PFAWL Board of Directors 2021 - 2022
Meredith Gaunce
President
Meredith specializes in helping business owners understand and navigate employment laws. For the past 12 years, Meredith has strived to protect her clients from legal exposure and poise them for success and growth. She graduated from Emory University in 2004 with her B.A. in Political Science and Spanish and then received her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2007 where she was the Founder and President of the Animal Legal Protection Organization (“ALPO”).
After relocating to St. Petersburg in 2010 Meredith began working for the leading international Labor and Employment firm Ogletree Deakins. In 2013, Meredith left the firm to become an in-house attorney for a corporation handling their employment matters and corporate contract needs. In 2016, Meredith decided it was time to share her knowledge and passion with the local business community in St. Petersburg and opened Gaunce Law with her husband Andy. She has been a Super Lawyers Riding Star in Employment and Labor Law for the past three years and has been the only attorney in St. Petersburg receiving this designation for the past two years. In her spare time, she makes jewelry and runs after her 3 year old son, Noah.
Daniela Carrion
President Elect
Dany is an Attorney at the Linesch Firm, in Palm Harbor Florida, where she practices exclusively employment & immigration law. Born in Quito, Ecuador Dany brings a diverse background, which has made her an avid Immigration lawyer and human rights advocate. Having endured the difficult process of immigration, Dany understands both the emotional and legal issues associated with the immigration process. Dany attended American Washington College of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor Degree and specialized in human rights law and the cross section of environmental disasters and human trafficking.
Prior to coming to Florida Dany worked for Catholic Charities, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), and Service Employers International Union (SEIU). Dany’s work has earned her various awards, and she is a well regarded author concerning Indigenous and Immigrant Rights.
Dany heads the Pro Bono section of the Linesch Firm, which is devoted to Human Rights. She works closely for the “Fight for 15” Campaign with SEIU, is a member of the Human Resource Committee to RCS Pinellas, and advises the St. Petersburg Housing Authority. Dany has also been involved with the CARA pro bono project by providing on the ground legal support at the Artesia, New Mexico, and Dilley, Texas Family Detention Centers.
Currently, Dany is also the secretary of the Pinellas Young Lawyers Division, The Committee Co-Chair of the Pro-Bono Section of the Hillsborough Women’s Law Association.
Whitney Green
Secretary
Whitney Green is a native and life-long Floridian. In 2009, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the University of Florida, cum laude. In 2012, she obtained her law degree from the Florida State University Collge of Law, with honors, and was admitted to The Florida Bar.
After law school, Whitney relocated to St. Petersburg. Wanting to focus her career on public service, she served for six years as a staff attorney in the Office of Court Counsel for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. Her diverse positions within the office earned her legal experience with criminal and civil law, as well as with administrative matters impacting the judiciary. Whitney currently practices as an Assistant State Attorney in the Sixth Circuit, and specializes in postconviction litigation in Pinellas and Pasco counties. Whitney joined the Junior League of St. Petersburg in 2018 and currently serves as chair-elect on the Public Affairs committee. In addition to her work with the League, Whitney sits on the board of the Pinellas chapter of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, as the Young Lawyers Director.
In her free time, Whitney enjoys travelling and antique-hunting with her husband Henry, trying new restaurants in St. Pete, and spending time with her two cats and dog.
Elise Winters
Treasurer
Based in Clearwater, Elise K. Winters, P.A. assists clients in a range of commercial matters, including real estate, landlord-tenant arrangements, construction, corporate law, and business transactions. Ms. Winters has thirty years of legal experience and a diverse background and range of commercial expertise. Since 1980, she has personally managed all of her clients, representing a wide range of developers, commercial landlords, and businesses. With extensive litigation experience earlier in her career, Ms. Winters’ transactional clients regularly request her services as in-house counsel, so that she can oversee her clients’ trial attorneys when litigation arises.
Ms. Winters is a longtime officer and director of the Clearwater Bar Association, and served as President of that organization from 1991 to 1992. She is also a Past Chair of the City of Clearwater Downtown Development Board. Ms. Winters has received an award from the Florida Supreme Court in recognition of her pro bono work and devotion to public service.
Ms. Winters received her B.S. and J.D. from the University of Florida, graduating with honors for both degrees. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1980.
Shavarne B. Dahlquist
FAWL State Chapter Representative
Shavarne Dahlquist is the Immediate Past President of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Ms. Dahlquist received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of Florida. Prior to attending law school, she worked in the Probate Division of the Howard Forman Clerk of Court, focusing on trust and estate administration. Ms. Dahlquist earned her Juris Doctor in the top 25th percentile from Barry University School of Law in 2006.
Upon graduating from law school, Ms. Dahlquist accepted a two-year clerkship with the 15th Judicial Circuit in West Palm Beach, serving as its Judicial Law Clerk and Criminal Appeals Coordinator and concentrating on probate, civil, criminal, family, and juvenile law. Subsequently, Ms. Dahlquist practiced with a small boutique firm in West Palm Beach, specializing in estate planning, probate and trust administration, corporate law, and civil litigation.
