Resilience: Essays by Women in Law

Aymelis Amaral is the chief financial officer at Becker, where she manages financial planning, reporting, and operational transactions. She is a seasoned professional with over twenty years of experience in the law firm industry. Aymelis earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, creating lasting memories.

Valeria Angelucci is a seasoned corporate attorney with a cross-border practice shaped by legal training in both Italy and the United States. She advises on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, securities, and general corporate matters, with a focus on international clients entering or expanding in the US market. Her experience includes supporting strategic partnerships and licensing deals, particularly in the beauty and consumer sectors. She has served as outside counsel to multinational companies and contributed to legislative reform through the Florida Bar’s Business Law Section, where she has also held leadership roles.

Recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers, Valeria is also passionate about helping others find their voice in the legal profession. Her approach is grounded in empathy, strategic thinking, and a belief that growth often begins with uncertainty. Whether working with clients or mentoring emerging professionals, she values collaboration, integrity, and the ability to build meaningful connections across borders and perspectives.

Marni Becker-Avin is an attorney and trial consultant. She has worked at Becker & Poliakoff, PA, which is among the largest firms in Florida, for twenty-five years. She is also the firm’s professional development and marketing administrator. In this role, she created Becker & Poliakoff University (BPU), an annual educational immersion course, as well as the firm’s online classes platform, offering thirty topics relating to community association law. Marni credits her father, Alan S. Becker, for making education a priority and instilling in her a drive to help others succeed. Before he passed in 2020, Mr. Becker shared his vision of the on-demand class platform, would regularly attend BPU, and was fond of saying that he learned at least one new thing every day.

Donna DiMaggio Berger is a board-certified condominium and planned development law attorney and a fellow in the prestigious College of Community Association Lawyers. She founded the Community Association Legislative Lobby (CALL), a grassroots initiative dedicated to advancing responsible community association legislation, and she continues to play an active role in shaping Florida’s laws affecting community associations. Donna is also the creator and host of Take It to the Board, a widely followed podcast that gives board members, managers, and industry professionals candid conversations about the challenges of community living.

Her expertise and thought leadership have made her a frequent source for national and local media, and she is regularly invited as a keynote speaker for conferences and industry events. Beyond her legal work, Donna is passionate about travel, cooking, mentorship, professional development, and giving voice to the experiences of women in law.

She lives in South Florida with her husband, Michael, and their spoiled cat, Talia. Donna and Michael are the proud parents of son Ryan and daughter Lauren.

Katie O. Berkey, BCS, AICP is a shareholder, Florida-licensed attorney, and certified land planner seated in Becker’s Fort Myers office, serving clients around the State of Florida in a variety of zoning, land use, and planning matters. She is a board-certified specialist in city, county, and local government law (CCLG) and holds a juris doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law, master of city and regional planning degree (with specialization in land use and environmental planning) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an artium baccalaureus degree (major in American studies and minor in urban and social public policy) from Franklin & Marshall College. Ms. Berkey’s practice focuses primarily on land use and zoning, real estate, and environmental issues related to the development of land, including permitting, drafting comprehensive plan amendments, and representing clients in local government administrative matters before city and county commissions, councils, and boards.

Jennifer L. Biletnikoff is a shareholder and a Florida-licensed attorney that is a Florida board-certified specialist in condominium and planned development law, seated in the Naples office of Becker & Poliakoff, PA. Ms. Biletnikoff’s practice focuses primarily on the law of community associations, primarily representing condominium, cooperative, mobile home, and homeowners’ associations. She represents community associations located throughout Southwest Florida, including Collier, Lee, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties. In her “free” time, Jennifer can be found at high school sporting events, volunteering for the high school booster club, or reading/listening to books while waiting for x-rays at urgent care.

Tana Bucca is a dedicated attorney with over twenty years of experience in the legal field. Tana represents community associations throughout the states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania and is known for her unwavering commitment to her clients, integrity, and compassion. Beyond the courtroom, she is a devoted wife and proud mother of three children, ages twenty, sixteen, and twelve. Her life is a vibrant blend of family, faith, and service.

A practicing Catholic, she finds her greatest joy in staying close to Christ and listening for God’s guidance through the highs and lows of daily life. She volunteers regularly at her parish and serves as a catechist, where she shares her love for the faith and helps guide children on their spiritual journeys. Balancing a demanding career and a busy family life is no small feat, but she sees it all as a blessing and believes that grace, prayer, and purpose carry her through.

