Lois Frankel

Congresswoman

From her days as a working mom and now as what she refers to herself as a working grandmother, Congresswoman Lois Frankel has spent her lifetime delivering positive change to her community as a civic leader, state legislator, mayor, and now Member of the United States House of Representative. Currently she sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She has always been and continues to be a loud voice and leading force to improve the lives of children and families, LGBTQ community, as well as seniors and veterans. She is a fierce defender of human rights and women’s reproductive freedom, fights she will never abandon and believes more than ever we all need to participate in today.

Prior to her election to Congress, Lois served as Mayor of West Palm Beach, raising her city to a new vitality, and earning a reputation as an innovative problem solver.

Mona Reis

Founder, Presidential Women’s Center

Mona Reis has been involved with the provision of abortion care since the day after Roe. She will share her experiences as the Founder and Director of a center that provides abortion service

 Mona Reis founded Presidential Women’s Center in West Palm Beach 42 years ago where until August of 2021, she also served as its Executive Director. However, her path to being a passionate activist for abortion rights and women’s equality began during her college years at American University in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation, she moved back to Miami where she became involved in the direct provision of abortion care and access the day after Roe became law. She had the honor of being hired as a counselor at the first out patient abortion facility in Miami which was an integral service through the University of Miami School of Medicine.

 The Center she started is known throughout the country for its high quality medical standards and respectful, warm, and dignified care. Often patients are referred by their private physician or a friend or relative who had a wonderful experience with the Center’s dedicated healthcare staff. The success of Presidential Women’s Center has always been the extraordinary team which Mona has hired and trained to reflect the values that every woman deserves to be treated with respect and kindness.

 Mona has been on the forefront of legal battles for decades challenging restrictive abortion legislation in Florida. as well as being a part of obtaining a successful Noise Ordinance in the city of West Palm Beach benefiting all health care facilities. Her Center has been honored with the Standard of Excellence award through the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and in 2020 Mona received the organization’s (NAF) highest recognition, the Christopher Tietze lifetime achievement award.

Mona has served on the Boards of numerous organizations to include Planned Parenthood in Palm Beach County, the Board of the Anti-Defamation League, Brandeis University Women’s Research Board, the Florida Commission on the Status of Women (appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles), and served a six-year term as a Board member of the National Abortion Federation.

She has been recognized for her work, advocacy and commitment to bettering the lives of women by many organizations. These include, The National Council of Jewish Women, the ACLU, National Organization for Women (NOW) with their Susan B. Anthony award, Executive Women of the Palm Beaches for her leadership in the private sector and by the Women’s Chamber of Commerce with their Giraffe Award honoring women who “stick their necks out.”

Mona has also been the target of anti-abortion violence and harassment to include her clinic being firebombed and completely destroyed in 2005, a large and targeted group of anti-abortion zealots harassing and intimidating patients at the center often daily, anthrax scares and internet targeting. She has also received threatening and harassing letters both at the office and her home as well as death threats.

Mona is a devoted and proud mother to two wonderful children and a doting grandmother to her three grandchildren.

Louis Silber

Attorney

Louis M. Silber is a partner in the firm of Silber & Davis. Mr. Silber specializes in commercial and consumer litigation, insurance coverage, bad faith, personal injury, civil rights and women’s reproductive rights. A significant number of his cases involve Class Actions.
Mr. Silber graduated from the University of Maryland where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Silber was an Assistant State Attorney for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County. Subsequently, Mr. Silber became a member of Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Johnson, Hazouri and Roth law firm. Within a very short time, he became a partner with that firm. In 1983, Mr. Silber and Barbara Pariente formed the firm of Pariente & Silber, P.A. that lasted until 1993, when Ms. Pariente was appointed to the Fourth District Court of Appeal by Governor Lawton Chiles and was later appointed to the Florida Supreme Court.
Mr. Silber has been a Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer since 1983. He has been board certified in Business Litigation since 1988. He has been re-certified in these specialties every five (5) years. He is a member of the Florida Justice Association (EAGLE Sponsor) and has served on its Board of Directors. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the Palm Beach County Justice Association, the American Justice Association (PBCJA) and a member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL). Mr. Silber is a frequent lecturer for these organizations.

Mr. Silber has been awarded the Palm Beach County Civil Litigation Pro Bono Award on two separate occasions. First, the civil litigation pro bono award for his litigation of Civil Rights and Women’s Reproductive Rights, and for his work in property law, standing up for homeowners in foreclosure actions. In addition, Mr. Silber was awarded the ACLU Harriet Glassner Award for contributions for the protection of civil liberties in Palm Beach County and has been awarded the Planned Parenthood Special Advocacy of Women Award and was the first male in Palm Beach County to receive the Susan B. Anthony award. In 2016, FAWL presented Mr. Silber with its prestigious 2016 Justice Barbara Pariente Award for his support in advancing women in the legal profession.

In 2018, Mr. Silber was awarded the Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Mr. Silber was so recognized for his tenacious advocacy in standing up for the rights of homeowners facing fraudulent foreclosure practices and for his advocacy of reproductive rights of women. In May, Mr. Silber received an award and special recognition from the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County for services above and beyond the call of duty.

Mr. Silber has served on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit and was its Chairperson. Mr. Silber was a Florida Bar nominee and selected by former Governor Charlie Christ to serve on the Fourth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission and was elected to Chair the Commission. In addition, Mr. Silber currently serves on the Senior Judges’ Certification Committee, which regulates the certification of Senior Judges for those counties that make up the Fourth District Court of Appeal. (Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee, and Broward counties.)

Fran Sachs

President of the Board, Emergency Medical Assistance

Always a supporter of reproductive rights, Fran became more involved when she discovered first-hand the current state of reproductive rights in Florida after she had an abortion.

As a direct result, she joined the all-volunteer board of EMA, Emergency Medical Assistance, in 2007 and became President of the Board in 2008. Since that time, Fran has been an outspoken supporter of women’s rights in all regards, particularly pertaining to reproductive justice.

Fran is the COO of Krista + Home, an interior design firm, and President of Gilbert Sachs Group, both Woman Owned Businesses. Fran holds a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.