Jay Sanderson, Aaron Barreda, Erin Lollar Lambert

Board of Directors

GPIA Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder Aaron Barreda is a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who retired after a 20-year career that included postings at West Point as Chief of Military Training and with U.S. Central Command as Acting Chief of Joint Fires. He also served as an Inter-Agency Fellow in the Office of Strategic Planning and Performance with the U.S. Marshall’s Service. His service included developing multi-year strategic plans, overseeing training operations that included 5,000 cadets and staff, and serving as Executive Officer in charge of efficiency and day-to-day operations for a commanding general of a U.S. Army Division. Aaron served three tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan and is currently Commander of American Legion Post 136 Pine Island. Aaron is a West Point graduate and has a master’s degree in management and leadership from Webster University.

GPIA Co-Founder and Board Member James “Jay” Sanderson demonstrated remarkable dedication and leadership during his tenure as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force from 2002 to 2010, ultimately receiving an honorable discharge. Serving as a crew chief in support of several foreign engagements, he held a pivotal role in supervising the strategic planning and deployment of military assets, their utilization and subsequent recovery. These crucial operations provided invaluable support to countless troops and assets worth hundreds-of-millions-of dollars.

Today, Jay’s diverse expertise includes being the broker and owner of Diamond Real Estate Group and owner of Island Tactical, both local Pine Island businesses. His professional experience also includes serving as a high school teacher and coach, exemplifying his commitment to both education and mentorship. His bachelor’s degree encompasses the fields of computer science, economics and business, reflecting his multidisciplinary approach to knowledge and problem-solving.

GPIA Board Treasurer James M. Steiner Jr. grew up in Cape Coral and has been visiting Pine Island since the 1980s to boat and fish. He fell in love with the small community feeling and, in 2008, when he had the opportunity to move to the Island, he took it. After Hurricane Ian, he wanted to help support the community’s efforts to rebuild and got involved with the Greater Pine Island Alliance to help Pine Islanders in need after disasters and support the community where he is raising his children.

James owns Waterside Technologies, a consultancy specializing in customized IT strategies and infrastructure solutions, and is the IT Manager at The Mulch and Soil Company, where he oversees the company’s IT operations, systems integration, cybersecurity and digital workflows. Since 1997, James has developed a versatile career blending IT management, consulting, and accounting expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions that support operational efficiency and financial integrity.

James’s academic foundation includes an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science from Edison Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Forensic Accounting, giving him unique insight into both technical systems and financial controls. This blend of knowledge enables him to develop IT solutions that align closely with organizational business and accounting needs.

GPIA Board Secretary Leslie DesJarlais discovered Pine Island strictly by accident!  After many years of vacationing at South Seas Resort on Captiva, she ran across an ad in the Island Reporter for condos for sale at the Bocilla Island Club on Pine Island.  She and her husband, sister-in-law and her husband were interested in buying property and quickly discovered that they could not afford anything on Captiva; but the Bocilla Island Club was in their price range, so they took a ride to Pine Island to check it out.

They fell in love with the Island and ended up each purchasing a cottage on Main Street in Bokeelia in 1995. They were all still working at the time so they rented the cottages out and vacationed here when they could.

Leslie was employed as a school psychologist in a K-12 system in Rhode Island for 30 years, identifying students with special needs as outlined by the federal IDEA law and designing programs to meet their needs. During this time she also was a part-time adjunct professor teaching educational psychology to undergraduate students enrolled in a teacher training program at Rhode Island College.
After 30 years, she retired in June of 2009 and spent her first winter season in Bokeelia in 2010. She established full-time residency in 2013.
Leslie got involved with the GPIA as a hurricane survivor. “I am eternally grateful to the members of GPIA, as they were there for me in my time of need after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, responding quickly to deconstruct my cottage due to damage from 3 feet of flood waters. I look forward to serving on the board to ‘pay-it-forward’ for other survivors,” she said.

GPIA Board Member David Conner is a Pine Island resident and owner of Island Brew Promotions, a marketing and branding company, with offices in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Bokeelia (Bokeelia Custom Apparel). David has more than 35 years of experience in branding, marketing and event production. Raised in Miami in a military family, David has a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Florida State University. He is also Vice President of the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Kiwanis of Greater Pine Island.

