Five New Community Leaders Join Board of Trustees

We are thrilled to welcome and share more about the five esteemed individuals who have joined Miami City Ballet’s Board. Along with their philanthropic work, these widely respected leaders bring experience in government, business, and arts management. Miami City Ballet’s Board Chair, Jeff Davis, commented, “MCB’s Directors and Trustees play a vital role in supporting the organization along its growth trajectory. Our five new members have each demonstrated a passion for our nationally recognized company, premier ballet school, and expanding community engagement programs through their strong advocacy and philanthropic support. We are very excited to partner with these accomplished civic leaders as we deepen the impact MCB has in our community and the international dance world.”

Learn more about our new Board Members below!

Former Mayor of Miami Beach Dan Gelber joins the Board of Directors of Miami City Ballet. As a Miami Beach native, Dan, one of Florida’s most respected voices on Florida public policy, was raised to believe in public service and the importance of community. Dan served as a federal prosecutor for nearly a decade, eventually becoming a decorated top deputy. Dan was then appointed by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn as the Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the prestigious U.S. Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Dan returned home and served Miami Beach as a Florida State Representative and Senator, where he was unanimously elected by his colleagues to be their House Democratic Leader. Most recently, he served as Mayor of Miami Beach. In this role, he advocated strongly for arts programs in Miami Beach. During his tenure, the voters approved a $159 million General Obligation Bond to fund facilities improvements of the arts and culture institutions in Miami Beach to enable expanded access to the arts for all residents and visitors. Dan graduated from Tufts University magna cum laude and the University of Florida Law School and currently practices law with the firm of Gelber Schachter & Greenberg PA in Miami, and is listed in Best Lawyers in America.

Charmaine Waterfield started her career as an international fashion model with Woman Management in Milan and later with Ford Models in New York City. She was featured in numerous international fashion and cosmetic campaigns. Her work included fashion campaigns, magazine covers, and television commercials including such companies as Tiffany & Co, Roberto Cavalli, Swarovski and L’Oreal. Charmaine served as the Partner Chair of the International Board of Directors for Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Both Charmaine and her husband were CoChairs of the 2024 Miami City Ballet Gala. She is also serving as an Advisory Council Member for SAB (School of American Ballet) in New York City. Her involvement with the Miami City Ballet School began over a decade ago. She has also been an active donor and volunteer with the Culver Academies and Miami Country Day School. Her various charity efforts have included support of significant environmental causes throughout the Midwest and various Florida based non-profits, such as The Seeds School in Miami and Kristi House, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. In addition, Charmaine continues to do work on various charitable endeavors for the J. Randall Waterfield Foundation.

Leslie Kavanaugh joins the Board as a Trustee. Leslie has demonstrated successful leadership in both business and altruistic endeavors. Her career path began as a teacher following her receiving a postgraduate degree in education from UCLA. After five years of teaching in the Beverly Hills school system, she followed her artistic, business, and charitable aspirations and became an interior designer, Chief Operating Officer of two companies, a general contractor and engaged in multiple charitable activities. Leslie’s past and present charitable involvements include City of Hope Gala Chair, Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters LA, Friends of Robinson Gardens (Historical and Cultural Preservation), Los Angeles Ballet, Blue Ribbon, Aviva Family and Children’s Services, Stop Poaching Now founding member, and 2023 Gala Co-Chair for the Miami City Ballet.

Elizabeth “Zibby” Tozer, a new Trustee from Palm Beach County, is a residential and commercial interior designer in New York City. She served as Chairman for the New York Flower Show in 1996, in addition to operating as a member of the executive and nominating committees for the Museum of the City of New York. Zibby has also been a member of the Nominating Committee for the School of American Ballet. She has chaired more than 100 major fundraising events in New York City and Dutchess County, New York, and served on the advisory board for the National Academy of Design. She is a trustee of Ohio Wesleyan University, Institute Ecosystems, Park City Museum and Horticultural Society, Park City Committee Sundance, Park City Board Utah Opera and Symphony, York Theatre Company, and Manhattan Theatre Club.

Completing the roster of new Trustees is Philip J. DeBoer who joins the Board of Trustees with wide experience as an advisor and confidant to leaders of nonprofit organizations, particularly in the arts and cultural sector. His expertise is uniquely shaped by a combination of early professional experience as a nonprofit employee; deep experience recruiting CEOs and other executives to nonprofit organizations and solving management issues for nonprofit clients; volunteer service on nonprofit boards; and a personal connection to and passion for the arts. Since 2015, Philip has worked with DHR Global, one of the world’s premier executive search firms, providing leadership and executive search solutions to nonprofit organizations spanning art and culture, zoos and aquariums, social services, healthcare, economic development, and higher education. In 2022, he was named a Partner in the firm and relocated to Miami following a year of international travel and study. He has previously served on the auxiliary boards of Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Philip holds his Master of Management in International Arts Management from Southern Methodist University, HEC Montréal, and SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan.