Board of Directors

Colin O’Keeffe serves as a Commercial Insurance Advisor and part of the sales leadership team at Brown & Brown in Tampa Bay. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Colin is passionate about helping his hometown continue to grow and thrive. A proud Florida State University graduate (Class of 2017), he brings a strong sense of purpose and leadership to his role as Board Chair.

Colin’s commitment to serving others—especially the kids at PAL—stems from his and his wife Audrey’s shared faith in Jesus and their desire to live that faith out through active involvement in their community. Together, they believe in giving back, building relationships, and helping create brighter futures for local youth.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jennifer relocated to Florida in 2014 and has proudly called St. Petersburg home for the past six years. As the VP Regional Sales Director at Republic Bank, she finds deep fulfillment in helping clients achieve their financial goals while mentoring her team to reach their professional potential.

Jennifer joined the board of the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg in 2024, driven by a lifelong passion for youth development. She believes every child deserves access to mentorship, education, and a supportive environment filled with positive role models. PAL’s commitment to leadership, learning, and building brighter futures resonates deeply with her values.

Outside of work and volunteering, Jennifer enjoys spending quality time with her family and exploring new destinations through travel.

Brian Ceras earned a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University, is a graduate of the Florida Bankers Association Graduate Trust School, Cannon Financial Institute’s Trust School and holds the designation of Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA). Brian has over fifteen years of experience in trust administration and investment management.

He is a graduate of Leadership St. Pete and committed to serving the St. Petersburg community. As a Past President and member of the Northeast Exchange Club, he is actively involved in improving the lives of children and in the prevention of child abuse. Brian is also a member of the Suncoast Estate Planning Council.

Jeff Rettig is a senior manager with PwC and has been with the professional services firm for over 20 years.  He has spent the last five years in information security and technology governance, risk, and compliance functions.  Previously, Jeff led PwC teams in the IT operations and IT service management areas.  Jeff has numerous information security and IT governance certifications including CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CISA, CGEIT, CRISC, PMP, and ITIL Expert.

Jeff was introduced to St. Pete PAL through fellow PwC employee and prior board member Gregg Agard-Jones.  The PwC Tampa office’s history of support of PAL includes both monetary grants and programs such as skills for society, hour of code, and youth financial literacy education.

Prior to joining PwC, Jeff worked for GEBO Corporation in Sarasota, FL, deploying robotic automation systems in the US, Europe, and Canada.  Jeff holds an MS in engineering from the University of South Florida and a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati.  Jeff and wife Amy have lived in St. Petersburg for the last 25 years and love the Sunshine City.  They have one daughter, Nellie, who will be a 2021 graduate of St. Pete High School.

Banner is an Investment Advisor at Capital Investment Advisors. He holds his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ designation and works to provide holistic financial solutions for individuals, families, and business owners. Banner’s primary efforts are focused on building meaningful relationships and partnering with clients to develop customized solutions around retirement planning, income generation, and risk management.

Banner began his career at Fidelity Investments as a Financial Consultant serving clients in the area of financial planning and investment management services. He earned his undergraduate degree from Florida State University, double majoring in Economics and Criminology. While in college, Banner spent time interning for the Florida House of Representatives. He holds his Series 66, Life and Health Insurance, and Real Estate Licenses. Banner is an active member in his community, including being a member of the board for the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg and Leia’s Kids non-profit charity.

Banner is a native Floridian and currently resides in St. Petersburg, FL with his wife, Haley, and two children. In his free time, Banner enjoys playing golf, traveling, and spending time with family and friends on the water.

Originally from Poquoson, Virginia, and a proud graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, Brady has called St. Petersburg home for the past 12 years, where he lives with his wife, Kate, and their daughter, Loren. He serves on the boards of both the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg and the Bay Area Advisors, the latter of which hosts the annual Martinis for Moffitt event that has raised more than $3 million in support of Moffitt Cancer Center’s APCC and AYA programs.

