Brianna is a litigator at Lomax Legal who handles civil and criminal matters at the firm. She began her career at Jones Day, a prestigious law firm that consistently ranks as one of the top 10 law firms in the world. As an associate in Jones Day’s Business and Tort Litigation practice, Brianna represented clients in a variety of complex commercial litigation and class action matters. She also maintained an extensive pro bono practice: advocating for civil rights plaintiffs, representing survivors of human trafficking, and engaging in policing reform initiatives as part of the firm's Constitutional Policing and Civil Justice Reform Initiative and Hate Crimes Task Force. Following her time at Jones Day, Brianna completed a federal clerkship with Judge Darrin P. Gayles of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Brianna earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2019. At NYU Law, she participated in numerous clinics focused on racial justice and criminal justice reform, such as the Criminal Defense and Reentry Clinic and the Civil Rights Clinic: Challenging Mass Incarceration. Through her clinical experiences, Brianna worked with esteemed legal organizations, such as the Brooklyn Defender Services, the Parole Preparation Project, and the American Civil Liberties Union. She also served as an executive board member of NYU Law’s Student Bar Association. As an undergraduate student at the University of Miami, Brianna dedicated herself to several student organizations, was elected to serve as the Student Government President, and was inducted into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor attained at the University. Prior to her new role in the University's Young Alumni Leadership Council, she was the President-Elect and Co-Chair of the Strategic Engagement Committee. Brianna is also an active member of the Miami community, serving as a member of Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.’s Young Professionals Committee, a committee chair for the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association, and was a fellow for Dade Legal Aid’s Class VI Leadership Academy.
Melissa Jordon, A.B. ’14, J.D. ’16
President-Elect
Partner, Hamilton Miller & Birthisel, LLP
Melissa Jordon, A.B. ’14, J.D. ’16 President-Elect Partner, Hamilton Miller & Birthisel, LLP Melissa Jordon, Esq., is a Partner at Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP and a proud double Cane of the University! Originally from Connecticut, Melissa transitioned to making Miami her home while she completed her studies at the University of Miami’s joint “3+3" Honor Program in Law. She has the distinction of being the University’s first female graduate of the program. While at the University, Melissa was committed to the Model United Nations Team and served as head delegate in her junior year. Melissa also participated in campus activities and associations including the Political Science Honor Society, for which she served as an officer in 2013 and president in 2014. Melissa graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in history and political science.
As a student at the University of Miami School of Law, Melissa served as a senator on the Student Bar Association government all three years and as dean of the Senate in her final year. Melissa was actively engaged through the Law Ambassador Program, International Moot Court Board, Charles C. Papy, Jr., Moot Court Board, and the International and Comparative Law Review. As an Alumna, Melissa continuously serves as a committee member of the annual Law Alumni Association Homecoming Golf Tournament and currently serves as a director on the University of Miami Law Alumni Board of Directors. Upon graduation from the University of Miami School of Law with Latin honors in 2016, Melissa began her legal career at one of the oldest law firms in South Florida, Walton Lantaff Schroeder & Carson, LLP. Here, she handled a large volume of first and third party insurance disputes for various domestic carriers. In 2020, Melissa became the youngest attorney at the firm to be elevated to Partnership. Melissa continued her career in 2021 as Senior Counsel at Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman, LLP., where she represented various London Market Insurers in a vast array of large loss multi-million dollar insurance coverage and litigation disputes in Florida and throughout the U.S. At Hamilton Miller & Birthsel, LLP, Melissa’s practice currently focuses on first party property insurance, bad faith defense litigation, and first and third party insurance coverage matters. She is currently licensed to practice law in Florida, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
When not zealously representing her clients, Melissa is committed to bettering her community. In addition to serving her Alma Matter, she spends much of her free time serving on both charitable and professional boards and organizations. Melissa has been committed to service on the Miami-Dade County Bar Association since 2017. She has served as a Group 1 Director, Executive Committee Member, By-Laws Committee Chair, and currently has the honor and privilege of serving as the Secretary of the Miami Dade Bar Association Board of Directors. In addition to representing her colleagues on the board, she serves as a committee member on the 11th Judicial Circuit Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee and as a Counsel Member for NextGen; a young professionals group benefiting the charitable mission of Chapman Partnership. In her free time, Melissa is an avid golfer, enjoys spending time with family, friends, swimming, and tasting her way through the many restaurants Miami has to offer. She enjoys playing recreational sports and a favorite pastime of hers is attending live sporting events. She is a die-hard ’Canes football fan and makes an effort to attend every home game.
