Team Chairs

Unite Escambia Champion: Buzz Ritchie

Buzz Ritchie is the Champion for Unite Escambia.  He attended the University of Florida and received his Juris Doctor in 1972.  Buzz currently serves as Chief Executive Officer for Gulf Coast Community Bank.  Prior to coming to Gulf Coast Bank, he was with O’Sullivan Creel from 1999 to 2002, and served as District 3 Representative to the Florida House of Representatives from 1988 to 1998.  In addition to his banking responsibilities, Buzz contributes his time to numerous local nonprofit and economic development efforts. He serves as the board chair for United Way of Escambia County, and as a board member for Sacred Heart Health System, Access Escambia, Rebuild Northwest Florida, Escambia Community Clinics, and Take Stock in Children. Buzz is a member of Five Flags Rotary, a mentor with Escambia County School District, active in the Maritime Museum Campaign, and a member of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Committee.  Additionally, Buzz is past chair of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Pensacola Opera, United Cerebral Palsy, and the YMCA.  Some of Buzz’s most recent awards are the United Way of Escambia County’s Distinguished Community Service Award, the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Pace Award for Community Leader of the Year, the Kiwanis Civic Award, the Civitan Citizen of the Year, and PJC “Leaders & Legends” President’s Award.

Education Solutions Team: Ted A. Kirchharr

Ted Kirchharr earned his Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University in 1989. He joined Landrum Companies in the fall of 2003 as the Director of Strategic Initiatives, and currently serves as Vice President, Chief Operating Officer for Landrum Professional and Landrum Consulting.  Landrum Companies has been recognized as one of the 25 Best Small Businesses to Work for in America for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by the Society for Human Resource Management. Ted has been published in PEO Insider since 2005.  On top of his various professional successes, Ted is very active in the community holding leadership positions with various organizations.  Presently, he is on the Board of Directors for YMCA of Northwest Florida, Autism Society of the Panhandle, Florida’s Great Northwest, and United Way of Escambia County.  Additionally, Ted is on the board of Governors for Pensacola Junior College Foundation and the Advisory Board for University of West Florida College of Business. He is also the President-Elect for Florida Sterling Council. 

Environment Solutions Team: Dr. Enid Sisskin

Dr. Enid Sisskin received a BA from Queens College of the City University of NY and an MS from Southern Illinois University. Her PhD in Pathobiology was awarded under the direction of Dr I. Bernard Weinstein, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. Upon graduation she completed a postdoc at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, and continued with research at Everglades National Park’s South Florida Research Center. She also worked in the park in the Resource Management division. Enid sits on the board of directors of several local and regional environmental organizations, including the Gulf Coast Environmental Defense, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and the Florida Conservation Alliance. At WUWF, Dr. Sisskin produces the daily EcoMinute.  In the BSHS and MPH Programs, Dr. Sisskin teaches Public Health, Environmental Health, Environmental Toxicology, Bioterrorism, and co-teaches Epidemiology for Public Health Professionals and Disease Transmission in the Urban Environment.

Health Solutions Team: Robin Herr

Robin Herr retired as President and CEO from Health First Network in June 2008. Health First Network is a 575 physician health care company serving the people of Northwest Florida. Before joining Health First he worked as President and CEO of Desseaux Inc., a European carpet manufacturing company headquartered in The Netherlands.  He retired from this position at the end of 2002 after having spent 34 years with Armstrong World Industries.  (Desseaux Inc. is a subsidiary company of Armstrong.) His last seven years of employment were spent in Europe including posts in England and Sweden. Prior to his Dutch assignment, he served as Managing Director of Armstrong/Parafon, a Swedish ceiling company.  He was also Vice President of Manufacturing for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. During the course of his career with Armstrong, Mr. Herr held assignments in human resources, sales training, organization development, and manufacturing management.  He was a co-founder of “The Plant Managers Network”, a group devoted to the development of team-based organizations and focused on managing change. While serving as plant manager of a ceiling plant in Pensacola, Florida, the organization won the Florida Sterling Award, the state’s equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.  The same year he was personally recognized as “Industry Leader of the Year” by the Northwest Florida Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Herr has held leadership positions on a variety of not-for profit boards such as the United Way,  USO,  Baptist Hospital,  and Private Industry Council.  He has also served on a number of for profit boards.  He currently serves as a director on the boards of Baptist Health Care Foundation, Covenant Hospice, United Way of Escambia County and chairs the Health Solutions Team of United Escambia. Mr. Herr holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Millersville University in Pennsylvania.  He and his wife Wendy live in Gulf Breeze, FL.

Housing Solutions Team: Susan Senkarik

Susan Senkarik has held the position of Director of Community Impact for United Way of Escambia County since 1989.  She graduated from Troy State University in 1967, and is certified by American Grant Writers Association and a Certified Educator in Personal Finance. Some of her major responsibilities and contributions have included overseeing training and coordination of more than 150 volunteers who develop recommendations for five annual funding streams, distributing more than $3 million dollars annually in contributions; developing and evaluating United Way funding and resource policies, and establishing the Financial Stability Coalition with more than 30 partners in 2004. In response during and after Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Dennis in 2005, Susan coordinated more than 1,400 volunteers providing assistance to more than 3,000 families and was instrumental in the establishment and leadership of the Long Term Recovery Committee for unmet needs in Escambia County. Susan authored 5 disaster recovery grants resulting in more than $900,000 for local efforts. Susan has been listed in the Princeton Review, is on the Board of Directors for Florida Prosperity Partnership, and in 2008 was awarded the “Color a Brighter World Award” from the United Way of Escambia County.

Poverty Solutions Team: Janice Thomas

Janice Thomas is the chair of Unite Escambia’s Poverty Solutions Team.  Janice holds the position of Circuit 1 Administrator for the Department of Children and Families and is responsible for the management of child welfare, adult service, economic services, substance abuse and mental health in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.  She has 31 years experience in social services and along with chairing the Poverty Solution Team she serves on numerous other Boards and Committees in the Circuit.

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