Winter Park Health Foundation Staff

Debbie Watson
Vice President

Debbie Watson joined the Winter Park Health Foundation in 1994 as Executive Director of Community Relations.  Since 2000, Ms. Watson has served as the organization’s Vice President supporting program planning, development and administration; grants management; research and evaluation; as well as communications and community relations.

An experienced communications professional, Ms. Watson graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in psychology and mass communications.

An almost-native Floridian, Ms. Watson grew up in Sarasota, but has been involved in business in Central Florida for close to 30 years.  She was Director of Public Relations for Orlando-area Hyatt Hotel properties and later for Robinsons Inc., an Orlando-based, full-service marketing firm for tourism interests from around the world.

Ms. Watson and her husband, Lee Watson, launched and operated Watson Communications from April 1983 to August 1989 when she became an independent consultant for Winter Park Memorial Hospital and later joined the staff as Director of Marketing and Community Relations.

Ms. Watson has been involved in numerous community activities and organizations over the years including her current engagement in the Winter Park YMCA Board of Directors, the Central Florida Donor's Forum, the Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center, the Orange County Health Planning Partnership and the Orange County League of Women Voters.

Passionate about the health of children and committed to belief that Healthy Kids Make Better Students, Ms Watson is the Chairman of the School Health Advisory Council in Orange County and is active on various task forces related to student/school health and wellness.  She has been appointed to and serves on the Florida School Health & Education Consortium. 

Ms. Watson is a member of several national organizations that support community health and philanthropy including Grantmakers in Health, The Communications Network, Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families and the Association for Community Health Improvement.

Email: dwatson@wphf.org

Ron Lambert
Chief Financial Officer

Ron Lambert, the Foundation's chief financial officer since 1995, oversees the organization's investment portfolio of more than $100 million and keeps tabs on the Foundation's day-to-day financial and administrative operations.

Mr. Lambert, who graduated from Bryant College with a BSBA degree with a concentration in accounting, worked for The Anden Group as an accountant, project analyst, assistant treasurer and then vice president of finance before joining the Foundation.

His affiliations include the Central Florida YMCA Finance Committee, YMCA-Center for Health & Wellness Board of Management; Leadership Winter Park Alumni Council, 2004 President; and Foundation Financial Officer's Group.

Email: rlambert@wphf.org

Lisa Portelli
Program Director

Lisa Portelli has been involved in non-profit programs since 1986 and has a background that gives her a unique perspective on issues affecting the working poor. Ms. Portelli was executive director of Shared Housing for Single Parents, Inc., a United Way agency that merged with the Coalition for the Homeless in 1992. Next she was vice president for housing at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, then executive director of the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless in Jacksonville and director of the Workforce One-Stop Career Center before coming to the Foundation in 2002.

Ms. Portelli has served on the Governor's Commission on Homelessness, the board of the Central Florida and NE Florida WAGES program, the Florida Coalition for the Homeless, the Florida Housing Coalition and the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation. She was founding chairman of the Board for Healing the Children of Florida Inc.  She now serves on the boards of the Winter Park/Crosby YMCA, the Dental Care Access Foundation, the Primary Care Access Network and the Winter Park High School Foundation.

She was awarded the Celebration of Leadership--Tribute to Outstanding Women award in 1997 and has a degree in journalism from University of Wisconsin and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida.

Email: lportelli@wphf.org

Diana Silvey
Program Director

Diana Silvey, who joined Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF) in October, 2007, most recently was executive director of community outreach services for the Sisters of Mercy Health System based in Missouri. She provided leadership and resources to community-based programs operating throughout the system’s seven-state service area.

She has masters’ degrees in Health Care Mission and Finance and graduated from Maryville University, St. Louis, MO with a B.A. degree in Health Care Administration.

Ms. Silvey has worked in non-profit health care at a system level for 18 years, and in her most recent and  previous roles was responsible for three grant-making programs focused on improving health and quality of life. Funded programs have included senior center construction and operations, intergenerational activities, nutrition assistance, transportation services, and others.

Email: dsilvey@wphf.org

Shellene Mazany
Program Officer

Shellene Mazany, has been with the Winter Park Health Foundation since 1997. She joined the Foundation to provide "lung lectures" in Orange and Seminole County schools as part of the Foundation's tobacco cessation program. Later, she developed the Foundation's CHILL Counseling Program, a one-of-a-kind service providing Community Help & Intervention in Life's Lessons for students grades K-12 in Winter Park area schools.

Before joining the Foundation, Ms. Mazany worked for the Center for Drug-Free Living for two years running its Women's Day Treatment Program, and she also provided in-school counseling for students at Stonewall Jackson Middle School through the Center's New Horizons program.

Ms. Mazany has a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Central Florida and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Email: smazany@wphf.org

Meet Our President

Patricia Maddox
President and CEO

Patricia A. Maddox, leader of the Winter Park Health Foundation since its inception in 1994, has directed all facets of the Foundation's mission and program planning.

Ms. Maddox came to Florida in 1993 leaving Duke University where she had been Executive Director of Medical School Alumni Affairs and Development.

Currently, Ms. Maddox is active in the health and health care community serving on the University of Central Florida College of Health and Public Affairs Executive Committee and Advisory Board, the 211 Advisory Board, the Orange County Commission on Aging, the Metro YMCA Board, the Orange County Chairman's Healthcare Roundtable, the Winter Park Memorial Hospital Foundation and as an advisor to the Board of the Healthy Florida Foundation.

In March 2004, Ms. Maddox was recognized by Orlando Business Journal as one of the top ten "Women who Mean Business" in Central Florida.

Ms. Maddox received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Email: pmaddox@wphf.org