Max Myers, B.B.A. ’11
ImmediatE PAST President
Sr. Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch
Max Myers is a financial advisor and senior portfolio advisor at Merrill Lynch in New York City. After graduating from the University of Miami with his bachelor’s degree in finance and management, Max launched his financial services career as a client service analyst at Barclays Wealth, where he helped manage the relationships of high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Since arriving at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management’s flagship Fifth Avenue office in 2015, he has continued to work directly with the clients he’s known for years — helping them make smart choices about their money, get their financial affairs in order, and keep them there. Max and his sister, Alana, are legacy ’Canes; their father, Dean, earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Miami. Among Max’s passions are attending Hurricanes football games, playing golf, and finding the next best restaurant in New York. He is enthusiastically involved with volunteering and fundraising for organizations such as the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, where he recently served as an ambassador in the community and a member of the Board of Directors.
Derek Auguste, B.A. ’20
1st VP, Strategic Engagement Committee
Program Director, Florida International University
Derek Auguste is a native of Miami, Florida. Derek joined the Army in 2004 and served for 11 years. His first assignment took him to Germany with the First Armored Division (1AD), and he deployed with 1AD to Iraq in 2007. Derek’s next assignment was with Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) in Homestead, FL, and he deployed in support of Operation Unified Response, a humanitarian operation to help the citizens of Haiti after the massive earthquake in 2010.
Derek separated from the Army in 2015 and has directed his energy to helping veterans regain a sense of purpose and mission-oriented focus. In 2016 he was awarded a six-month fellowship by The Mission Continues and joined the leadership team for The Mission Continues Miami’s 1st Service Platoon. From 2017 to 2019, Derek held the role of platoon leader, ensuring that the platoon fulfilled its mission of supporting veterans and their communities and helping to build bridges between the two by organizing and conducting service projects with veterans and community members. As Miami 1st has an operational focus on improving national parks and parks in Miami-Dade County, platoon members’ projects have included planting trees, invasive species removal, and campsite restoration.
At the University of Miami, Derek studied political science and served as the president for the Student Veterans Organization. He continues to support the strengthening of the military-connected community at UM. He is also an advisory board member for United Way of Miami-Dade: Mission United. Derek is married and has two children.
Austin Payne, B.B.A. ’15
2nd VP, Strategic Engagement Committee
Tax Senior, Kaufman Rossin
Austin Payne is a Certified Public Accountant at Kaufman Rossin in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He provides tax compliance and consulting services to entrepreneurial businesses primarily in real estate, hospitality, and construction. After graduating from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Austin continued his studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated with a Master of Science in Accountancy. Prior to joining Kaufman Rossin, Austin worked at Grant Thornton LLP and Ernst Young LLP. Austin is a proud third-generation alumnus of the University following his grandfather and parents. While completing his undergraduate degree, Austin was involved in the Homecoming Executive Committee, Interfraternity Council, Miami Athletics, and Iron Arrow. You can find him cheering on his 'Canes year-round. In his free time, Austin enjoys being active and hanging out family and friends. He continues to remain involved in his local community by advancing the mission of the University of Miami Young Alumni Leaders Council, volunteering at the Jack & Jill Center to support children of high-need parents, and assisting the Gold Star Sailing Foundation to provide unique opportunities and adventures to the surviving children of fallen military service members.
Candice Johnson, B.S.P.H. ’16
1st VP, Membership Committee
Special Projects Assistant, Neuro-development of Words! Programs
Candice Johnson Pollowitz, B.S.P.H. ’16 1st VP, Membership Committee Special Projects Assistant, Neuro-development of Words! Programs Candice Louise Johnson Pollowitz is a Special Projects Assistant working with the NOW! Company to expand global literacy. Prior to her new role, she was the director of student activities and leadership development at Ringling College of Art + Design in Sarasota, FL. After receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, Candice continued her studies as a master’s student in education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, focusing on student affairs administration and higher education. During her time as a graduate student, she oversaw the Campus Activities Board and supervised the programming assistants in the Campus Activities and Programs office. Candice worked as an intern for residence and student life at SUNY Downstate Medical School in Brooklyn. Her professional career has been devoted to developing students of all backgrounds to achieve their potential and grow as individuals. Candice hopes to encourage students to celebrate and embrace opinions and individuals’ diversity instead of allowing it to divide.
