Board of Directors
Jane Simmons, Founder/Board President
Mrs. Simmons was employed by the Santa Rosa County, Florida School District at Pace High School for thirty-six years until her retirement in 2010. From 1992 until she retired, Mrs. Simmons was assigned to the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Department at Pace High School as a job coach/job placement advocate for the ESE students.
Roy Carpenter, Vice-President
Roy Carpenter, Jr was born and raised in Santa Rosa County. He is currently licensed as a Physical Therapist Assistant and has practiced for the last 20 years. In his profession, Roy has had the pleasure of treating patients with both physical and intellectual disabilities. He has been married for thirty years and has two daughters.
Allison Daseler, Secretary
Allison Daseler is a native Floridian from Winter Haven. She has been a Navy wife for the past 33 years that includes 13 moves and 9 different duty stations. She was an elementary school teacher in Santa Rosa County for 11 years. She has been volunteering at Vision of Hope for the past several years. Her son, Benjamin, is a Life STRIDES participant and thoroughly loves the program. She and her husband also have a daughter, Maggie, who lives in Portland, Oregon.
Christine Wong, Treasurer
Christine Wong holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Troy University. Mrs. Wong, her husband, and two adult sons reside in Pace. Their youngest son was a participant in Vision of Hope’s Life STRIDES program and is now employed at Chick-fil-A.
Steve German, Member-at-Large
Steve German was born in Alabama, but has lived in Santa Rosa County since 1974. He has been employed with the Santa Rosa County Federal Credit Union since 1994 where he currently serves as the credit union’s CEO. He has served on the Vision of Hope board of directors since 2019.
Vladimira Fierro, Member-at-Large
Vladimira Fierro, Originally from Czechoslovakia, came to the United States in 2001 and has since devoted her career to empowering individuals with unique needs and supporting community well-being. With a B.S. in Health Care Administration from the University of West Florida and over 10 years of experience across state agencies, education, and public service, Vladimira brings a compassionate, detail-oriented approach to every role. She currently serves as an Employment Security Representative at CareerSource Escarosa, where she leads efforts to connect job seekers, especially those with disabilities with meaningful employment and resources. As a board member of Vision of Hope, Inc., Vladimira is honored to contribute her expertise, energy, and lifelong commitment to accessibility, equity, and service.
BRIAN GATES, Member-at-Large
Brian Gates is a graduate of Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in World History. He was commissioned in the United States Navy February 1983 and rose to the rank of Commander retiring September 2009. His operational assignment consisted of three years on USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70)as ship’s company and assorted assignments in various Naval Helicopter Squadrons.In 1999, Commander Gates graduated with a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Affairs from the United States Naval War College. He reported to the United States Special Operations Command where, after 1 year, was hand selected to be the Aide de Camp to the Commander-in-Chief, United States Special Operations Command.In 2002, Commander Gates reported to the Naval ROTC Unit located on the campus of Texas A&M University as the Executive Officer.In 2004, Commander Gates reported to Tactical Air Control Squadron TWO TWO as a detachment Officer-in-Charge. During this tour, he deployed twice in support of the Global War on Terror.In 2006, Commander Gates reported to the Naval Service Training Command, Officer Development as the Professional Development Branch Head. He retired in 2009 after almost 27 years in uniform.Commander Gates is married to the former Lisa Ivey. He has one son, Bradley, and two daughters, Savannah and Lauren.