Our Board of Directors
Our directors are well-rounded in education, patient care, and nonprofit management.
Dr. Lorna Finman, Education and Defense Founder
Dr. Lorna Finman holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Stanford University and is dedicated to advancing STEM education and innovation. As Managing Director of the Institute for Innovation in Education, she focuses on re-engineering STEM learning in America.
In 2012, she co-founded the STEM Charter Academy, where she implemented teaching methodologies that transformed rural education, making the academy a top-ranked school in the state within three years. She also founded LCF Defense Enterprises, developing technologies that have saved thousands of troops' lives.
Dr. Finman has managed multi-million-dollar aerospace projects at Raytheon Corporation and contributed to NASA’s ELaNa Mission Project Davinci satellite in 2019. She is a published author, patent holder, and advocate for STEM scholarships and programs, including the Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars.
Gracie Diaz, Deputy Superintendent
Ms. Gracie Diaz has served Florida Atlantic University (FAU) for the past ten years. Currently, Ms. Diaz serves as Deputy Superintendent for FAU Lab Schools and is responsible for overseeing policy and procedural development and implementation, human resources, contract negotiations, grant sourcing, and accreditation.
Prior to joining FAU, Ms. Diaz served for 27 years in various roles with Broward County Public Schools, the sixth largest school district in the United States. Her experience spans various roles that include classroom teacher and district leadership. As Assistant Superintendent of Human Resource Development/Professional Learning and Chief Human Resources Officer, Ms. Diaz led the district’s educator and leader professional learning and oversaw all aspects of human resources, including the offices of instructional, non-instructional and administrative staffing, benefits and retirement, employee relations, educator certification, equal employment opportunities, and professional standards.
Ms. Diaz also has extensive experience in grant writing and implementation. During her tenure in Broward, she co-wrote and implemented a federal Transition to Teacher grant for $43.5 million among other workforce development and professional learning grants. At FAU Lab Schools, she has co-written two federal Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Grants totaling $4.8 million.
Ms. Diaz has her bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Florida State University, master’s in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and is completing her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Florida Atlantic.
Kyler Brinton, M.D. Candidate
Kyler C. Brinton is an MD candidate at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Point Loma Nazarene University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Kyler's research spans organic chemistry and trauma medicine, including impactful projects at Delray Medical Center and significant contributions to publications in peer-reviewed journals. He has presented his findings at major academic conferences and worked as a Research Associate at Olix Pharmaceuticals, focusing on siRNA synthesis and purification. In addition to his academic and research pursuits, Kyler has demonstrated leadership as president of the Hematology-Oncology Interest Group and actively engages in community service through various volunteer roles. He is also certified in Basic and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support by the American Heart Association, underscoring his dedication to medical excellence and patient care.