About Us
Yvette Shelton-Edmonds
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Yvette Shelton-Edmonds is the Chief Executive Officer of Inspired to Independence Incorporated. She is committed to eradicating generational poverty by helping nonprofit organizations develop innovative programs that help individuals and families break the cycle of poverty and improve overall well-being.
She has over 30 years’ experience in County Government across two states. She is using what she learned to help organizations achieve their mission and create the impact they desire. Her career journey has taken her from providing frontline service as a licensed social worker to becoming the Administrator responsible for Program Planning, Oversight, and Evaluation. She is credited with building the first viable Organizational Research and Evaluation Department in Summit County, Ohio and has helped numerous organizations achieve “substantial conformity” in state, federal, and accreditation reviews.
Prior to her role at Inspired to Independence she served the Central Florida community while employed at the Florida Department of Children and Families and Orange County Government where she was responsible for the development and oversight of nineteen programs designed to help people achieve self-sufficiency.
Originally from Ohio, Yvette holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Education. She has received training from leading national child and family service experts such as the Annie Casey Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, National Child Welfare League of America, Council on Accreditation, and more. She was recruited and trained as a subject matter expert for the United States Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau and is a Community Partner with the United States Department of Commerce, Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She serves on a number of committees in the Central Florida region that seek to empower underserved populations and develop strong communities. She has successfully developed innovative programs that achieve results, receive accreditation, and meet local, state and federal compliance.
Bernard Antenor
Board Chair
Jean Bernard Antenor “Bernard” holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Hartford Goodwin College in Connecticut. He served over fifteen years as an elementary educator; four with Hartford Public Schools and the remainder with Orange County Public Schools (OCPS). While at OCPS he was recognized by the District for being the top Parent Engagement Coordinator and for creating a winning team project designed to engage students and parents in learning. He is known for supporting families, collecting data to identify barriers, and collaborating with organizations to help families achieve their goals for success.
Bernard recently transitioned into sales and marketing with i4 Waste Valet and Recycling, where he is responsible for multifamily developments. He is combining his knowledge from his corporate position with his knowledge of serving in economically disadvantaged communities, to move families from surviving to thriving. He is committed to closing the minority wealth and entrepreneurial gap and breaking the cycle of poverty. He has a proven track record for engaging families, businesses, and volunteers in working together to implement creative solutions to promote positive change.
Bernard has devoted countless volunteer hours mentoring youth as a JV basketball coach, distributing food, serving at shelters, and working as part of a team on mission trips to Haiti. During his free time Bernard enjoys being a devoted father to his daughters and spending time with family.
Stephanie Edwards-Washington
Board Member
Stephanie Edwards-Washington is currently a Senior Clinical Project Manager working remotely for a Contract Research Organization (CRO) by the name of KCR with locations in Boston, Massachusetts; Berlin, Germany; and Warsaw, Poland. Stephanie brings an array of leadership and managerial experience.
Prior to her current role at KCR CRO, Stephanie’s career in the pharmaceutical industry began in 1989 with ICI Pharmaceuticals. After ICI, she held positions in Operations Management for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and Project Management in commercial construction. In 2010, Stephanie took on the role of Research Device Committee Coordinator at Orlando Health.
During her six plus years with Orlando Health, Stephanie also held the positions of IRB Coordinator and Oncology Project Coordinator maintaining clinical trials pertaining to Hematology, Genitourinary and Radiation Oncology. While working as an IRB Coordinator, Stephanie maintained oversight of both adult and pediatric oncology and non-oncology project review boards, also known as Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). Stephanie took on various research roles with the sole responsibility of managing and leading clinical trial study teams in a cross-matrix environment.
Stephanie has a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. She is a Certified Clinical Research Professional and a Certified Scrum Master. She brings a wealth of knowledge of how the social determinants of health (socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, social support, and access to health care) impact overall health and well-being.
Sobrina Cox
Board Member
Sobrina Cox has been an attorney for over a decade. She has practiced in the areas of immigration and business law and is a member of the Florida bar. Currently she works at the University of Central Florida in the Office of Research as a Contracts Officer. Sobrina is married to Dr. Shawn Cox and the two are the proud parents of two daughters, Sophia and Sienna.
When not spending time with family or working, Sobrina enjoys traveling and running half marathons. To date, she has completed 10 half marathons and countless 10k and 5k races. She is especially excited when she has the opportunity to travel for a race.
Her favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and give you a future.” This text is a reminder to keep the faith through all of life’s changes. It is her faith that compels her to volunteer to make her community a better place.
Christopher Brown
Board Member
Christopher holds a Bachelors of Science in Finance, from the University of Central Florida. He is employed as a Commercial Real-Estate Credit Analyst with Synovus Bank. As a Credit Analyst, he has developed strong analytical skills and a deep understanding of financial analysis, which he applies to assess the creditworthiness of commercial real estate borrowers. This experience has given him a valuable perspective on the importance of financial sustainability and efficient resource allocation, which he brings to his work with non-profit organizations.
Christopher’s passion for volunteer work and community service is evident. He has been an advocate for voter education in Central Florida since 2018. As a community representative for Project ID, he built a sustained network of partners that help individuals obtain the government issued IDs necessary to find employment, and access other resources. As a Board member, he uses his expertise to provide valuable guidance in the areas of finance, strategic planning and goal development. His dedication to both his professional role and his volunteer work demonstrate a strong commitment to his community and a deep understanding of the importance of addressing the challenges faced by marginalized individuals and groups.
Overall, Christopher’s commitment to volunteerism, financial expertise, and his ability to strategically pivot and adapt to changing circumstances make him a valuable asset to the Board. His dedication to understanding an organization’s mission, goals, resources, and external risk factors, and ability to use this understanding to identify opportunities for efficiencies, growth and impact, is beneficial to the clients we serve.
In his free time, Christopher enjoys cycling, gardening, learning, paddleboarding and traveling.
