Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 10-9-15 Edition

Features
Accidents On Deadly Stretch Of Busch Blvd. Leaves One Dead, One Critical
ALEXIS MIRANDA 4/27/1998 to 10/6/2015
Members of the Tampa Po- lice Department are currently investigating three accidents that took place on Tuesday. The accidents resulted in the death of one person and the se- rious injury of two others.
The two accidents occurred within a mile of each other.
According to police, the first accident took place on Busch Boulevard, two blocks west of North Boulevard, around 7:15 a.m. Seventeen- year-old Alexis Miranda, of Tampa, was struck by a vehicle as she stood in the center turn lane. She died at the scene. Her friend was not injured.
Ms. Miranda was a stu- dent at Chamberlain High School and was en route to class when the accident took place. She was registered in a
non-traditional, day time, GED Program at the school.
Police said Belovedofgod Chiza Ndegwa, 34, of Port Republic, Maryland, was the driver. A spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department said Ndegwa was traveling in the center turn lane when he struck the teenager.
Ndegwa was not charged at the time of the accident. However, the investigation is continuing and detectives have not ruled out criminal charges.
Second Pedestrian Hit
In less than 12 hours later, and within a mile of the first accident, Tampa Police were once again called to investigate a traffic accident involving a pedestrian. The second acci- dent took place Busch Blvd., and Nebraska Avenue.
Police said 50-year-old Thomas Benton, of Tampa, was seriously injured in an ac- cident that took place at 7:45 p.m.
According to police, Ms. Maria Medina, 51, of Tampa, was driving eastbound in the median lane of Busch Blvd. Witnesses told police Ms.
Medina had the green light and the right of way.
Benton was reportedly walking northbound in the crosswalk on Busch Blvd., when he was struck by Ms. Medina’s 2005 Honda.
After being struck by the left front of the vehicle, Ben- ton was ejected from the hood of the car into the roadway. He was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he was admitted with life-threat- ening injuries.
Police said Benton under- went surgery Tuesday night and was listed in critical, but stable condition.
Ms. Medina, who was traveling about 40 miles per hour, told police she did not see Benton.
THOMAS BENTON ...Seriously injured in traffic accident
State Manager Of AARP Wants Members To Be In The Game
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
“AARP is a powerful advo- cate for its members and is- sues that matter to them, including healthcare quality and availability.”
Dionne Polite...man- ager of State Operations
SIX.
That’s the number of times Dionne Polite was inter- viewed before she was selected in May as Florida’s manager of state operations for AARP, the 37 million- member strong or- ganization for people age 50 and older.
As the first person of color to hold this position in the AARP organization, Ms. Po- lite guides a team of eight and oversees three offices in statewide outreach and com- munity education about AARP initiatives and programs, in- cluding healthy living and re- tirement planning.
One of those programs is Life Re-imagined, a multime- dia set of tools, resources and programs that supports anyone interested in exploring life choices, such as returning to school or a second career.
The program has been well- received among Florida’s 2.7 million members and 3,000 volunteers, Ms. Polite said. “Our focus is to help people turn their dreams and goals into possibilities,” she said.
It’s a job that Ms. Polite says she loves and she counts meeting and engaging with AARP members as one of the highlights of the job.
At one time, it seemed that Ms. Polite’s current position was out of her reach. When she first applied for the manager position, Ms. Polite was AARP’s associate state director for multicultural issues for the state of New York. In that role, she was responsible for the outreach and education efforts for New York’s Black and Caribbean communities.
Ms. Polite excelled as the associate state director and knew that her skills and talents would carry over well as the manager of operations for Florida. “I show up knowing what I know, on time, focused and centered to get things done,” she said.
But the hiring process proved grueling. Ms. Polite, a mother of two, who has a nearly 30-year background in nonprofit work, had just com- pleted her sixth interview for the job when she got a call on an unrelated matter from Joanne Jenkins, AARP’s chief executive officer.
During their conversation, Ms. Jenkins inquired about the hiring process for the Florida position. When Ms.
Polite shared that she was waiting for a decision after her sixth interview, Ms. Jenkins was surprised, Ms. Polite said. After making some con- tacts, Ms. Jenkins told Ms. Polite to expect a phone call. Shortly after the exchange with Ms. Jenkins, Ms. Polite was awarded the state manager job.
Ms. Polite said the experi- ence confirmed the importance of maintaining a relationship with executive leadership in the AARP organization. “It pays to connect with somebody who is a leader and under- stands your journey...and who can really help you get to where you want to go,” she said.
In the five months since mov- ing to Florida, Ms. Polite – a native of Guyana who was raised in Queens, New York – said she’s adjusted well to the state and the job.
Based in the Tampa area with her husband of 31 years, Dar- ryl, Ms. Polite shuttles be- tween the state’s St. Petersburg and Doral offices. She’s also a frequent visitor to offices in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Orlando.
Having someone of color as the manager of state opera- tions for Florida is helpful when executing programs that work to establish strong ties to its African-American mem- bers, she said.
For example, AARP has part- nered with the Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. to educate Black women about successful care giving. A forum held recently in Tampa was well-attended and the information and presenta- tion resonated with attendees.
“I think there is an incredible difference when someone like me shows up to the presenta- tion,” she said. “It really isn’t a color thing, it’s the experience.”
Ms. Polite said it’s her mis- sion to show AARP is more than just car insurance dis- counts and a membership card.
“We get our members and go to the Legislature and get our voices heard,” she said. “We want to make sure they are em- powered. We can’t let them be bystanders in the game.”
Dionne Polite was pro- moted to her position with AARP 5-months ago.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A