WHAT IS THE GOAL?
We all have gifts...
We want to help children, young adults and adults nurture their gifts and talents through support, financial backing, sponsorships, education and teachings, guidance and other resources.
Exploit your gifts...
Initiate, encourage and help you develop plans on ways for you to use your gifts in ways that produce a harvest.
Share your gifts...
We will create a generation of givers that will have benefitted from resources that they were once exposed to and are now anxious and eager to contribute to their community through our organization or others with their overflow.
Benefit of your gifts...
The Whittaker Family Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Therefore, all gifts and donations are tax deductible under IRS guideline.
Founders
Huey Whittaker
Barbara Whittaker
Barbara Whittaker
Hubert Whittaker is a graduate of the University of South Florida, where he obtained his Bachelor's in Business Management. During his tenure with USF, he was also a member of the USF Football Team. He had a successful college football career and was able to achieve many accolades and still holds some USF records as a USF Wide Receiver. After college, he began playing professional football, including the National Football League, the United Football League and the Arena Football League. Mr. Whittaker has made a huge mark in the Arena Football League and has also been an integral part in one of his teams ability to win the World Championship. He has held leadership roles with most teams as a Team Captain, Team Rep for the Union and is a current member of the AFLPU.
Mr. Whittaker's background in professional athletics has given him the ability to be a disciplined leader in every arena of his life. After retiring from football, he entered into the Financial Services Industry where he has also excelled as a licensed Financial Advisor and Planner. He has been awarded Rookie of the Year, was a Top Ten Manager, is a MDRT and GAMA member, and is currently a Manager of Financial Services at a Fortune 50 Company. He is considered a leader among his peers in the industry and has always considered himself a resource hub for people needing services. He is also a licensed Realtor and has been in the real estate industry as a Property Manager and an Investor. He also sits on the executive board for the AFLPU and The Replay Outreach. Mr. Whittaker is a Director and President for The Whittaker Family Foundation.
Barbara Whittaker
Barbara Whittaker
Barbara Whittaker
Barbara Whittaker is a graduate of the University of South Florida where she holds her Bachelor's in General Studies with an emphasis on Sociological Perspectives. She is also a licensed Real Estate Broker and Realtor and has worked in the real estate industry for over 20 years. Additionally, she is a Vice President for an oil company based in Tampa, FL where she manages all aspects of all site acquisitions, divestment, property management, insurance and risk management, environmental compliance, marketing and overall financial stability of the company. She has closed hundreds of transactions and has developed an expertise in distressed real estate, residential properties, asset purchases, commercial properties and property management. In 2015, Mrs. Whittaker made the leap to open her own Real Estate Brokerage. She wanted to provide a solution to her customers to be able to get top of the line customer service and expertise that would allow them to achieve their real estate investment goals. She also wanted to be able to provide an arena where new and seasoned real estate professionals could grow their business and achieve their personal professional goals with an advantage. Mrs. Whittaker is serving as Secretary and Treasurer for The Whittaker Family Foundation.
Mrs. Whittaker and Mr. Whittaker have four children: Jenai, Tamia, Imani and Ryein and have been residents of the Greater Tampa Bay Areas for all of their adult life.
Board of Directors
Maria Gonzalez
Maria is a passionate professional, dedicated to the proper development of human lives. She embodies vibrancy, commitment and
brilliance in every arena she participates in. She is currently a Training Specialist at a leading furniture store in Florida.
Maria’s brilliance comes alive in any endeavor she involves herself with. She has a consuming and relentless passion for excellence.
Maria has given her life’s mission to the service of others through her service to God. Maria has a “Can and will do” attitude with everything she sets her mind to.
She has a Bachelors in Marketing from the University of Central Florida, is a certified Life Coach and a Public Speaker. She is a wife to an amazing man of God, with whom she has partnered with, in the journey of blending a family. They both share an amazing 11-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old son that has added sports mom into the many hats she wears.
She loves to smile, dance, do word searches, and give!
