Rupal is a HFMA, NAMSS and NHCAA certified professional, consultant and InfoTech entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience. Rupal is the visionary and solutions architect of all the healthcare software products developed at Rimage Solutions, a company she co-founded and leads as President. Her passion is in creating unique and user-friendly interfaces for SaaS products. She enjoys all creative arts/crafts and loves to travel.

Arlene has been on the board since more than a decade and has been involved in many different work areas like promotion, volunteer coordination, vendor coordination and fund raising. She is a dedicated Realtor and manages her company www.ArleneGable.Realtor.   She has been involved with school PTA and other academic activities, and brings that rich experience and connections to the board.

Dr. Faeza Kazmier joined the Polk Scholastic Chess Board in 2016 and hopes to bring her passion for education and love of math, science and chess to the group. She is particularly interested in seeing continued participation in the tournaments from the elementary to middle and high school levels, especially by young women. She is an active member of the community, plastic surgeon at Watson Clinic, wife and mother of 4 children.

Ms. Palmer is a pediatric nurse with Polk County Public Schools and specializes in the care of physically and mentally impaired children. She has been involved with Polk Scholastic Chess since 2004 as a parent, coach, volunteer and now board member. With a passion for children and education, she has watched her 3 children benefit from the lifelong skills of playing chess. Chess is a family affair with the Palmer’s with all family members volunteering in some way. She graciously accepted our invitation to join our board in 2023. 

Sunil is a Software Engineer, working at Publix in IT Department. He graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA with Master in Software Engineering. He has more than eighteen years of IT experience. He lives in Lakeland with his wife and two boys. Sunil plays chess, cricket, soccer, and tennis. Sunil joined the Polk Scholastic Chess Board in 2016 and has been actively working with us since then.

Abhay retired recently as a senior pharmacist from Walmart, with an illustrious career spanning over 35 years in USA and abroad. He joined the Polk Scholastic Chess board in 2018, and brings 20 years of volunteering experience as Treasurer at various 401(c)(3) non-profits. For him, "volunteering is giving back to the community". His passion is split between music and travelling. He lives in Lakeland with his wife.

Dr. Darshan Shah is affiliated with Bartow Regional Medical Center and Lakeland Regional Medical Center. He is passionate about his work and always keen on improving patient care. He completed his medical school in Bombay, India and then Family Medicine Residency in Omaha, Nebraska. He is an active member of the community, and enjoys cricket, tennis, chess and racket-ball. He lives in Lakeland since ten years with his wife and daughter.

"Mitul is an IT Manager working at Publix Supermarkets, Inc. He has over 17 years of experience in the analysis and design of software development in the retail industry. He lives in Lakeland with his wife and two kids. He likes to play chess, cricket, and table tennis. Mitul is a multifaceted individual with a passion for both technology and sports, as well as a commitment to community involvement through his participation in the Polk Scholastic Chess Board."

Arvind is the senior-most board member with over three decades of service at PSC; and continues to guide and mentor the board members. He is a retired businessman and is currently a senior strategic advisor with New York Life. He is a proud grandfather to four wonderful children. He enjoys social service at community events in Orlando and Polk County and is a veteran board member at various Indian community centers.

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Malay is an InfoTech entrepreneur and engineer with over 30 years of experience in software development for Healthcare, Legal, Government, Social Services and E-Commerce industries. His association with Polk Scholastic Chess dates back to 2006, initially as a parent and later as the webmaster on the Board. Since 2014, he has humbly held the position of President. Residing in Lakeland with his wife and two children, Malay's interests extend beyond chess to include a fervor for table tennis, wildlife photography, boating, and travel.

John is a Curriculum Specialist (Accelerated Programs) at Polk County School Board. He works on behalf of students, parents, teachers, and school administrators in the areas of Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, ACCEL legislation, acceleration in elementary and middle school, and STEM. He is involved in assisting schools and establishing common district protocols in these areas and works with several departments within the Polk County School system, College Board, Polk State College, and other organizations.

Mr. Steve Morgan (Coach Morgan) is a veteran chess player, coach, and mentor. He has graciously served at Polk Scholastic Chess as Tournament Director since 2022. He coached the Crystal Lake Middle chess team for 18 years and mentored the team to win the championship 5 times. He himself is an avid chess player and has played in over 50 tournaments. By profession, he is a Physical Therapist since the past 10 years and has lived in Lakeland since 2004 with his family. Besides chess, Coach Morgan is an avid mountain biker.