About Us
JOANNE GENTILE, Managing Partner
For over 15 years, Joanne was an auction chairperson for the Dave & Mary Alper JCC's Special Needs Kids Gala and Silent Auction. With the economy slowing and donations becoming harder to get, Joanne approached a local art gallery to bring custom framed Romero Britto art prints to her auction on a consignment basis. The response was incredible and almost all the pieces sold after huge bidding wars. She knew other non-profits could benefit from having consignment items at their events and to date, Charity Connections has successfully placed art, jewelry, sports memorabilia and gift certificates at over 500 South Florida fundraisers. A true believer in giving back to the community, Joanne met her husband, Dr. John Gentile, at a Big Brothers/Big Sisters charity function when she was a Big Sister and he was a Big Brother!
BERYL VAN WYCK, Managing Partner
As a respected Miami Realtor, Beryl was riding high when the real estate crash caused her to seek out other avenues of income. She decided to team up with her friend, Joanne Gentile, to take Romero Britto art on the road to charitable events. The response was so good that they eventually formed Charity Connections and added more items to help charities throughout South Florida with their fundraising. Beryl is still very active in real estate but also manages to set up and work most of the large charity events. As a graphic designer, she also develops marketing programs and materials for the company.