Who We Are
Faculty Profiles
Linda Jimenez-Lopez
Linda is the Director of the Florida Center for Public Management, where she oversees all aspects of the Center's operations, including marketing, staffing, scheduling, and contract management. She has been dedicated to teaching CPM since 2015 and transitioned to a full-time faculty role in 2018. Before her role at FCPM, Linda served as the Learning & Development Manager at Tampa International Airport. Prior to that, she spent eight years at the Florida Department of Transportation, serving in training and development roles in District One and District Seven. Linda has also contributed to public service in roles such as a Probation Officer for the Department of Juvenile Justice and a Youth Prevention Counselor for DACCO, focusing on serving migrant and low-income families in the rural Tampa Bay area. With a strong foundation in Criminology and Interpersonal Communications from her Bachelor’s degrees, Linda furthered her education with a Master’s in Adult Education, specializing in Human Resource Development, from the University of South Florida. Currently, Linda is pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership & Policy. She is a proud alumna of the CPM program, having achieved her designation in 2014, and brings her experience from the public sector coupled with developing and delivering training programs for organizations to her current role.
Chiquita Camacho
Chiquita Camacho joined the FCPM faculty in January 2024, after serving as a CPM Adjunct. She is an experienced educator and retired law enforcement professional with over 27 years of experience serving the Orange County Corrections Department. She served at that rank of Captain directing the daily operations and oversaw both certified/civilian personnel, in the Operations Division. Chiquita began her career as a certified officer, following promotions to leadership, including, Corporal, Internal Affairs Supervisor, Operations Lieutenant, and notably developed and managed the department’s first Security Intelligence & Narcotics Canine Unit. She led a team in the development of the agency's 1st succession planning model which resulted in a successful Leadership Mentoring Program for the agency. Chiquita was later appointed as the Gender Equity Chairperson, focusing on workforce initiatives and improvement for women in law enforcement and ensuring opportunities for incarcerated women in the justice system.
Chiquita was a high liability instructor at Valencia College Criminal Justice Institute in Orlando. She led instruction in Defensive Tactics, Basic Life Saving and advanced criminal justice leadership courses. Chiquita earned her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Arts in Public Administration with a concentration in Management from Troy University. She is a Certified Public Manager and earned her designation as a Certified Corrections Manager (CCM) and Certified Jail Manager (CJM) from the American Jail Association.
Lynn Chisholm
Lynn Chisholm has been a full-time instructor with CPM since 2021. She was previously an adjunct with CPM for about 10 years, and before that enjoyed participating in Level 8s regularly after she graduated from CPM in 2009. Lynn’s career also includes having been the Director of the Office of Internships and Career Readiness at the University of South Florida; Internship Coordinator for Polk State College; HR Specialist in Organization and Workforce Development at the City of Lakeland; Director of the Speech and Hearing Clinic at the University of Georgia; Clinical Faculty at Florida State University; and a Speech Language Pathologist at North Shore Children’s Hospital in Salem, MA. Lynn has a bachelor’s degree from University of Central Florida and a master’s from Boston University. Her favorite topics outside of CPM include her two wonderful grown children, her dog and cats, birds, travel, and art.
Dan Vicker, Ph.D.
Dan Vicker is a long-time faculty member at FCPM and has been teaching CPM classes for many years. He is also the Student Liaison for the CPM Program. He was a Florida Sterling Council Examiner from 1999 to 2008, and currently delivers the opening Preview Session at the annual Sterling Conference. He also serves as a trainer, facilitator, and consultant in teambuilding, interpersonal communication, intercultural/interracial communication, leadership, organizational development, and other management issues.
Dan received a Ph.D in organizational communication and a Master's in public administration from FSU; a Master's in business administration from UWF; and a B.S. from UWF in systems science with an emphasis in management and accounting. He has also completed the organizational development/leadership certificate program at UWF.
Adjunct Instructors
Merrie Allen
Merrie Allen is an Adjunct Instructor for FCPM and has been employed with Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court for nearly 24 years. She currently serves as Director of Financial Relations. During her tenure with the Clerk’s office, she has overseen Accounts Payable, Grant Monitoring, and Customer Relations (Payables).
Merrie is a Certified Personal Finance Educator and has authored two books on money management. She conducts financial literacy workshops throughout the community and frequently speaks at events promoting financial literacy. Merrie earned her bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University and master’s from Bellevue University, both in Business Administration/Accounting. She is a US Navy Veteran and a 2020 graduate of the CPM program.
