Denise Davis-Cotton, EdD, the Director of the Florida Center for PAInT. She is an esteemed professional and educator and author of Losing My Mind over Education (Finding My Way Back to Me), in which she shows the discord between the preparations of her educational journey along life’s landscape, what she discovers, and what needs to happen to reignite the educational spirit.

She is a Milken Foundation internationally recognized educator, Michiganian of the Year, and Past President of Arts Schools Network in which she made historic contributions to education and the cultural renaissance. She is the founder and served as the First Principal of Detroit School of Arts (DSA). She also received two Keys to the City of Montgomery (Alabama), as well as the Congressional Record Recognition by the 106th Congress, and she is recognized as a Distinguished Alumni – Alabama State University.

Aimee’ Irlanda Colon, Office manager who reports to the associate director of Academic Affairs at the University of South Florida. She analyzes and calculates account carry forward balances for the REACH Grant. She also manages Educational and General (E&G) salary rate, positions and benefit, reconciles and balances E&G budget, and prepares transfers to ensure that matching dollars are made available for the financial staff to make appropriate draw downs. She also monitors all budget transfer activity through the year to ensure compliance. She works in close collaboration with the REACH grant team to ensure that REACH project and accounts are managed cost-effectively to maintain adherence to grant financial objectives.

Chrishanthi DeSilva, is an associate director who reports to the regional vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of South Florida. She serves as the unit business and finance administrative officer, who ensures that the operations and processes used to report financial data maintains the highest level of integrity. She also oversees data validity and quality to ensure that transactions are appropriately executed and recorded, including segregation of duties, to maintain appropriate checks and balances; sets and monitors data integrity  controls; maintains effective accountability structures; and upholds financial policies. She will process the REACH grant’s contract in accordance with various rules and regulations (university and federal), review and sign off on reconciliation reports to make sure expenditures are valid within the grant budget and all expenses are followed by the federal grant guidelines, develop and prepare financial/budget reports that are requested by the grant administration; and assist and advise PAInT leadership with budget and administrative issues.