Brady is passionate about PAL’s mission to empower local youth through mentorship, education, and athletics. He believes that providing kids with a safe, supportive environment and positive role models helps build stronger families and a more connected community—values he strives to promote both personally and professionally.

Mark Ferguson was born in St. Petersburg Florida in 1956. Growing up in South Saint Pete he went to Bay Vista Elementary, Bay Point, & Lakewood high school. At Lakewood he was the captain of both the basketball & baseball team. He went on to play baseball at Eddison college. Then went on to get his bachelors at Florida State University followed by a masters in education at Nova

He started at Southside Fundamental in 1982 as the physical education and health teacher. Mark met his wife Sherry in 1990. In 1992, he took a leap of faith while still teaching and opened Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill. Mark & Sherry had their first child Erin, in 1993. His son Jake was born in 1995. For 7 years he did double duty teaching and owning Ferg’s. Then in 1995, the Rays were announced as an expansion team. Ferg’s Became a major league bar. Mark was able to leave his teaching job behind to focus on Ferg’s when the Rays first starting playing in 1998. He is now operating the business with his son Jake 33 after opening.

Mark is very proud to serve on the PAL board for the past year.

Audrey Grounds serves as Events Director and an Administrative professional with Caledon Concepts, the hospitality group behind Rococo Steak and Ceviche. In addition to managing all company events, she supports accounts payable, business operations, and community development—helping connect relationships and resources that strengthen the organization and the community it serves.

She began building her foundation in events through her work with Mise en Place and an internship with Anna Lucia Events, and has since supported a range of nonprofit boards in roles spanning marketing, sponsorship, and event management. Known for being a connector and a problem-solver, Audrey enjoys stepping in where needed to bridge gaps and keep mission-driven work moving forward.

As a mother of two daughters, Audrey is deeply committed to creating stronger, safer opportunities for kids—making her service with the Police Athletic League especially meaningful.

Since relocating from Wisconsin in 1997, Brian has lived and worked in St. Petersburg, FL. For the last 25 years he has held various careers within the Financial Services Industry which include Business and Retail Banking, Insurance and Securities Investments. While lending has become his passion this diverse background enables Brian to truly follow his consultative sales mindset and to think outside of the box for solutions tailored to each member. He realizes that making a mutually beneficial relationship does not always mean making the sale. Currently, Brian is a Commercial Loan Officer with Grow Financial Federal Credit Union.

Brian is a graduate of the Florida School of Banking and has volunteered with organizations teaching financial literacy such as The Salvation Army, Resurrection House and The United Way. He is a past president of the Sunshine City Jaycees, which is where he met his wife. In his free time Brian enjoys travelling and spending time with his wife and son. They especially like cruising and theme parks.

DJ has been helping individuals, families, and business owners make confident financial decisions since 2012. He began his career with Raymond James Asset Management, where he supported advisors and their high-net-worth clients, foundations, and endowments on portfolio strategy and investment analysis. He currently works as a Financial Advisor for Frey Masterson Investment Advisors in St. Petersburg.

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, he also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® and Certified Exit Planning Advisor® designations. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his MBA from the University of South Florida.

Outside of work, DJ enjoys cycling, hiking, fishing, and brewing coffee and beer. He and his wife, Stefani, are proud parents of two children. As a native of Florida, and active in the community, he volunteers along with the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg at organizations such as the National MS Society, R’ Club, and Habitat for Humanity of Florida.

Eric Winter is a U.S. Secret Service veteran and Fortune 100 security executive with a distinguished career leading corporate security, risk management, and crisis response across global operations. Currently serving as Head of Security at Raymond James Financial, he brings decades of experience from senior roles at Cox Enterprises and Delta Air Lines, where he directed large-scale investigations, threat mitigation programs, and multimillion-dollar fraud prevention initiatives. Eric’s background spans the transportation, telecom, retail, and automotive sectors, underpinned by service in the U.S. Navy and Secret Service. He holds an MBA in International Business from American University and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.