Board of Directors

Cherry is member and immediate Past-Chair of the Computer & Technology Law Committee of the Florida Bar. Cherry is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sarasota County Bar Association and is a Past-President of the Sarasota County Bar Young Lawyers Division. He is a member and webmaster of The Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court.

Cherry has authored many articles on IP and legal technology. He co-authored the article, "Success in Electronic Discovery," featured in the May 2003 edition of Trial Magazine, and the article, "Litigating the Runaway Software Project," in the October 2006 edition of Trial Magazine. Cherry has conducted seminars on topics such as "E-discovery and Metadata," "Intellectual Property in Business Transactions," and "Ten Fatal Assumptions Made by Technology Companies." He is a graduate of the UF College of Law with a B.S. degree (highest honors) in Decision & Information Sciences from UF.

Mr. Kratsch has extensive experience in small, mid-sized and large public entities; which include executive level roles in the telecommunications & technology, manufacturing and financial services industries.  Following four years of undergraduate studies in psychology and philosophy, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Master of Science in Business Management from Oakland City University.  In addition to his new role as Executive Director for STF, Jeffrey is also an adjunct professor at the State College of Florida and the Founder of a local non-profit organization focused on sustainability and energy conservation.

In 1998, he took a position with Sarasota County Libraries, providing the public with secure workstations and Internet access. He developed the first Sarasota County Libraries website, and as team lead, provided desktop support to the public and library staff workstations.

In 2001, he took a position with the County's newly formed Security & Controls group. While in this group, he spearheaded the development and implementation of the County's current information security program.

In his current position, Neil leads the Data Networks and Security teams, and has been instrumental in reducing operational costs for the County's network while expanding services. He is dedicated to providing efficient, secure, and fiscally responsible information technology solutions.

Neil is certified in Information Security and has an A.S. degree in Business Administration/Management.

A member of the Economic Development Council team since 2003, she currently manages company expansion, relocation and recruitment and entrepreneurial/ technology development.

Lauren is a member of the FEDC (Florida Economic Development Council), SAMA (Sarasota/ Manatee Area Manufacturers Association) and the Port Manatee Propeller Club.She also serves on the Florida High Tech Corridor Core Team Council and Marketing Committee, the Tampa Bay Partnership Marketing Committee, the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Green Business Initiatives and Tech Committees and the Suncoast Technology Forum Event Committee.

Lauren is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology.

CSI regularly serves a wide range of small businesses by creating and implementing synergistic ways to control and reduce bottom-line problems impacting technology systems.

In addition to his position with CSI, he is a Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Trustee and serves on the Chamber Development and Power Networking committees as well as the chair of the Chamber Technology Committee.

A Sarasota resident since 1965, except for a two-year stint on the Alaskan pipeline, Joe, with the help of his wife Cindy, manages CSI, which has grown from a home-based repair business into one of the leading technology consulting firms in our area. CSI employs 11 full-time staff members in three divisions – managed IT services, data network support and Web site development, earning more than $1.2 million annually.

Joe has been featured in many local publications, as well as receiving the honor of 2008 Small Business finalist in the Sarasota Chamber’s Small Business Awards. He is no stranger to the world of business promotion.

At CSI Networks, Joe Brachle’s job description can best be described as chief rainmaker, cheerleader and corporate promoter.

Dr. Sarah Meaker, President of Meaker & Associates, is a business development expert with a demonstrated history of providing executive level leadership training and actionable solutions for today’s most challenging business issues.  With clients ranging from entrepreneurs, business leaders and service professionals to management of nonprofit organizations, Dr. Meaker has provided seasoned counsel and mentoring in disciplines spanning strategic planning, executive coaching, leadership training, sales development and customer loyalty, to name a few.  Sarah is also the founder of the Institute of Dynamic Leadership, an organization focused on the essential elements of leadership development.

Daniel Forbes is currently a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch -The Forbes/Mackey Group.  He graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Luther Rice University with a Masters Degree in Divinity and a Minor in Counseling.  Dan joined Merrill Lynch in 2008 with a background of fourteen years as an entrepreneur and real estate brokerage owner, preceded by a twenty year career as a Pastor and Counselor.

Kathleen Durfee is the founder and owner of TechHouse, a Microsoft Gold Certified partner headquartered in the Bradenton/Sarasota area since 1995. TechHouse expertise includes successful engagements with SQL Server, Exchange, Active Directory, SharePoint, Project Server, GP Accounting, and CRM Sales and Service Management solutions. TechHouse tailors each effort to the customer’s needs, and works with customers for some or all of the process-- from Strategy and Architecture to Implementation, Managed Services, Support and Staffing.

Kathleen graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with Honors and Distinction, and a Masters Degree in English and American Literature. Kathleen is a Microsoft® Certified Solution Developer with over 20 years experience in the IT industry. Kathleen is active in the community and on various boards including past board member of the Suncoast Technology Alliance and the Tampa Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, and current board member of Suncoast Technology Forum.

Tom Frank is the former vice president of infrastructure services for Jackson Hewitt Technology Services at the company’s corporate technology center in Sarasota. He has worked 20 years in the IT field with 18 years right here in Sarasota, including a position with Arthur Andersen’s technology organization.

Frank is invested in the local area and seeks ways to foster the growth of technology in and around the Florida's suncoast. He is particularly excited about the ways in which Suncoast Technology Forum can help promote technology initiatives in the area.

Guice has over three decades of experience in the telecommunications and IT industries. He was director of business performance management with Lucent Technologies in the Information Technology Division. Prior to joining Lucent, he was the western region general manager for AT&T and formerly held several regional and national marketing and sales positions with AT&T and BellSouth.

Guice’s education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville State University and graduate work toward an MBA at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Florida Atlantic University. While with Lucent, he participated in the executive education program at Babson College with visiting professors from Harvard, MIT, and Dartmouth.

Dan Miller leads investments and business development for Startup Florida, a venture development firm that manages a technology incubator in downtown Sarasota, Florida, and an angel investment fund.

Miller has helped scores of entrepreneurs start up, organize, grow, and exit their businesses through his company, BizTank. Previously, he was founder and president of PlanetResume.com, a pioneer of online recruiting. Miller successfully completed the sale of PlanetResume.com to CareerShop.com in 1999 and the sale of CareerShop.com to Personnel Group of America (NYSE:PGA).

Prior to starting PlanetResume.com, Miller was a principal and senior vice president of sales and marketing for Software House Inc., a leading provider of facility access control security systems sold worldwide to Fortune 500 and governmental customers. Miller sold Software House in 1994 to Sensormatic Corp. (NYSE:SRM)