Ms. Dahlquist is a member of The Florida Bar and Clearwater Bar Association, and is privileged to serve on The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. She has also been on the Board of Directors for the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers for several years and is active in several organizations in the community as well.
She resides with her husband, David, and two daughters, Sydney and Olivia, in Palm Harbor, Florida. In her free time, she enjoys reading, music, and spending time with family and friends.
Kathleen E. McCarthy
Public Relations
Kathleen (Katie) McCarthy is the Public Relations Director of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Kathleen is a licensed Attorney in the State of Florida, the State of New York, and the District of Colombia. She is a Civil Litigation Associate with Simon, Reed & Salazar P.A. in Tampa, Florida. Kathleen is a member of the Junior League of Saint Petersburg. She is also an active member of the Saint Petersburg Bar Association and is currently serving on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Kathleen became a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance in 2020 and is enjoying teaching yoga classes and hosting workshops in Saint Petersburg.
She loves traveling, reading, and spending time with her partner, Tina, and their mini golden-doodle, Coasta.
Christina Pacheco
Awards
Christina Z. Pacheco, a board certified lawyer in Criminal Appellate Law, is an Assistant Attorney General at the Florida Office of the Attorney General. She currently handles appeals of first-degree murder cases, which allows her to practice in circuit courts throughout the state as well as district courts of appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, and federal courts. Ms. Pacheco’s oral argument experience includes eighteen different appearances, eight of which have been before the Florida Supreme Court. She has handled hundreds of cases throughout her career, and she is routinely involved in high-profile cases.
In addition to serving as a board member of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, she is a member and former board member of the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg Sunset. Ms. Pacheco is also serving her third term on The Florida Bar’s Criminal Law Certification Committee, and she edits for the St. Petersburg Bar Association’s publication, the Paraclete. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga, cooking, traveling, and exploring St. Petersburg’s wonderful restaurants with her husband, Tony.
Rebecca Deming
Programming and Social Director
Rebecca Deming is the CLE Programs Director of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Rebecca was born in Boynton Beach, FL and raised in New York, NY. After graduating Cum Laude from Cornell University, she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, and then went on to pursue her legal studies at the University of Miami’s School of Law, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2008.
Rebecca’s early career path was influenced by her love for the law and her desire to contribute to the global war on terror. After working for two large international law firms, she joined the US Agency for International Development in 2011 and headed to Afghanistan to work on Rule of Law issues in support of US and NATO troops.
After Afghanistan, Rebecca worked closely with a wide variety of military and civilian organizations in developing and complex environments. She has extensive experience working in Africa, Europe, and Central Asia conducting hands-on training and oversight of security sector reform, capacity building, educational, and institutional transformation projects. In addition to working as a Senior Human Rights Advisor for the US Department of State, Rebecca has taught lectures on human rights to UN Peacekeepers in Niger, Togo, Benin, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Rwanda, and Kenya.
Rebecca has more recently transitioned back into the practice of law. As an accredited attorney with the Veterans Benefits Administration, Rebecca moved to St. Petersburg and joined the Tucker Law Group in 2019 to help clients who served in the military obtain their service-connected disability compensation. She joined PFAWL to get to know other women attorneys in the community and expand her local network.
Amy Dilday
CLE Director
Amy Dilday is the CLE Director of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Catherine Henry
Young Lawyers Section & Pro Bono
Catherine Henry is the Young Lawyers Section and Pro Bono Director of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Membership- New Members
Joelle Bordeaux
Joelle Bordeaux is the Membership Director of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Starlett Massey
Sponsorship Chair
Starlett Massey is the Sponsorship Chair of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Mercedes Buntz
CLE Committee Chair
Mercedes Buntz is the CLE Committee Chair of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Roxie Baxter
Social Media Chair
Roxie Baxter is the Social Media Chair of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Rosie is a 2L at Stetson University College of Law. She received a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Florida State University in 2019. Rosie is a Tampa Native and hopes to pursue a law career in the Tampa Bay area.
Whitney Sousa
FAWLS Representative
Whitney Sousa is FAWLS Representative for the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Nicole Bell
Immediate Past President
After completing her undergraduate studies at Florida State University, Nicole pursued her passion for research and writing by attending the Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, FL. Now, Nicole is an attorney at Legacy Protection Lawyers, LLP where she practices estate planning, probate/trust administration, and business planning. Nicole is involved in the St. Petersburg community (Leadership St. Pete Class of 2019 and President-Elect of Brookwood Florida, a local nonprofit) and is currently serving as the President of the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers
Interested in Joining the PFAWL Board of Directors?
There are always opportunities to join the PFAWL Board of Directors! If you’re interested and would like to become involved, please complete the form below. Would you like to become more involved but maybe not commit to a board position yet? You can join a committee!