American Heart Association Palm Beach County Announces 2023-2024 Board of Directors
West Palm Beach, FL – The American Heart Association’s Palm Beach County office is proud to announce its board chair and board president for the 2023-2024 fiscal year: Grasford W. Smith, J.D. and Fontaine Timmer, DNP. The board also has two new officers: Alina Alonso, M.D. and Rebecca Doane, J.D., CPA.
Dr. Alonso retired this year as the director of the Florida Department of Health-Palm Beach County, which is one of the largest county health departments in the state. She has more than 33 years of experience in public health and is particularly passionate about patient’s rights and population health.
Doane is president of Doane & Doane, P.A., a Florida Bar Board Certified specialist in estate planning, trusts, wills, estate and gift taxation and a certified public accountant. She holds many professional distinctions and roles, including membership on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.
This will be Smith’s second term as board chair and his fourth year on the board. He is a litigation partner with Akerman, LLP, and has practiced law for 18 years.
“The solution-driven projects that this local team takes on continue to improve community health,” says Smith. “We’re having a significant impact in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties on the number of people aware that heart disease is their greatest health threat, and the number of people taking action to prevent it through exercise, nutrition and managing high blood pressure.”
Board President Fontaine Timmer, DNP, is also in her second year of her role and her fourth year on the board. Timmer has served in the health care field for more than 30 years, and she is the Director of the Palm Beach Atlantic Volunteer Nursing Corps.
“The work this team is doing to give every member of this community access to blood pressure monitors, to fruits and vegetables in food deserts, to resources to quit smoking and beyond is exactly the work we need to prevent chronic disease and heart disease in this region,” says Timmer. “The board is looking forward to another extraordinary year of health results for the tri-county area.”
The chair-elect position is held by John Domenico, managing director and private client advisor at Bank of America Private Bank and the president-elect position is held by Dr. Roger L. Duncan, vice chief of anesthesiology at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital.
The American Heart Association Palm Beach County serves the residents of Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties. Board members will assist the organization in guiding efforts to reduce the incidences of heart disease and stroke, the Nos. 1 and 5 leading killers, respectively, of American men and women.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
