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Board

Vic Ogilvie

Vic Ogilvie is the President of the Democratic Veterans’ Caucus of Florida. He has been in this position since May of 2009 and is a charter member of the DVCF.

Vic is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and a retired V.A. Clinical Psychologist. During his final USAF assignment, he was the Air Force Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer for South Florida and an advisor to the Adjutant General of the Florida National Guard. He played a key role in the Federal response and recovery to Category 4 Hurricane Andrew which devastated South Florida in 1992. As a V.A. Psychologist, he specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder among combat veterans. In 1996, he was appointed by Gov. Lawton Chiles to the Florida Commission on Veterans’ Affairs where he served four years. Vic holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from U.C.L.A.

Vic resides in Altamonte Springs, Florida with his wife Carol, a retired teacher and current DVCF member. They have two adult children, Andrew and Kari.

Marian Williams

Marian Williams is the Vice President of the Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida and also a charter member since 2008, was elected Vice President 2009 of DVCF and is currently the Membership Chair and serves on the Board of DVCF.   Marian comes from a long line of family who have served in the Military.  Marian is married to Major General Retired, Enoch Williams.

Marian is very active with the Democratic Party.  She was elected as the State committee woman for Seminole County in 2007 and serves on the Board of directors for Seminole County Democratic Executive Committee. Her political resume is quite extensive. She holds many hats within the Democratic Party.  She is President of Central Florida Democratic Club, Vice President Seminole County Democratic Black Caucus, Treasurer of People with Disabilities Caucus, Charter Member of the Seminole County Hispanic Caucus, Precinct Committee Woman District 86, and was recently appointed to Vice President of the newly organized Veteran Caucus in Seminole County.  She is the current chair of the DEC Affirmative Action Committee.

Marian serves at the pleasure of the State Chair, Karen Thurman and was appointed by the Chair to serve on the Rules and By-Laws Committee, Affirmative Action Committee, Campaign, Member of the FDP Central Committee and was elected District Leader for Congressional District 7. Marian was elected as a Delegate to the 2008 National Convention held at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. Major General Retired Enoch and Marian were selected by then candidate Obama to be his guest front stage for the Presidential acceptance speech.  This event was covered on national TV and is published in New York Times book of front pages of news papers from around the country.   Marian ran for political office in 2004 and 2006, with an impressive percentage of votes received in both races.

The General and Marian consider their marriage as a merger and both love politics and work as partners in supporting and striving to make the Democrats stronger and visible in Seminole County.

Lawrence Chayt

Lawrence Chayt serves as Treasurer of the Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida.  Those who know Lawrence Chayt, describe him as a very organized, productive, caring and loyal man with meticulous record keeping skills.

He has an AAS degree in education from Fordham University in New York and has taught Vocational-Technical High School for a number of years.

As a semi retired AARP member, Lawrence was a Motor Coach Operator and Tour Guide in both Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Alaska. He was also a Defensive driving instructor for the National Safety Council and A.A.R.P.

He has won awards from Muscular Dystrophy Association for exemplary volunteer work and from Palm Tran as Most Valued Bus Operator.

His organization memberships include:

Life membership in the Democratic Club of Greater Pembroke Pines; Greater Boynton Beach Democratic Club; Pembroke Pines Code Enforcement board; Precinct Captain and Committeeman for the Palm Beach County Democratic Executive Committee; Jewish War veterans where he was District Commander, Post Commander, Sr. Vice Commander, Jr. Vice Commander, Quartermaster, Adjunct and Executive member.

Carol Ogilvie

Carol serves as the DVCF Secretary

Mildred Smith

Mildred “Milli” Smith serves on the DVCF’s board of directors. Milli entered active duty Navy in Orlando, Florida  in 1978 where after training she was assigned to MCAS Futenma Okinawa, an island located of the coast of Japan  providing support to the Third  Marine Division and for MCB Camp Butler; the  MCAS El Toro, California providing materials and support for aviation activities of the United States Marine Corps; before finally being assigned to the SUBBASE Pearl Harbor assisting the Quality Material Control Team in repairing submarines. After being designated as the Control Material Petty Officer for the Hull Division Repair unit, she excelled very quickly before becoming medically retired, disabled veteran in 1998.