Jamie Dokovna was born and raised in Ohio and is a proud graduate of the Ohio State University. Seeking warmer weather and new experiences, she moved to Miami for law school and later made Palm Beach her home.

Jamie is a shareholder at Becker & Poliakoff, where she focuses her practice on employment law, business and employment litigation, and condominium and homeowner association law. This year marks her twentieth year with Becker, a milestone that reflects her dedication to her clients, colleagues, and deep roots within the community she serves.

Outside her professional life, Jamie is married to her husband, Jared, and together they are raising their son, Jude who is thriving and living his best life. Her essay, written from a deeply personal place, explores the challenges that come with becoming a parent while balancing a demanding career. It is dedicated to her son and to all parents and hopeful parents who know that even when the path to parenthood is uncertain, hope carries you through, and in the end, it’s all worth it.

Jennifer Bales Drake is a highly accomplished commercial real estate attorney and Vice Chair of Becker’s Public, Private Partnerships (P3) practice group, concentrating on complex commercial transactions, planned project development, public-private partnerships, real estate finance, and joint ventures. She represents clients on high-profile development projects across Florida and nationwide. Jennifer is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Condominium & Planned Development Law and holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest standards of professional ability and ethics.

In addition to her legal practice, Jennifer is heavily involved in her community. She serves as Chair of The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance; a primary economic development organization focused on attracting investment and high-wage jobs to the region. She is also a board member of Business for the Arts Broward and Chair of its Public Arts Committee, as well as a member of Women United of the United Way. Her community involvement includes service on boards and committees that advance cultural, educational, and civic initiatives across South Florida. She regularly speaks at industry and P3 conferences and is recognized for her leadership in both legal and community spheres.

Doreen Fiorelli is the chief marketing officer of Becker, where she leads strategic initiatives to strengthen the firm’s brand, client engagement, and business development. Before entering the corporate world, Doreen trained as a classical soprano, a discipline that honed her creativity, resilience, and presence—qualities she now brings to her work as a business leader. Her essay reflects on the surprising parallels between life on stage and life in the boardroom and the lessons learned in making the transition from performer to executive. Known for her competitive spirit, Doreen approaches everything—from yoga to Scrabble tournaments—with intensity and good humor. She has even been accused of playing “full-contact Scrabble.” Away from work, she finds joy in words, music, and the company of friends and family.

Marilyn Fong is the chief operating officer of Becker, where she leads daily operations and drives strategic initiatives that support long-term growth and organizational excellence. With a reputation for her strong work ethic and commitment to results, she is known for bringing both focus and energy to every challenge.

Before being promoted to COO, Marilyn served as human resources director, where she specialized in talent development, culture building, and organizational effectiveness. This foundation continues to shape her leadership style today, blending operational expertise with a people-first perspective.

Marilyn is valued for her ability to navigate complex situations with determination while maintaining a collaborative approach. She takes pride in fostering environments where both individuals and organizations can thrive.

Outside of work, Marilyn enjoys paddleboarding and spending quality time with her family, finding balance and perspective in the moments away from her busy professional life.

Yeline Goin concentrates her practice on the law of community associations, primarily representing condominium, cooperative, and homeowners’ associations. She is one of only 190 attorneys statewide who is a board-certified specialist in condominium and planned development law.

Ms. Goin previously served as the executive director of our Community Association Legislative Lobby, or CALL, which represents the interests of the firm’s more than 4,000 community association clients by monitoring and responding to legislation emerging from Tallahassee that can significantly impact common ownership housing communities.

Yeline’s hobbies include traveling (especially to the national parks), hiking, working out, and playing tennis. In the fall, you can find her cheering on the Florida State Seminoles football team.

Mary R. Hawk is a shareholder in the firm’s condo, co-op, and HOA practice group and is based out of the firm’s Bradenton office. She has been practicing in the Sarasota/Bradenton area since 1998. Ms. Hawk focuses her practice in the areas of general representation and dispute resolution for condominium, homeowner, and cooperative associations. She is a Supreme Court-certified circuit civil mediator and certified arbitrator.

Ms. Hawk is a two-time past president of the Community Associations Institute West Florida Chapter and served nearly nine years on its board of directors. She is a frequent speaker, continuing education provider, and writer on issues concerning community associations. She is a past president and emeritus member of the Manatee American Inn of Court and recipient of the Mark Lipinski Mentorship Award (2020). Ms. Hawk is a past chair of the Florida Bar Twelfth Circuit Grievance Committee and has served as a fee arbitrator on the Florida Bar Grievance Mediation and Fee Arbitration Committee. She is the current chair of the Twelfth Circuit Local Professionalism Panel and has served on the panel for many years. Ms. Hawk is admitted to practice in Florida, the United States Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She received her JD magna cum laude from Georgia State University College of Law. She has two bachelor’s degrees: in journalism and fine arts.

