Quarterly Chamber Luncheon

Fentanyl, It's bigger than you think!
Is your business at risk?

Join us for an essential luncheon as East Orlando Chamber members come together to discuss the alarming rise of fentanyl and its impact on local businesses. This panel discussion will feature local experts who will provide insight into this dangerous drug, how it's affecting our community, and what businesses can do to stay prepared. Do you have the right policies and procedures in place to handle a fentanyl-related situation? Do you know who to reach out to for help?

Panelists & Moderator:

Moderator:
Cindy Penn
Owner of Steri-Clean – Government Contracts for Hazardous Cleanup from Key West to Orlando

Meet Cindy Penn, a dynamic sales and marketing professional with over 25 years of experience blending business acumen with a deep passion for community impact. Throughout her career, Cindy has been dedicated to helping businesses, families, and nonprofits work together as community stakeholders—creating safer, healthier places to live, work, and thrive.

Her journey began in the financial services sector, where she carved out a groundbreaking role at VISA (yes, that credit card company!). In an industry dominated by bankers in pinstripe suits, Cindy stood out as a pioneer, helping to shape the future of digital and philanthropic payment systems. She played a key role in developing now-familiar tools like payroll cards, mobile wallets, peer-to-peer payment systems like Venmo, and branded affinity credit cards—including the iconic World Wildlife Fund “panda card.” These innovations weren't just about convenience; they were designed to redirect philanthropic dollars into meaningful community service programs.

After two decades at the intersection of financial innovation and social good, Cindy took a step back during the COVID-19 pandemic—a moment she jokingly refers to as a “forced retirement experiment.” But stepping back didn’t mean stepping away. Alongside her business partner, Lee Rose, she channeled her energy into crisis response.

Today, Cindy and Lee are the proud co-owners of seven Steri-Clean franchises across Florida, serving communities from Jacksonville to Key West. Their work focuses on extreme cleaning services—helping families and businesses recover from the unimaginable, including overdoses, crime scenes, and hazardous trauma situations.

Whether she’s onsite supporting a grieving family or volunteering her time to raise awareness about the financial toll of drug-related tragedies, Cindy remains unwavering in her commitment to community well-being. Her story is one of resilience, innovation, and compassion—proof that business and heart can go hand in hand.

Panelists:

Cheryl Brown Merriwether
Wellness Director for GOSHRM

Cheryl is the Vice President of the NET Institute Center for Addiction and Recovery Education, and the Co-founder and Executive Director of the International Center for Addiction and Recovery Education (ICARE), a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the growing global problem of substance misuse and addiction. Cheryl has over two decades of proven leadership in corporate management, Human Resources, adult education, addiction and recovery awareness, support, prevention, and corporate wellbeing.

Cheryl is co-chair of the Florida Recovery Friendly Workplace Board of Directors, a Past President and current Wellbeing Director of SHRM - Greater Orlando, and a member of the Board of Directors of Project Opioid, Central Florida. During her tenure as President, SHRM Greater Orlando won SHRM’s distinguished Pinnacle Award for innovating a community-based initiative to train HR professionals regarding substance misuse, addiction and recovery in the workplace.

Cheryl has been featured in publications such as Fortune Magazine, HR Executive Magazine, Employee Benefits News, BenefitsPRO, Reworked and SHRM. Cheryl is a thought leader on workplace addiction as a workforce inclusion issue, and the critical role of peer recovery support in ending substance misuse in the workplace.

Timothy J. McKinney
Chief Executive Officer – United Global Outreach

Timothy McKinney is an advocate, collaborator, community-builder and servant leader.
In his years as a successful entrepreneur and professional baseball umpire, McKinney underwrote the efforts of many charitable entities. He participated in many humanitarian aid trips to Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Africa. From 2005 to 2009, he chose to be a full-time caretaker for his 92-year-old chronically ill great-aunt.

McKinney said the experience with his aunt – who had dementia – reminded him that there are people who cannot defend themselves. It also reinforced his God-given responsibility to give unconditional love and assistance to people who need a helping hand.

Since 2009, he has lived that belief by taking on a more-than-full-time job that some would call impossible. McKinney leads the Bithlo Transformation Effort – a grassroots effort to undo over 80 years of generational poverty and neglect.

The Bithlo Transformation Effort model is recognized as a national model in place-based community and population health improvement. UGO is now expanding the transformation model to other communities.