She is a charter member of Women in the Military Service Memorial, which is a living memorial of military women in Arlington, Virginia. Her advocacy for veterans leads to her receiving a 2004 Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust Award and a 2008 NAACP Veterans Meritorious Award.  She along with founding President Fred McDowell and Chairwoman Thurman, who the daughter of a World War II Veteran saw the need and organized the Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida.

Milli is the daughter of Retired Sergeant Major Robert Stevens (posthumous), a 30 year Army veteran and Doris Stevens of Dale City, Virginia and the mother of James Andrew Kidd III, age 18.

Lettie J. Bien

COL (Ret) Bien is a decorated Iraq War Veteran, accomplished businesswoman, practicing attorney, community advocate and philanthropist. COL Bien’s distinguished career spans over 30 years in Intelligence and Special Operations. Her last military assignment, based in the Pentagon, was as a civil affairs officer assigned to OSD/SOLIC Policy Office. Among numerous awards and medals commemorating her service, COL Bien is the recipient of the Distinguished Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
COL Bien most recently served in Iraq as a Department of the Army Highly Qualified Expert (HQE) assigned as a Special Advisor to the Commander of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq. During her many years of combined active duty and reserve services, COL Bien served as the Relocation Director for the US Southern Command, as a Battalion Commander and as the U.S. Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals in Baghdad.
As a civilian, COL Bien is a lawyer and consultant. Her civic activities include serving as Miami Community Chairperson for The Fisher House Foundation, which serves to provide free lodging to the families of veterans and military personnel receiving long term treatment at military and VA hospitals and medical centers. COL Bien is a member of the International Women’s Forum, the FEDEX Orange Bowl Committee and serves as a member of the City of Coral Gables Emergency Management Board, and numerous local and national civic, professional and military organizations.

Dennis Plews

Founding member of FLVCS. Dennis J. Plews is a founding member, current treasurer and Director of Florida Veterans for Common Sense founded in 2002. He also serves veterans through his membership in and position on the Board of Directors of the Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida (DVCF). He has been in this position since the Caucus inception in the summer of 2008. He is also a founding member of the DVCF Dennis is a trial attorney who practices law in Sarasota where he has resided since 1975. Prior to re-entering college he volunteered for active duty in the U. S. Army, serving as a forward artillery observer and fire direction control specialist with “C” Battery, 3d Battalion, 82d Artillery, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, MACV from December, 1967 – December, 1968. He lives with his lovely wife, Eve Prang Plews, in Sarasota County, Florida.

Enoch Williams

MG. (Ret.) Enoch Williams ,retired as Commander of the New York Army National Guard on May 31, 1995, after over 30 years of active military service.  Major General Williams earned his commission in 1950 after serving as an enlisted member during World War II rising from the rank of second Lieutenant to Colonel, he served in many positions, among them-Artillery officer, transportation officer, liaison to the Deputy Chief of staff for Logistics, and Commander of the Selective Service.  General Williams was appointed Commander of the New York l Guard in 1990.  His Military education includes: Field Artillery School, the Air Defense School Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial War College.

Military decorations:  General Williams earned the Legion of Merit, Army Commendation Medal, and both the Bronze and Silver Selective Service Meritorious service medals.  General Williams received a B.S. in business Management from Long Island University.   He also attended New York University and the New School for Social Research. In his Civilian occupation, General Williams served five terms as a New York City Councilman for 19 years. He was awarded  the Veterans’ Braintrust Award 9/24/09 by the Congressional Black Caucus Hon.  Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL) Co-Chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans’ Braintrust.

He resides in Heathrow, Florida with his wife Marian Williams, State Committee Woman Seminole County, FL. and Vice President of Democratic Veterans’ Caucus of Florida. Married for 12 years Enoch has a son Dr .KAMAU, Daugther Chareese employed by government. He and his wife Marian consider their marriage a merger of Families, Marian has two children, Derrick and Yolonda.

Other board members include: Fred McDowell, Lettie Bien, Connie Parham, Dan Parham

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012