Tippy Amick Ph.D.
Tippy Amick is an Adjunct Instructor for FCPM. She has worked in the field of training and staff development for the State of Florida for over 25 years. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Florida State University for many years, first teaching counseling courses and later facilitating adult learners in leadership and management courses. She obtained her Ph.D. in Human Services and Studies at FSU in 1990. She now works as a consultant for several state agencies, and manages a sole-proprietor business that provides workshops and human performance improvement services to a variety of customers in the public and private sectors. She is also a proud graduate of the CPM program.
Alaa A. El-Halwagy
Alaa A. El-Halwagy is an Adjunct Instructor for the CPM program. He also serves as a consultant, executive coach, and subject matter advisor in Organizational Development & Culture, and an organizational facilitator for several national and international organizations. He is an HRD practitioner and the author of the “Making a Difference” Human Resource Intervention Model, which focuses on strategies and practical methodologies to move individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. He is the Principal of Innovative Group T&D, Inc. in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Lorna Kibbey
Lorna Kibbey is a content speaker, author, and leadership expert who focuses on helping leaders develop their most important, and most complex resources, people! Lorna’s first memory of her passion for leadership is from her kindergarten year. She managed to convince her classmates to stand on top of their desks while the teacher was out of the room! Since that day she has become a leadership expert through study, education, and practice. She has experienced leadership in many roles and educated and inspired leaders worldwide. Lorna “wrote the book” on becoming a better boss. The second edition of her book, “Becoming a Better Boss - Your Guidebook to 25 Fundamental Management Responsibilities” was published in 2023. Her second book “Becoming a Better Presenter – Performing Like a Pro” shares lessons from her vast experience in presenting to varied audiences. Lorna earned her master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Florida and her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from the University of Cincinnati. She is a Certified Public Manager; a Certified World Class Speaking coach; and an accredited and certified facilitator for “Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team” and all things DiSC™.
Michelle Miller
Michelle currently serves as the Director of Martin County’s Human Services Department and is the owner and president of The Drago Group, which provides leadership training and consulting services. She has been in management for over 14 years, and has extensive management, supervisory, and training experience. She has done presentations at the Florida Sterling Conference, John Carroll High School, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, and has facilitated a three-month leadership academy for young leaders in Port St Lucie. She graduated from the CPM program in 2012, and has been promoting the concepts of the program ever since.
Richard Miranda
Richard Miranda, Adjunct Instructor for FCPM, has been in leadership positions for over 30 years, leading teams as small as three people to as many as 600. He began his career in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, where he taught professional development courses (including leadership and management) in the U.S. and abroad. For 18 years, he served on the management team of the Division of Plant Industry of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In July 2018, he became the State Plant Health Director for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. In that role, he directs all aspects of Florida's plant protection operations, including import/export regulatory operations, pest detection and exclusion, eradication, and more.
Richard holds two degrees from the University of Florida: a Bachelor's in Agricultural Education and Communication (with a concentration in Leadership Development) and a Master's in Management. Richard received his CPM in 2008 and has been a passionate advocate of the program ever since.
Carmen Monroy
Carmen Monroy joins FCPM as an Adjunct Instructor, bringing over 30 years of experience in public service. A 2019 CPM graduate and strong advocate for the program, Carmen has held several notable positions, including Director of the Southwest Area Office for the Florida Department of Transportation and later Statewide Director for the Office of Policy Planning. Her professional background also includes roles such as Financial Business Manager for Lee County Transit and Executive Director of the Cape Coral Housing Rehab and Development Corporation. Carmen is a consultant and analyst, developing strategies and programs to assist local governments, non-profits, and public agencies in advancing strategic planning and public engagement initiatives.
Carmen holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Barry University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University. She also earned a Certificate in Data Analytics from the Harvard Business Analytics Program.
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood is an Adjunct Instructor for FCPM and has extensive training experience.¬ During his career, Leonard has served as a Park Ranger, Wildland Firefighter, Disaster Recovery Team Lead, Investigator, Consumer Mediator, Quality Manager, Training Consultant, and Organizational and Strategic Development Manager.¬ In 2015, Leonard was named Florida Sterling Council Rookie Examiner of the Year for his work on a Sterling review team.
In addition to his government service, Leonard extends his knowledge as a private training consultant and has authored and published four volumes of poetry. He takes pride in his role as a community mentor, contributing to the development and growth of others. Leonard is a 2015 graduate of the CPM program and holds a Bachelor of Science in Developmental Psychology along with an M.B.A