CEO, DOLORES (SUKHDEO) FERNANDEZ ALONSO
Dolores Fernandez Alonso serves as the President & CEO of South Florida PBS, the merged organization that brings together WPBT2 and WXEL to collectively represent the 7th largest TV market in the United States. She is one of the first women in PBS to have led a merger, to launch a 24/7 Health Channel and to have quadrupled the size of the South Florida PBS endowment.
Ms. Fernandez Alonso is a visionary and a leader in NEXTGEN TV and immersive media, preparing her stations to meet the demands of ATSC 3.0. She is a strong proponent of experiential learning and as such, has made it an integral part of South Florida PBS’ mission. This has resulted in the creation of Emmy award-winning 360-degree content and educational apps. Her leadership in integrating the digital space into all station productions has propelled exponential growth on SFPBS’s streaming and social media platforms with YouTube views increasing 130% in the last year. Through targeted strategies and philanthropic engagement, she has secured funding for the renovation and expansion of our flagship SFPBS studios in Palm Beach County, including a new Cultural Arts Center complete with an IglooVision immersive studio, Performance Hall and spaces providing for lifelong learning, entertainment and inspirational experiences for our entire South Florida community.
Ms. Fernandez Alonso began her television career in 1990 at the international newsgathering division of Disney/ABC News Inc. - Worldwide Television News in New York, NY. In 1998, Dolores joined WPBT2 as Vice President for Facilities Services where she was responsible for the for-profit activities. She was promoted to Station Manager in 2002 and to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2003. She then became President & CEO in September 2013 and transitioned to her current position of President & CEO of South Florida PBS in October 2017.
Ms. Fernandez Alonso currently serves as a Board Director of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and as a member of its Finance Committee and Station Services Committee; Board Trustee of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) and a member of its Finance and Membership Committee; Member, The Strategic Forum; Member, NSU Levan Ambassadors Board; Member, FIU School of Communication, Architecture and Arts Advisory Board; past Chair and current Board Member of Florida Public Media, a statewide consortium of Florida public television and radio stations; past President, International Women’s Forum (IWF) Florida Forum and current Board Member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) North America Global Forum; additionally, she is past Chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) Nonprofit Business Committee, and of the GMCC Creative Industries Committee.
As a proud bilingual Hispanic, Ms. Fernandez Alonso earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish Literature from Columbia University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Miami.
SOUTH FLORIDA PBS OFFICERS
Chair | Michael J. Zinner, M.D., The Miami Cancer Institute, Miami
Immediate Past Chair | Peter L. Bermont, Bermont Gold | Raymond James, Coral Gables
President & CEO | Dolores Fernandez Alonso, South Florida PBS
Chair Elect |David C. Prather, Smith, Ball & Báez, Palm Beach Gardens
Vice Chair | Leonard Klorfine, Palm Beach
Vice Chair | Lisa Mendelson, Miami
Vice Chair | Charles M. Tatelbaum, Tripp Scott, P.A., Fort Lauderdale
SOUTH FLORIDA PBS OPERATING BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sandy Batchelor, The Batchelor Foundation, Miami
Fred Berens, Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., Miami
Irving Bolotin, Coral Gables
Mark W. Cook, Royal Palm Management, West Palm Beach
Margaret Eidson, M.D., Miami
George T. Elmore, Hardrives, Inc., Delray Beach
Harvey A. Goldman, Miami
David L. Jaffe, Ph.D., Lynn University, Boca Raton
Michele Kessler, Palm Beach
Carolina Lanao, Supercable ALK International, Miami
Susan M. Mansolillo, Community Care Plan, Fort Lauderdale
Elizabeth Nabel, M.D., OPKO Health/ModeX Therapeutics, Delray Beach
Tony Newbold, KCK Consulting Group, Pompano Beach
Nicholas Perricone, M.D., Perricone Hydrogen Water Company, LLC, Highland Beach
Daniel E. Ponton, Club Colette, Palm Beach
Handel R. Robinson, M.D., Miller Medical School, Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale
Heather Rohan, Ananta Interests, LLC, West Palm Beach
Laurie Silvers, Hollywood.com, Boca Raton
Essie Yates, M.D., Yates Institute of Plastic Surgery, Fort Lauderdale
SOUTH FLORIDA FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair | Lisa Mendelson, Miami
Peter L. Bermont, Bermont Gold | Raymond James, Coral Gables
Irving Bolotin, Coral Gables
Margaret Eidson, M.D., Miami
Harvey A. Goldman, Miami
David L. Jaffe, Lynn University, Boca Raton
Susan M. Mansolillo, Community Care Plan, Fort Lauderdale
Nicholas Perricone, M.D., Perricone Hydrogen Water Company, LLC, Highland Beach
David C. Prather, Smith, Ball & Báez, Palm Beach Gardens
Laurie Silvers, Hollywood.com, Boca Raton
Ex-Officio |Michael J. Zinner, M.D., The Miami Cancer Institute, Miami
Ex-Officio | Dolores Fernandez Alonso, President & CEO, South Florida PBS
LIFE DIRECTORS
Jorge A. Arguelles
William F. Cooper
Anthony C. Krayer, III
David Rich
Herbert A. Tobin
George W. Weaver
COMTEL, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair | David L. Jaffe, Lynn University, Boca Raton
Peter L. Bermont, Bermont Advisory Group of Raymond James, Coral Gables
Susan M. Mansolillo, Fort Lauderdale
Richard W. Morgner, Jefferies & Company, New York
Laurie Silvers, Hollywood.com, Boca Raton
Dwight Stephenson, D. Stephenson Construction, Inc., Fort Lauderdale
Essie Yates, M.D., Yates Institute of Plastic Surgery, Fort Lauderdale
Ex-Officio | Michael J. Zinner, M.D., The Miami Cancer Institute, Miami
Ex-Officio | Dolores Fernandez Alonso, President & CEO, South Florida PBS
HEALTH CHANNEL HOLDINGS, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Peter L. Bermont, Bermont Advisory Group of Raymond James, Coral Gables
Michele Kessler, Palm Beach
Handel R. Robinson, M.D., Miller Medical School, Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale
Laurie Silvers, Hollywood.com, Boca Raton
Essie Yates, M.D., Yates Institute of Plastic Surgery, Fort Lauderdale
Ex-Officio, Michael J. Zinner, M.D., The Miami Cancer Institute, Miami
Ex-Officio | Dolores Fernandez Alonso, President & CEO, South Florida PBS
COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD (SOUTH)
Bill Teck
Michele Cabrera
Robert Boo
Rebekah Lengel
Shaikh Shafayat Mohamed
Dr. Cherison Cuffy
Thomas Barrett Sternberg
COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD (North)
Anthony Newbold
William Gillers
Clarice T. Davis
Charles Gaulkin
Ollice Davis, Jr.
Phillip Mrozinski
Ronald Silverman
Serena Spates
Joseph Bettag
Dr. N’Quavah R. Velazquez