Voices of Hope for Aphasia Makes High-impact Addition with New Director of Development and Outreach

St. Petersburg, FL (November 7, 2022) – Voices of Hope for Aphasia, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, is thrilled to announce the addition of Carlos Navedo as their new Director of Development and Outreach. This addition is a significant step for the organization to expand their visibility, community impact, and further their mission of serving those in our community who struggle with aphasia, as they enter their second decade of service to the Tampa Bay area.

Carlos attended the University of Tampa, after which he worked as a School Bases Coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Piedmont (Statesville, N.C.) and Coached Football & Baseball for East Iredell School. After 3 years he was promoted to VP of Development & Community Relations for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida where he grew the agency to number 1 in the nation. Carlos was also Selected by Governor Jeb Bush to develop and implement the Children of Prisoners/Children of Promise in Florida, designed to mentor that specific group of children. In 2005, he was appointed by Governor Bush to the Hurricane Wilma Disaster Task Force.  Where he worked with Red Cross, supervising the distribution of 32 tons of supplies from Georgia and Alabama. He has also served as the community relations coordinator for OneBlood Inc., the 3^rd largest blood bank in the nation, and most recently the development director of Boys & Girls Club of America. Other organizations that have benefited from his help include Animal Refuge Center, Make-A-Wish of Southwest Florida, and City of Fort Myers-Southwest Florida Latin Jazz Fest.

“We are thrilled to welcome Carlos to the Voices of Hope staff. Adding a Director of Development with his expertise is an investment in our future”, says Debbie Yones, Voices of Hope for Aphasia’s Executive Director. “His experience, passion, and commitment to building a better community for everyone make him a perfect addition to our stellar team. Under his stewardship, Voices of Hope for Aphasia will be able to not only grow our capacity and the number of lives we are able to touch, but also to help grow awareness of this debilitating disorder.” 

Based in St. Petersburg, Voices of Hope for Aphasia is one of the largest and fastest growing aphasia centers in the United States. Aphasia is a language disorder due to stroke or brain injury which can severely impact the way a person expresses themselves, and connects with others, causing many to withdraw and isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Their programs provide unique and otherwise unavailable access to aphasia experts who provide individualized education for the family unit. To read more about our wonderful team, visit our Staff & Volunteers and Board of Directors pages!

About Voices of Hope for Aphasia:  Voices of Hope for Aphasia is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting participation, supporting communication, and developing community among individuals whose ability to speak, understand, write, or read was affected due to stroke or other brain injury.  The organization was formed in 2011 by founders Mike and Kathy Caputo after Mike’s stroke at the age of 51.  Aphasia impacts over 2.4 million people in the US.  There are over twice as many people living with aphasia than Parkinson’s and 150 times more than those with ALS.  One in three people who suffer a stroke will have some form of aphasia and may suffer isolation, frustration, and depression due to the disorder. All programs are delivered in a safe, healthy, and aphasia friendly atmosphere by accredited Speech Language Pathologists. Programs are offered at Voices of Hope for Aphasia’s Center in St. Petersburg, the Hale Senior Center in Dunedin, and Good Shepard Lutheran Church in South Tampa, and online. For more information about how our programs help to increase quality of life and end isolation, please visit www.vohaphasia.org.