Willie Herenton, A.B. ’21
2nd VP, Membership Committee
Research Analyst, Channing Global Advisors, LLC
Willie is a research analyst for Channing Global Advisors, LLC. He works with an investment team whose focus is on investments in emerging markets, international developed, and global equity securities with over $300 million in total assets under management. He works directly with the Lead Portfolio Managers on fundamental company research and analysis of securities, as well as with the Global Equity Trader on trade execution, settlements, and reconciliation. He has significant exposure to analyzing global portfolio company holdings located in over 52 different countries. Willie attended the University of Miami where he earned his B.A in economics, while also being a member of the Men's Basketball Team from 2018-2021 as a point guard. Willie made the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) Honors Court for 2 consecutive years, a plaudit that goes to undergraduate men’s basketball players in their junior or senior academic year who posted a GPA of at least 3.2 for the year. Herenton for the second time in a row, was among the group of exactly 15 ACC players on the list. As a reward for his hard work and dedication, Willie was awarded a full athletic scholarship during his time at the University of Miami. His short term goal upon graduation was to seek a position at a high level firm to leverage his strong analytical skills, leadership ability, and passion for public and private markets. He is familiar with team concepts being a student athlete for the University of Miami and has acquired skills to learn, collaborate with others, and mentor.
Kailey Walsh, B.S.C. ’16
1st VP, Programming Committee
Associate Attorney, DLA Piper LLP
I am a proud graduate of the University of Miami with a dual degree in economics and communications. I was born and raised an hour from the U in Boca Raton and spent many years traveling throughout the country competing in women’s amateur golf and national junior golf tournaments. While at Miami, I was captain of the nationally-ranked women’s golf team for three years and was a three-time selection to the ACC Academic All-Conference Team. During my senior year, our ’Canes women’s golf team advanced to the NCAA finals tournament for the first time in over 20 years. Representing the University of Miami on the national stage was one of the highlights of my college experience. Being a student-athlete at the U taught me discipline, time management, and hard work, which are values that I carry with me to this day. These values allowed me to double major, maintain a high GPA, earn the Frazier D. White Communication Award, and gain acceptance and an academic scholarship to Loyola Law School, a top law school in Los Angeles. While at Loyola, I served as a judicial extern in federal court for the Honorable Judge Klausner in the Central District of California, was a member of the Entertainment Law Review, and served on the editorial board as the senior articles and symposia editor. During this time, I wrote an article on sports gambling legislation, "Going ‘All In’ after Murphy v. NCAA: An Approach for California to Legalize Sports Gambling,” that was published in the University of California Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal. I graduated in May 2020 and subsequently passed the California Bar Exam. I currently live in Newport Beach and am an associate attorney at DLA Piper LLP, representing companies in mergers and acquisitions as well as venture capital strategic investments. At DLA Piper, I am a member of the Media, Sport and Entertainment sector, where our team of attorneys focuses on new legal developments in sports betting, among other things. I have lived in Southern California for the past five years, splitting my time between Los Angeles and Newport Beach. I am grateful to have my two brothers, Ryan and Blair, nearby, as well as my parents, who split their time between Florida and California. I have so many fond memories of my time at the University of Miami, and although I have made my home in Southern California, I am always so heartened by the universal recognition of the U. I will forever be a proud ’Cane, and I look forward to serving students, alumni, and the entire University of Miami community as a member of the Young Alumni Leaders Council.
Jared Pillar, B.B.A. ’16
2nd VP, Programming Committee
Associate, UBS
Jared is an Alumni of the University of Miami, graduating with a Bachelors in Business Administration in 2016. Since then he spent 5+ years working for JP Morgan’s Private Bank before moving to his current role as a Financial Advisor at UBS. Jared works with high net worth families on all aspects of their financial lives including investments, credit, banking and planning. Jared is originally from New York but has lived in Miami for 10+ years now. He lives just minutes from campus with his wife, Alex, who he met while they were both students at the University of Miami. In his free time Jared enjoys traveling, golf, tennis, and spending time with friends and family.
