The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County recently announced the addition of new board members Ilan Kaufer, Melissa McKinlay, Neil Schiller and André Wade. President Christian Bergstrom is grateful for their leadership in addressing homelessness, one of the nation’s most serious problems.
“For more than 30 years, the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County has generated awareness through advocacy, education and community outreach, motivating a community-wide response to end homelessness in our area,” said Bergstrom, a senior benefits consultant for the Gehring Group and a board member since 2018. “It is the work of the board of directors that shines light on issues and enacts change. We are looking forward to continuing to make even more progress with these four new leaders.”
Ilan Kaufer joined the board in August 2023. He is an attorney and the external affairs manager for Florida Power & Light and the former vice mayor of the Town of Jupiter. Kaufer is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Florida.
Melissa McKinlay joined the board in July 2023. She is the vice president of government relations at WGI, a former Palm Beach County mayor and county commissioner, and a graduate of Florida State University.
Neil Schiller joined the board in October 2022. He has been a partner with the Government Law Group, with offices in Broward and Palm Beach County, since April 2021. A veteran of South Florida politics since his days at the University of Miami, Schiller has run many successful political campaigns in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
André Wade joined the board in October 2022. Wade is a trading analyst at NextEra Energy with an extensive history of fundraising volunteerism. He is a graduate of Florida State University and New York University.
While homelessness has many causes, the primary reason is the growing gap between housing costs and income. Every night, hundreds of individuals and families are homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless in Palm Beach County, with one in five local children living in poverty. The nonprofit is a leader in providing gap funding for programs that end homelessness in Palm Beach County.
For additional information about the Homeless Coalition, visit www.homelesscoalitionpbc.org.
