Staff
Cynthia Kanai | President
Cynthia's background is in Education and Development, and she has years of experience serving non-profit organizations. She joined First Serve in 2023 as a development professional, and continues to work in funding and community engagement for our organization, as well as overseeing the personal development and care of the youth we serve.
Kanai has a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Masters degree in Leadership from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She serves on the Board of the International Women's Forum of Palm Beach and The Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Cynthia is married to Dennis, and they have three grown children that live and work in Atlanta.
Jenny Gekas | COO
Originally from from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Jenny traveled to the United States in 2012 to pursue her post secondary education. Jenny obtained her Bachelor's of Science in Finance from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2017. Jenny has also received a leadership certification from Dale Carnegie, as well as a certification in Principles and Techniques of Fundraising from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Jenny has worked at First Serve for nearly a decade, where she currently manages and oversees all our of Human Resources Operations, Financial Operations, Donor Relations, and Funding Development Operations along with a number of special projects.
Sean Melton | Director of Training & Development
Sean coordinates events, trains Leadership Teams, writes and delivers curriculum, and develops new site locations and programs. A longtime advocate in his community for personal development and self-awareness, Sean works directly with our First Serve Ambassadors, promoting vocational skills, personal development, community advocacy, and matters of self-awareness, accountability, and conflict resolution.
Sean has been working in personal development through personality theory and communication styles in the capacity of both a student and a teacher for nearly 20 years. In that time he has gained multiple accreditations, and taught his material across various fields, including universities, high schools, churches, nonprofits, private businesses, and workshops, as well as with numerous individuals.
Shane Melton | Program Director
Shane works closely with our sites and mentors, developing, coordinating, and executing operations and programming. A major believer in the power and capability of the positive influence an individual can have in their communities, Shane works alongside our First Serve mentors, demonstrating the connection between personal growth, development, and responsibility to produce positive change, impact, and outcomes.
A graduate of a leadership program based in Hawaii, Shane's background includes management, teaching, and instructional guidance. Shane is passionate about marrying the personal and relational with the practical, and is skilled at observing existing operations and systems and seeing how they can be improved upon in beneficial and workable ways that positively impact the program by large, as well as the individuals who attend them.
Shani Williams
Shani A. Williams has more than a decade of experience advising and mentoring young people ranging from k-12 to the collegiate level. Shani was drawn to her profession by her positive experiences and support she received as a first generation college student. She has held numerous positions in both private and public university career centers in Miami, Tampa, and Washington, DC where she has provided one on one advising, course planning, resume and cover letter critiques and job/internship search strategy workshops to students, organizations, and alumni.
Mrs. Williams currently serves as the Chief Post Secondary Success Coach at FirstServe USA. Shani holds a M.S. in Higher Education Administration from Florida International University, a B.A. in Applied Sociology from the University of Tampa and is a proud City Year Miami AmeriCorps alumna.
Craig Domeck
Craig is Founder and Principal of 3-D Leadership in Orlando, Florida, a consulting enterprise focusing on leadership development, strategic planning, and coaching.
He recently retired as Dean of the MacArthur School of Leadership and Associate Professor of Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he continues to teach as a visiting professor of leadership. Prior to leading at PBA, he was at Rollins College as Director of Full-time MBA Programs and Director of Full-time MBA Admissions.
For 25 years, Craig worked with university students through Cru in various roles including National Operations Director as well as Associate National Director for H.R. and Leadership Development of the U.S. Campus Ministry.
Craig and his wife, Jenn, have been married over 575 months, have four children, and seven grandchildren.
Get In Touch
Phone
(561) 203-5525‬
Email
[email protected]‬
Address
P.O Box 1353
West Palm Beach, FL 33402
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