his home and maxed out his credit cards to open a neighborhood learning center called GradePower Learning. He has grown to four locations across Florida from Tampa to Jacksonville helping students of all ages and abilities reach higher in school and in life. In 2023 Andrew joined the board of Sea Change Fuels, a biodiesel startup looking to help fight climate change by cleaning up the diesel fuel industry.
Andrew was elected to the Florida House in November of 2020 and represented Brandon, FL. He’s married to his college sweetheart Amanda and has twin 8-year-olds Flynn and Lola keeping him on his toes.