Born and raised in Miami, Rangel is an avid birdwatcher and all around naturalist. He enjoys spending his time outdoors documenting rare species of wildlife and keeping tabs of biodiversity on the property. He started his career with Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces in 2006 and has had the privilege of assisting with [...]
Joseph is a U.S. Marine veteran, born and raised in Miami, Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), and is a Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor with various other instructor level certifications in the field of security and law enforcement. As the Safety & Security Manager [...]
Andres currently serves as the Manager of Grounds and Maintenance. He has been with Deering Estate for over 20 years. In the past he has been recognized by Professional Grounds Management Society and Landscape Superintendent Magazine for his excellence in grounds skills, dedication and management.
Elias Horna started at Deering Estate in 2008 as a Summer Camp Counselor and continued as part of our Education and Interpretive Staff team. In 2014 he was promoted to Group Sales Specialist.
Jenna has a degree in Recreation and Leisure Services Administration. She started at Deering in 2009 as a summer camp counselor and continued as part of our Education Team. In 2011 she transferred to the Special Events department as the Special Events Manager.
Melissa Diaz received her Master’s Degree in Art History from the University of South Florida where her area of concentration was the early works of Michelangelo Pistoletto and his involvement with Arte Povera. She has held positions in several museums and galleries throughout South Florida including the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, David Castillo Gallery, [...]
Bethany Gray moved to the Miami area in 2015 from Central Florida where she was the Curator of Collections for the Art & History Museums of Maitland. Bethany studied Art History and Archaeology at Rollins College in Winter Park where she held a museum fellowship and later became the Exhibits and Facilities coordinator at the [...]
Vanessa Trujillo grew up in North Florida and attended college receiving her BS in Biology from the University of Florida and her PhD in Biology from Florida International University with a specialty in nonnative freshwater fish. Her research interests are in developing programs that bring together stakeholders, scientists, and the public with a common goal [...]
Chris Bumpus grew up in the Northeast where he attended college receiving his BS in General Biology from the University of New Hampshire, his MBA from the University of Rhode Island, and his Masters in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. After completing his Master’s degree he moved to Miami to continue his career [...]
Cathy graduated from Florida International University with a Master in Public Administration (MPA) Degree and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature. She also studied abroad at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Cathy began her employment with Miami-Dade County in 2003 with the Department of Cultural Affairs. In 2006, she moved to the [...]