Allison L. Hertz is a shareholder in the West Palm Beach, Florida, office of Becker & Poliakoff, PA. Ms. Hertz has practiced condominium and homeowner association law for her entire legal career, beginning in 2007. She is board certified in condominium and planned development law by the Florida Bar and was the cochair of the Condominium & Planned Development Committee of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar from 2023 through 2025. Notably, Ms. Hertz was only the second female to be named as a chair of this committee. Ms. Hertz has received several awards for her service and participation in a wide range of condominium-related topics and served in the important role as the reporter of the Condominium Law and Policy on Life Safety Task Force of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, following the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, Florida. She prides herself on real-world practical solutions for her clients and is always a phone call away when they need her. She is a native of Palm Beach County, Florida, the oldest of three sisters, and a single mother to her daughter, Alexis. When she is not working, she is spending time with family and friends at the beach, doing Pilates or yoga, cooking, or at a concert or musical theater performance.

Samantha A. Lesser is an attorney in Becker’s litigation, tax controversy, and corporate practices. Her experience includes jury trials, arbitration, tax procedure issues, assisting delinquent taxpayers, and motion practice. She also has experience with corporate transactions, such as reverse mergers, private placements, IPOs, Regulation D matters, SPAC, and VIE Structures. Additionally, she has investigated FINRA matters dealing with the statutory disqualification of broker dealers.

Ms. Lesser received her JD and LLM in tax from New York Law School and her BS from Syracuse University. She is admitted to the New York State Bar.

K. Joy Mattingly is a shareholder and chair of Becker’s collection and foreclosure practice group. She represents condominium associations, homeowner associations, and cooperative associations throughout Florida in crafting comprehensive collections strategies for their communities, handling their collection and foreclosure actions, representation in mortgage foreclosure actions, surplus funds recovery, receiverships, and bankruptcies. She is also one of only 190 attorneys statewide who is a board-certified specialist in condominium and planned development law.

Prior to assuming management of Becker’s collection and foreclosure practice, she practiced in Becker’s Community Association Litigation Group, representing associations and cooperatives in various litigation matters. Prior to joining Becker, she practiced primarily in the area of business litigation, representing businesses in contract disputes, partnership disputes, and employment disputes, and drafting corporate documents. She also previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Mark E. Polen at Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals.

Amanda Wood’s primary focus is assisting clients with federal funding needs. Her experience as senior legislative staff on Capitol Hill provides the skills to represent clients on matters ranging from FEMA policy to smart city solution deployment to beach renourishment and major transportation infrastructure. She represents municipal, corporate, and nonprofit clients on matters related to transportation, economic development, natural resources, law enforcement, homeland security, and social services. She previously served as legislative director to Senator Bob Graham (D-Florida), where she was responsible for developing and implementing the senator’s legislative agenda and strategy. Amanda currently represents Sound Thinking (formerly ShotSpotter), Tantalus, BEAM Solar, Doosan Bobcat, Koppers, the Florida counties of Sarasota and Collier, Hennepin County, Minnesota, Broward Sheriff’s Office, the City of Cape Coral, Florida, the Town of Davie, Florida, and others.

While serving as the senator’s chief advisor on federal appropriations, Ms. Wood worked closely with representatives from cities, counties, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state agencies to advocate for projects ranging from infrastructure improvements to research and cultural projects.

Jie Chengying Xiu focuses her practice on corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, and a broad range of business and commercial matters. She represents corporations and individuals in high-profile, complex transactions across Asia, Europe, and North America, with experience spanning billion-dollar M&A deals to early-stage and growth-company financings.

Her practice includes advising clients on public offerings, such as IPOs and reverse mergers, as well as on compliance with federal and state securities laws. Jie has a strong track record of guiding companies through listings on major exchanges, including Nasdaq, the NYSE, and OTC Markets, and of representing clients in both public and private offerings of equity and debt securities.

She is among the first Chinese American lawyers with a mainland China background to be recognized by Super Lawyers magazine. Her professional honors also include the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award and the Outstanding Contribution Award for the Board of the Asian Financial Society, reflecting her leadership and impact in the legal and business communities.