Jim Di Paolo started his music career on the accordion at the age of five. He began taking piano lessons during his elementary school years. Jim joined the junior high school marching band playing the tenor saxophone and formed his first band playing the accordion. He became a fulltime church organist and accompanied the choir at a local Catholic Church.

Professor Lisa Didier taught at the College of Lake County, IL for 20 years before taking her classroom to sea as guest 'enrichment' lecturer aboard 80 cruises for the Celebrity, Holland America, Azamara and Princes cruise lines.

I'm a retired licensed thoroughbred trainer and owner in Maryland and five surrounding states (PA, NJ, DE, WV, and NY). Operated a public stable for 18 years. Worked mostly with claiming horses of various levels. Rode for two seasons as an amateur jump rider at local hunt meets. Also, adjunct professor at Wilmington College in Delaware.

Frank DiPiero spent 35 years in public education, 16 as a secondary science teacher and the rest in a variety of administrative roles from principal to superintendent. He also had a second career as an Air Force officer with 30 years of reserve and active duty service.

Dee Dombach is a retired teacher with an M.Ed. in special education. The last 15 years of her career were spent as an educational consultant to a consortium of 24 school districts. In this role, she provided support and guidance to teachers and families, and developed and delivered training programs across various districts.

With a teaching experience spanning over three decades, Tony Duarte has become a seasoned expert in the realm of Latin Dances, with a primary focus on Salsa, Bachata, Cha-Cha, and Merengue. His extensive expertise and passion for these dance forms have allowed him to guide countless individuals on their journey to mastering the vibrant rhythms and captivating moves that define these genres.

Audrey graduated from the UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Master Gardener program in 2013. Currently, she is the Director of Special Projects and Chairperson for the Spring Festival Committee within the organization. Her joy and enthusiasm comes from watching mother nature at her best. Orchids are my favorite plant, followed by all things, plants and bugs, native to Florida.

Connie Ferreira has been working in various art mediums for about 30 years. She studied art at the College of Central Florida, and has continued to take workshops given by various artists in the U.S. and in Europe. Ferreira has worked in acrylics, watercolors, polymer clay and, lately, in pen and ink.

Gemma is a former World Champion and World Record holder in the 100m backstroke. She represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics, narrowly missing a medal in the 100m backstroke. Gemma also competed in the 2012 Olympics and earned fifth place in the 100m backstroke.

Dr. Andrew Franklin is from Essex, UK. He earned a 1st class Master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Exeter (UK) in 2002, and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Sheffield (UK) in 2007. From 2007-2010 he performed Post-Doctoral Research in Organometallic Chemistry at Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fl. Dr.

George Frisch is a retired securities lawyer and former associate professor of law with a lifelong interest in Shakespeare. He has taught several Shakespeare classes for OLLI at Cal Poly, for Lifelong Learners of the Central Coast, and since moving to Florida last year, for OLLI at UF Jacksonville.

Vanessa Fuller-Brown is a professional muralist, visionary artist, art instructor, writer and creative project manager having 30 yrs of art and design experience. With a BA in Fine Art from FSU, her portfolio includes national and international projects, both commercial and residential, specializing in large scale landscapes inspired through natural environments and sacred sites.

The SHINE program is a federally funded grant program that is established to Serve Health Insurance Needs of Elders and it is offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs in conjunction with your local Area Agency on Aging: Elder Options.SHINE presenters are certified to provide year-round assistance to answer questions about: Medicare; Medigap/supplemental; Medicare advantage; prescripti

Prior to coming to On Top of the World, Edith Gandy was President of a consulting firm that offered leadership workshops throughout the U.S. and Latin America as part of the University of Florida's Executive Education Program. Ms. Gandy has a Master's Degree in Education.

Dr. Gaudier is neurologist practicing in Ocala for 30 years. He studied medicine at the University of Puerto Rico and then moved to the states for his Neurology training in Alabama, before establishing his practice in Marion County.

Carol Matthews Gillen taught elementary school for forty years. A graduate of Ohio University, her love of history began at an early age when searching for arrowheads after the annual spring plowing of her father's cornfields.

Allie Gore prefers to be described as a facilitator rather than an instructor. Gore credits her diverse work experiences as the reason she became interested in group dialogue. She is curious about people and how opinions and beliefs are formed. Educated as a professional nurse, Gore worked in different areas of nursing including her favorites, oncology and hospice.