Ray McNeil
Raymond McNeil is a graduate of Fort Valley University , where he received his degree in Mass Communications and Broadcasting . During his tenure at Fort Valley State University , Raymond was a member of the football team . In 2006 Raymond was a all SIAC selection and was selected to play in The MagniliaGridiron classic All StarGame . In 2007 Raymond became a coach at his alma mater and coached at Fort Valley State until 2011 . During this time Raymond was also playing professional football in The Arena Football League . Raymond has been a team captain on numerous arena teams .
Raymond’s athletic background has given him a strong work ethic . Raymond currently plays professional football, is a substance abuse counselor , and trains athletes at D1 sports . Raymond also does a lot of volunteer work in the community . Raymond volunteered with Unsigned Preps as well as The Bullard Family Foundation . Ray is also a former board member of the ALPU . Raymond is known by his peers as the “ go to guy “ because he seems to have his hands in everything in the community . Raymond is also a member of Love First Christian Center. .
Raymond is married to Keyshonna McNeil and has a 2 year old daughter Kahlani McNeil .
Tony Coleman
Tony Coleman is the co-founder and President of AaSys Group, a system integration and banking consulting company based in Thonotasassa, Florida. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Florida Southern College and started his career at Xerox Corporation. He later joined Bay Resources, Inc. as VP of Marketing and helped grow the company into one of the leading computer resellers and system integrators in the Bay area.
In 1998, AaSys expanded to assist bankers in opening de novo banks and later added IT security and audit services to its offerings. In 2011, Mr. Coleman started Focus Audits and combined the two companies in 2020. AaSys now operates in over 25 states with 500+ financial industry customers. Mr. Coleman is involved in several organizations, including Board of Overseers of the Barney Barnett School of Business, WEDU PBS Station, and the Premier Community Healthcare Board in Dade City, Florida, to name a few.
Mr. Coleman resides in Dade City, Florida with his family where they enjoy family time and supporting their chuch.
Alma Mitchell
Alma B. Mitchell is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. She has extensive experience in customer service and has held leadership roles in both retail and banking.
Currently, Mrs. Mitchell works as an administrative and accounting assistant for a landscape design firm in the Tampa Bay area. She is a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, where she discovered her passion for excellence and serving the community, and a Deaconess at her church where she works with her husband to build and strengthen the community.
As a mother of three and grandmother of four, Mrs. Mitchell values her role as a caregiver and uses her experiences to support families in their marriage, family, and community development. She is full of joy and her Love for God drives her to share it with as many people as possible.
Willie Zinnerman
Willie Zinnerman (Lt. Col, USAF, Ret.) is a seasoned professional with a background in training and leadership. He currently serves as the Training Manager/Developer for Environmental Service and Food Service Departments at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, overseeing the on-boarding and functional skills training for over 200 associates. He has contributed to the hospital's sustained national ranking in the 95th percentile and has served on several company-wide initiatives.
Mr. Zinnerman has also held management positions in various industries, including retail, food service, and education. He is a retired U.S. Air Force officer with 22 years of service and has received numerous military and civilian training certificates. He holds academic degrees in Political Science, Management, and MBA.
Mr. Zinnerman grew up in Ridgeland, South Carolina and graduated from the University of South Carolina. He is married with three (3) children and four (4) grandchildren. His hobbies include gardening and amateur mixology.
Chris Certain
Christopher J. Certain is a social services case manager and client advocate with strong leadership, motivation, and communication skills. He has a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Webster University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Gerontology from the University of South Florida. Mr. Certain has extensive experience in child welfare case management and is certified in Child and Adult Functional Assessment Rating Scale, Clinical Case Management, and Child Welfare Case Management.
Currently, Mr. Certain is an Outpatient Therapist at Empathy Counseling, providing mental health and substance use counseling services while maintaining ongoing chart audits to ensure compliance and quality assurance of services provided. He is also a Counselor at Tampa Metro Treatment Center - New Seasons, providing addiction counseling for Methadone maintenance patients attending the clinic. Additionally, Mr. Certain works as a Substance Abuse/Mental Health Counselor at Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center and a Youth Career Counselor at CareerSourceTampaBay.