ACLU of Florida
Board of Directors
Eric Smaw, Ph.D., Interim President
Dr. Janet Taylor, MD, MPD, Interim Secretary
Michael Meyers, JD, Interim Treasurer
Bios
Eric Smaw, Ph.D Interim President
Dr. Eric Smaw is currently working as a Professor in the Department of Philosophy & Religion, Rollins College, USA. His research interests include Philosophy of Law, Political Philosophy, Ethics, and Human Rights. He is serving as an editorial member and reviewer of several internationally reputed journals. Dr. Eric Smaw is a member of many international affiliations. He has successfully completed his administrative responsibilities. He has authored many research articles/books related to Philosophy of Law, Political Philosophy, Ethics, and Human Rights.
Dr. Janet Taylor MD, MPH, Interim Secretary
Dr. Janet is a Community Psychiatrist and Executive Coach in Sarasota, Florida. She is on the frontline battling the emotional and economic impact of mental illness. She holds a M.D. from the University of Louisville, completed her psychiatric residency at New York Medical College and obtained an MPH from Columbia University “s Mailman School of Public Health in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She completed her coaches training at The Coaches Training Institute. She had a column in Family Circle Magazine, “Ask Dr. Janet”. Dr. Janet is also frequently featured on ABC “Good Morning America” and NBC “The Today Show” and CNN. She is a former host of the Discovery Health/OWN series, “Facing Trauma” and was the Guest Care Director for “The Jeremy Kyle Show”. She is an expert in the neuroscience of Implicit Bias, Conscious Allyship and Leadership. Dr. Janet is the author of the Amazon bestseller, The Courageous Classroom Creating A Culture of Safety for Students to Learn and Thrive (Wiley,2021).
Michael Meyers, JD Interim Treasurer
Michael Meyers, trained as a lawyer, is an active board member for and trusted advisor to a number of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. In 2016 Mr. Meyers retired after 23 years at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, an international law firm where he practiced corporate and finance law, mostly in the energy sector.
In the non-profit arena, he currently serves as a board member of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, The Bolles School, and the Peter Michael Foundation (a 501(c)(3) focused on prostate cancer research and treatment).
Mr. Meyers rejoined the board of the ACLU of Florida in 2023, after having previously served on the board from 2015 – 2018.
In the for-profit sector, Mr. Meyers serves as a director of the Peter Michael Winery, a premium California winery, and as a Managing Member of ML Venture Investments, a family company.