Lauren Lee Pettiette Schewel, J.D. ’14
VP AT LARGE
Attorney
Lauren Lee is thrilled to be on the Young Alumni Council and staying connected with the U and her fellow ‘Canes. She is a fierce advocate, educator, and mom committed to ensuring every child feels loved, successful, and unstoppable. Lauren Lee is a native Louisianan bursting with generosity and joie de vivre. She was an active student leader and NCCA cheerleader who graduated from Newcomb College of Tulane University as part of the “Katrina Class.” After college, she was a teacher through Teach For America. In 2014, she graduated from the University of Miami School of Law. At Miami Law, she was a Miami Scholar, Chair of Iron Arrow, a Clinic Fellow, and a leader in public interest. She was also named part of the University’s inaugural class of 30 Under 30.
Before moving to Durham, Lauren Lee served as the Senior Director of Education at HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services (HSVS), a large nonprofit located in Brooklyn focused on foster care. In her role, she expanded the college scholarship program—the American Dream Program—from being the sole coach for the young people in care to overseeing a team of coaches who provided holistic support and guidance to over 100 youth. She created the model of coaching that is now used in the Fair Futures Program, which is being implemented in the 26 agencies across NYC. Lauren Lee also coordinated grants and established the Junior Board of Directors at HSVS. After working with her team on weekdays, Lauren Lee conquered the asphalt as a runner, including running through the boroughs in NYC Marathon.
Then, shortly after she married her law school sweetheart and study partner, Abraham Schewel, Esq., she was diagnosed with a complicated case of lupus that has yet to be in remission. But she continues to beat the odds as a lupus warrior. She loves hosting a good party, cheering on her favorite teams, and sharing giggles with her daughter.
In Durham, Lauren Lee is Chair of the Board of LIFE Skills, on the Board of the Lupus Foundation of North Carolina, involved at Immaculate Conception Church as a member of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee, and on the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties’ (JLDOC) Community Impact Process Committee. She is also on the Newcomb Alumnae Board. She and Abe, a native Durhamite, fellow Miami Scholar, and an attorney working in civil rights and criminal justice, welcomed their greatest gift to the world in June of 2021, Josephine Lee Marie.
Members at Large
Alex McPhee
Associate, Hidden Harbor Capital
Alexander Esquivel, B.B.A. '16, M.ACC. '16
Senior Manager - Business Consulting, Ernst and Young, LLP
Ali Khan, B.B.A. '15, M.S.E.D. '18
Sr Talent Manager, Pinterest
Ashley Pittaluga, B.B.A. '17, M.A. '20
Associate Producer, VIVA Creative
Bhumi Patel, B.S.E.D. '14
Clinical Research, AdventHealth
Chelsea Baron, A.B. '21
Commercial Banking Control Specialist, Wells Fargo
Dan Rosenberg, B.S.B.E. '14
Enterprise Account Executive, SHI International Corp.
Daniel Borges, B.S.B.A.'19
Law Student, St. Thomas University College of Law
David Yankana, B.G.S.C. '17, M.H.A. '20, M.B.A. '21
Director of Operations, Amatheon Animal Health
Dewayne Washington, B.S.B.A. '20
Banker, JP Morgan
Gabriel Nunez, B.B.A. '18
Private Equity Associate, H.I.G. Capital
Jarred Graham Dahlerbruch, B.M. '19
Product Manager, Skechers
Jessica Morales, B.S.N. '18
Graduate Student - Nurse Anesthesia, University of Miami School of Nursing
Jono Kornberg, B.B.A. '18
Private Banker, JP Morgan
Jordan Llano, B.B.A. '14, M.ACC '16
Manager, Deloitte
Justin Goldsman, A.B. '15
Aide, US House of Representatives
Kyle Riegler, B.S.B.A. '20
Underwriter, AIG
Landon Coles, A.B. '22
Coordinator, ESG & Value Chain, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
