Commission Members

From left, Dawn Addy, Charlton Copeland, Kerry Rosenthal, Nelson Bellido and Judge Seymour Gelber.

Dawn Addy, Chair
Dawn E. Addy, Ph.D., serves as Director of the Center for Labor Research and Studies at Florida International University (FIU). Professor Addy's academic efforts have focused primarily on issues of workplace diversity and community building. She has designed specialized training programs, curricula, and other materials in numerous areas, including harassment, cultural diversity, workplace violence, conflict resolution, effective communication skills, problem solving, leadership skills, electronic publishing skills, labor law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, HIV-AIDS, stress and self-image, bridging the gender gap, workplace literacy, and adult education techniques. She served on the Equal Opportunity Board for Miami-Dade County for five years prior to her appointment on the Ethics Commission in the fall of 2001.

Prior to her work at FIU, Dr. Addy was on the faculty of the Labor Education Service of the Industrial Relations Center at the University of Minnesota. She completed her graduate work at the University of Minnesota, earning a Master's degree in Industrial Relations and a Ph.D. in work, Community, and Family Education. She is currently president of the group "Many Voices: One Community," which facilitates dialogue on issues of racism and immigration throughout southern Florida. Dr. Addy also serves on the Access and Equity Committee for FIU as Diversity Committee Chair.

Nelson Bellido
Nelson Bellido became the newest member of the Ethics Commission following his appointment the Chief Judge of the Eleventh Circuit, Joel Brown, in July 2010. Bellido is a partner in the Coral Gables-based law firm, Concepcion, Sexton & Martinez, P.A. and previously served with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office from 1993 to 1997. 

He received his juris doctor in from the University of Florida College of Law and earned an undergraduate degree of Political Science and History with emphasis on Latin American History from Duke University. 

Charlton Copeland
Charlton Copeland was appointed to the Ethics Commission by the Dean of the University of Miami School of Law in May 2010. Copeland, who joined the UM faculty as an associate professor in 2007, earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Amherst College, a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School and a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School.  He has clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit as well as in the Constitutional Court of South Africa. 

Professor Copeland worked as an associate with an international law firm based in Washington, D.C., before serving as a visiting assistant professor at Northwestern University.  His research interests and publications have focused on administrative law, federal courts and federalism, comparative constitutional law, and race and the law.

Judge Seymour Gelber
Judge Seymour Gelber was appointed to the Commission on Ethics in 2005 by the Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Currently he sits as a Senior Judge with the Circuit Court Juvenile Division, where prior to retirement he served as Administrative Judge of that court. He has held office with the Dade county State Attorney, the Florida Attorney General’s Office and as Mayor of the City of Miami Beach (1991-1997).

Judge Gelber is a graduate of the University of Miami Law School (1953) and holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice and a Ph D., in Higher Education from Florida State University. He has held teaching positions at four Florida Universities – (FSU, FIU, Nova, U of M.)

Kerry E. Rosenthal
Kerry Rosenthal was appointed by the Miami-Dade League of Cities in 1998. Mr. Rosenthal is a Miami attorney and partner with the law firm of Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Rasco. His primary areas of practice include real estate and development, business transactions, and corporations.