GPIA Board Member Joe Hernandez is a St. James City resident who also serves the Greater Pine Island community as a Fire Commissioner and as a Board Member with GPI Kiwanis, where he pushed for change and the completion of the Kiwanis Children’s Park in St. James City. He is married to wife, Laura, and they are members of the First Baptist Church of St. James City and the St. James City Civic Association.

Joe was raised in the Miami area where he attended grade school and graduated with degrees in fire science technology and emergency medical sciences. For more than 30 years, Joe served in public safety as a firefighter, paramedic and staff officer, starting in the Florida Division of Forestry. Upon formation of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and FEMA’s Emergency Support Function #9 (ESF-9) in the early 1990s, he was assigned to FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Medical Specialist Program where he served with the National Response System and the South Florida US&R Task Force as EMS Chief while responding to our nation’s most challenging disasters.

Though retired from deployment, he continues to serve as a member and instructor for the federal US&R National Response System. He also serves as a State of Florida Fire College Fire Service, Technical Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services instructor. Joe is bilingual, serves as board member with the Medical Special Operations Community, LLC, is a West Point Parent Club Alumni, and a Gold Star father.

GPIA Board Member Nicole Lauber, who graduated from North Fort Myers High School and has a business degree from the University of Central Florida, has been a part of the Pine Island community since 1987, when her parents bought their first vacation home here. Two years later, when they purchased the Sandy Hook Crabhouse — later renamed the Sandy Hook Fish & Rib House — she jumped on board, first working in the restaurant and then later helping to run it. In addition to managing one of the community’s most well-known restaurants, Nicole has been an active community volunteer and serves on the boards of the Greater Pine Island Little League, the Matlacha Hookers and the Beacon of Hope. In addition to her work as a board member with the Greater Pine Island Alliance and as a member of the Matlacha Hookers, Nicole served on the board of Pine Island Elementary School’s Concerned Parents and Teachers Organization (CPTO) and is a substitute teacher for both the Lee County and City of Cape Coral School Systems. Her favorite job is being the proud mom to two amazing boys and raising them to be good citizens for the future.

GPIA Staff

Erin Lollar Lambert is Executive Director of the GPIA. Since Hurricane Ian, Erin has been working as a volunteer with nonprofit organizations on Pine Island to coordinate supply distribution, coordinate and participate in demolition and debris removal and coordinate meal preparation and distribution. She has also supported nonprofit organizations in identifying those with unmet needs and providing them with support and resources.

In addition to Ian-related volunteerism, Erin has served as a volunteer working with high-risk and special needs students at Pine Island Elementary School and served as President of Pine Island Little League. Erin is also a licensed Realtor and has owned her own property management company. Her experience includes working with county permitting and zoning departments. Previous roles have included serving as North American Training Manager, Account Executive, Regional Director and Trainer for various international cosmetics companies.

Disaster Case Manager Teresa Shattuck has served as Vice-President of the American Legion Auxiliary for the past two years, serving our veterans, troops overseas, children and community. She is also an active member of Kiwanis and the Matlacha Hookers, non-profit organizations giving back to the children and community of Pine Island. After Hurricane Ian, she was involved in serving meals, organizing and distributing supplies to the community. She then took a position as Community Liaison and Team Leader for CPE-Project Hope. Through this position, she was able to support the community by connecting them to local resources that provided help for survivors of Hurricane Ian. She also led her team members and coordinated their daily schedules to reach as many individuals as possible who needed food, resources and mental health support, which is how she connected with the GPIA. Teresa continues to enjoy her involvement helping survivors who are still in need of home repairs, returning them to the safe, secure and sanitary homes that they had prior to the storm. She is passionate about GPIA’s motto, “We Are Stronger than the Surge!”

Executive Administrator Jeannine Harbinsky graduated from Rowan University with a B.A. in Communications with specialization in Public Relations. Jeannine’s professional experience includes serving as a director for several large client-sponsored childcare centers, managing all aspects of business operations for more than 10 years. After Hurricane Ian, she saw so much need in our local communities and wanted to help. Jeannine took a position as the Community Liaison for CPE-Project Hope. Through this position, she was able to support the community by connecting them to local resources that provided help for survivors of Hurricane Ian, which is how she connected with GPIA. Jeannine loves being a part of an organization providing direct support to Islanders in need.