Chief Deputy Carlos Torres
Orange County Sheriff's Office – Frontline Perspective on Fentanyl Issues

Carlos R. Torres has been with Orange County Sheriff's Office since 1997 and holds the rank of Chief Deputy over the Operational Services Bureau. Chief Deputy Torres has served in the Community Relations Section, Media Relations Section, Professional Standards Section, Watch Command Section, Uniform Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Support Services Division and Strategic Communications Section. In 2020, he assumed command of the Uniform Patrol Division as the first Hispanic to lead this Division with approximately 990 deputies. In 2024, he was promoted to the rank Chief Deputy and oversees the Uniform Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division and the Special Operations Division making him the first Hispanic to hold this rank. In addition, these responsibilities, Chief Deputy Torres serves as the High Risk Incident Commander for the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Chief Deputy Torres’ professional education includes but not limited to; a Master Degree in Management from Amberton University, a Graduate Certificate in Public Safety from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor Degree in Organization Leadership from Mountain State University. He is a proud graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy (FBINA) Session #286; Senior Management Institute for Police (Session #61) from the Police Executive Research Forum, Command Officer’s Development Course (153^rd Session) from the University of Louisville, Leadership Orlando (Class #55), Orlando Tourism Leadership Program, Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) Future Law Enforcement Executive Seminar, (FPCA) Advanced Law Enforcement Executive Seminar and FBI-LEEDA Command Leadership Institute. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, Chief Deputy Torres was nominated for the prestigious Don Quijote Award from the Metro Orlando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and selected as a finalist.

Chief Deputy Torres has worked on various law enforcement projects throughout his 28-year law enforcement career. He was instrumental in the development of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Behavioral Response Unit. Chief Deputy Torres is very active with the Hispanic community in Central Florida participating in numerous cultural and civic events. He is also a member of the National Latino Peace Officer’s Association of Central Florida and a consultant for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Global Policing Program. For 25 years, Chief Deputy Torres has also taught numerous leadership, supervisory and management classes at the Public Safety Institute at Valencia College and the University of Louisville, Southern Police Institute. Chief Deputy Torres is an Advisory Board member of Central Florida M.A.D.D and a Brand Ambassador for the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.

Lt Shane Dejarnette
Orange County Sheriff's Office - Frontline Perspective on Fentanyl Issues

Lt. Shane DeJarnett oversees the Narcotics Investigative Unit at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This unit is comprised of law enforcement officers and civilians that work with local, state and federal law enforcement partners. Lt. DeJarnett is responsible for managing sensitive investigations and operations involving the pursuit and arrest of high valued narcotics traffickers. This specific unit within the Orange County Sheriff’s Office consists of specially trained law enforcement officers who are skilled at high level narcotics trafficking investigations utilizing covert operations to target narcotics traffickers.
            As a leader in his unit, Lt. DeJarnett also serves the Orange County community and the Sheriff’s Office as the Clandestine Laboratory Response Team Commander, the Orange County Nuisance Abatement Coordinator, he manages the Task Force Officers and is the liaison for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Homeland Security (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Lt. DeJarnett is the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Representative for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Agency Representative for the Orange County Coalition for a Drug Free Community.

Lt. DeJarnett began his career with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 1998 and has held assignments in Patrol, the Bike Unit, Tactical Anti-Crime Unit, Problem Oriented Policing Squad (POPS), Auto Trap Unit, Criminal Investigations, Juvenile Arrest and Monitor Unit (JAM), and Special Operations. In 2001, Lt. DeJarnett earned the Medal of Valor and Purple Heart in Combat for an armed encounter with a suspect during a domestic violence/attempted murder call. After supervising a crime trend, Lt. DeJarnett was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 2013. The DEA awarded Lt. DeJarnett a DEA Certificate of Appreciation in 2019.

Lt. DeJarnett joined in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 1998 after spending the previous 2 years working at the Winter Spring Police Department. During his time at Winter Springs, he worked in patrol and in the Bike Unit. Lt. DeJarnett was a DUI intoxilyser operator for the department and Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.

Lt. DeJarnett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology from Florida State University with a minor in Psychology.

Why Attend:

Learn directly from local experts and law enforcement about the growing fentanyl crisis.
Gain practical knowledge on how to protect your business, employees, and community.
Network with other East Orlando Chamber members and discuss the issue with those who are actively working to combat it.
Get actionable advice on creating or improving workplace safety protocols regarding fentanyl.

Join Us to Make a Difference:

This is a critical conversation for all business owners, managers, and employees in East Orlando. Don't miss the chance to understand this escalating issue and how it could impact your business. Sign up today!

Menu Choices

Caesar salad w/Grilled Chicken
Caesar Salad w/Grilled Salmon
Caesar Salad w/Grilled Shrimp
Bourbon Glazed Salmon
Lily's Chicken
Vegetarian Pasta

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