Nonprofit for high schoolers names board chair, members

Suits for Seniors, Palm Beach County’s leadership development program for local at-risk high school seniors, has named Jeff Johnson as its chairman of the board.

New board members are Leo Armbrust, Kathleen Hillman, Jeraline Johnson, Carlton Washington and Chuck West. The board chair is a one-year term; board members will serve a twoyear term.

The board works with the Suits for Seniors staff to further elevate the nonprofit’s mission of helping students in low-income communities develop the skills needed to achieve lifelong success.

Mr. Johnson is partner and vice president at Lotis LLC, a Boca Raton-based real estate company where he plays a key role in all phases of real estate development. In addition to serving as Suits for Seniors’ board chair, he will chair the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser, the 2023 Golf & Give event. He increased donations by over $100,000 for the 2022 event. He is a member of Leadership Palm Beach County and is a NAHB certified green building professional.

Mr. Armbrust is a retired Catholic priest and a prominent leader in the Palm Beaches, where he founded two not for profit charities, Vita Nova and The Bridge at Glen Ridge. He has served as team priest for the Miami Hurricane and Miami Dolphins football teams. Mr. Armbrust was ordained a Catholic priest in 1977, with a pastoral ministry that spanned from South Miami to North Palm Beach. He retired from active priestly ministry and now dedicates his time to counseling and officiating weddings and funerals. He earned master’s degrees in divinity, theology and education.

Ms. Hillman, a South Florida native, has worked as a psychotherapist in Boca Raton since 1986, in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. Her therapeutic approach and goal are to provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges and learn new coping skills. She has volunteered with Suits for Seniors for several years and serves on the Golf & Give committee.

Ms. Johnson has worked for the School District of Palm Beach County for nearly 20 years, where she currently serves as the director of Choice and Career Options and leads a variety of the district’s initiatives, including Career Pathways, Criminal Justice Career Academies, CTE Data and Marketing. She serves as an adjunct professor of graduate counseling psychology at Palm Beach Atlantic University, is a senior national consultant for the Center for Occupational Research and Development and is the chair of Leadership Development at the National Career Pathways Network.

Mr. Washington has a background in banking insurance and real estate. He is a long-time health and wellness enthusiast who channeled his business background into founding 4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions, a company that focuses on vitality anti-aging solutions. 4Ever Young has three corporate locations and oversees eight franchises, with more than 20 expected by the end of 2022.

Mr. West is an investment professional with nearly 25 years of experience. He is a financial advisor and portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley, and has held positions at Fortune 500 firms, such as Citibank and Charles Schwab & Co. He is experienced in asset management and alternative investments. He is a member of the board of directors for the Tennessee State University Foundation where he is charged with the prudent management and disbursement of the university’s endowment fund.

For more information about Suits for Seniors, see www.suitsforseniors.org. ¦