Vision

An endowment that endures for generations, to serve God’s Kingdom as the preferred choice of Covenant Partners for legacy giving

Mission

To steward the legacy giving of Covenant Partners, aligned with their values and intentions, to best advance God’s Kingdom

Values

Trustworthy, Christ-centered, Excellence, Generosity, Sustained Performance

John Hillenmeyer

Chair of the Board of Trustees

“I am part of the Heart of the City Foundation because it offered me a way to provide long-term non-operational support to the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando and its mission to spread the Gospel and the love of Christ to those most vulnerable in our city.”  

Mr. Hillenmeyer retired from a 34-year career as a health care executive in 2011.  He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and earned a Masters Degree from Duke University.  John held multiple leadership roles with Orlando Health for 28 years; the last 15 as Chief Executive Officer.  Mr. Hillenmeyer was a health care industry leader in Florida who served as Chairman of several state industry associations and advised policymakers on health issues.  

 He was an active community leader throughout his career.  He chaired the Economic Development Commission and the Regional Commission on Homelessness. He served on the Boards of the YMCA,  Red Cross, United Way, Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Chamber of Commerce.  

Mr. Hillenmeyer remains active in the community. In addition to the Heart of the City Foundation Board, he serves on the Dr. Phillips Charities Board and is Board Chairmen of Westminster Communities of Florida.   He is an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, where he served as an Elder.  

Mr. Hillenmeyer has been married to his wife Gale for 50 years.  They have two sons and three grandchildren.

Hardy Vaughn

Vice Chair

Hardy Vaughn is President of Seaside Insurance in Orlando, Florida. He has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina and a Master of Science in Financial Services from the American College at Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania. He also has the Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant designation. Hardy has been a member of FPCO for 30 years and has been involved in the usher ministry, currently serving as team captain for the Traditional Service. Hardy has also been active with the Gathering of Men and is married to Betty Brady.

Tami Kaiser

Secretary, Missions Chair

Tami Kaiser joined the Heart of the City Foundation Board of Trustees in 2013 and serves as Secretary and Mission Chair.

Tami retired from a career as a human resources executive in the hospitality industry after leading human resource development for Red Lobster/Darden Restaurants for 14 years and for Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, Holiday Inn and Harrah’s Entertainment for 20 years.

In her ‘encore’ career, Tami provides consulting services to nonprofits and serves in volunteer leadership for Lifework Leadership-Orlando, Women Doing Well, the National Christian Foundation-Orlando, The Collaborative; and Samaritan Village.

She and her husband Jim are active members of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando where Tami serves as an elder. She is from Aurora, IL, and holds an undergraduate degree from Miami University and a master’s from the University of Memphis.

Eugenia Sefcik

Scholarship Chair

I became involved with the HOCF in 1996 our newborn daughter Elizabeth died shortly after she was born. I have always had a desire to impact inner city youth for the gospel, a quality education and to break the cycle of poverty. My husband Joe and I started a scholarship fund in Elizabeth’s memory which provides tuition assistance for inner city children to attend The Christ School. 

More recently, we established a fund called Kids Across America to provide scholarships so inner city students could attend KAA, a Christian Sports Camp, in Branson, Missouri.  The students who return from camp have hope in Christ and  realize their lives can be different from todays culture. 

I was asked to serve on the Scholarship Committee which awards ~$63,000 in scholarships from various funds at HOCF each year. It was such a rewarding experience that when I was asked to join the Board it was easy to say yes! The HOCF has provided an easy vehicle for Joe and me to establish a legacy for our family and impact lives in the community. 

Doug Doudney

Investment Chair

Doug Doudney is in the business of private investing in real estate, securities and private equity. He and his wife, Julie, and their two adult children, Cami and Doug, Jr., have been members of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando for about 12 years. Doug has extensive experience in youth work and education, and has a heart for outreach of all types.

Michelle Jernigan

Discipleship Chair

Michelle Jernigan is a native Floridian, a graduate of Stetson University and Stetson University College of Law. She is professional mediator, arbitrator and a shareholder with the firm of Upchurch Watson White & Max. Michelle has been a member of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando (FPCO) since 1983. During her membership, Michelle has served as a Deacon, taught Sunday school (adult and children), been active in the Collaborative, and worked with various women’s ministries.  She has served on the Heart of the City Board of Trustees since 2014 and continues to remain an active member of First Presbyterian Church.  Michelle has two grown daughters, Rachel and Sarah, both of whom attended FPCO’s weekday school and The Christ School.

Quino Martinez

Trustee

Quino Martinez and his family have been members of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando since 2005.  He has served our church community as a member of various congregational committees and the Session, and was drawn to the Heart of the City Foundation because of its commitment to spread the Gospel through sustainable investments in our city.  Active in the community, Quino has served on the boards of The Gathering, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando, the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the City of Orlando, the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia, and Lake Highland Preparatory School.  Quino was raised in Dallas, Texas and attended Southern Methodist University and the University of Dayton School of Law.  He practices commercial real estate law with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed.  Quino has been happily married to his wife, Jay, for over twenty years and they have two daughters.

Janice Divine

Trustee

Janice Divine grew up in Michigan, New York, and finally, South Florida. She attended the University of Florida where she earned a BSBA in Finance. She married her late husband, Russ, and became a bank’s commercial lending officer and branch manager where she enjoyed managing people and helping them hone their banking skills. After 15 years in banking, she became a stay-at-home mother, then went on to work part-time for a nonprofit and the Weekday School. 

Not having grown up in a Christian home, she felt blessed to marry into a wonderful family who nurtured her faith with their love and Christian example. Her faith grew significantly when she and Russ started going to a Crown Ministry class, eventually becoming Crown Ministry leaders themselves. She also enjoyed teaching Sunday School to elementary-level kids, learning alongside them. 

She loves being involved with the Heart of the City Foundation on several levels, including as an Ann Wilson Divine Scholarship family sponsor and board member. Education and legacy are very important to her. She loves spending time with her two daughters and sons-in-law, three grandchildren, and mini Doxie. 

Ellen Arnold

Trustee

Ellen Arnold was born in Columbus, Georgia, and grew up in The Episcopal Church. Her faith grew even stronger as she attended Bible Study Fellowship for 14 years. She got her first taste of Orlando while attending Rollins College for her first two years of college before completing her BS in business administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, becoming a lifetime fan of the Tar Heels. 

Once she graduated, she came back to Orlando to work at Boston Company of the Southeast, an investment firm where she greatly enjoyed managing portfolios. After she had her twin daughters, she became a stay-at-home mother, bringing one more daughter into the world. Today, she loves caring for her grandbaby, Anna Kay, two days a week and spending time with her 17-year-old cat, Nala.

She put in 8 years on the Board of Samaritan Village, always grateful for the support Heart of the City Foundation gifted to them, and ultimately was inspired to be a part of the gifting of support to Christ-centered ministries and young people pursuing higher education.

Don Ammerman

Trustee

Kurt Wood

Trustee

Charles Bell

Trustee

Charles is an Orlando native, graduating from Boone High School, earning a degree in finance from the University of Central Florida, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Rollins College. He has an extensive background in business operations; having served for over 25 years in various roles in financial services, corporate banking, information technology, and finance/administrative services in the real estate, hospitality, and title industries. In addition, he brings experience in the non-profit space, having served operational roles in his church and as an interim COO/CFO for a local organization focused on at-risk youth. He is now the COO of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando. He is married to Kimberly, a fellow Orlando native, and has three children.