By Jessica Graves
“I need to be on my A-game tonight,” Tony Lima confesses with a smile as we sit down to chat. Tonight, Lima is guiding a private tour of potential donors at the Sunshine Pride House, one of the newest programs at SunServe. “We just opened the LGBTQ+ focused safe space for unhoused youth between the ages of 18 and 24,” he explains. “The program is funded by just two donors and The Our Fund Foundation, so we have to do everything we can to keep it running. Our youth need us”.
As the CEO of SunServe, it’s one of Lima’s many responsibilities to regularly engage with prospective donors. “In order for us to not have to turn anyone away, we have to be able to fundraise. Our grants only cover so much,” he said. This means that most of Lima’s workdays extend well into the night. Todd Tedrow, SunServe’s recent past Board Chairperson who now oversees the organization’s therapy programs, has known Lima since his early days at the non-profit, SAVE (Safeguarding American Values for Everyone, Inc.). “He’s always been a transformational leader,” says Tedrow, a licensed LCSW and the Director of the MSW program at Barry University. In his role at SunServe, Tedrow oversees therapy programming. “He is able to make change through active engagement with all the players, employees, donors, grantors and the community,” he says of Lima. “He amazes me because he’s tireless. His days sometimes go from 8am until midnight and he goes to every event.”
David Jobin, President and CEO of The Our Fund Foundation, knew SunServe well and he knew it would take a big presence and an even bigger talent to lead them to success. Fortunately, he had just the guy for the job. “I was the Executive Director of Stonewall National Museum and Archives when he was the Executive Director of SAVE,” explains Jobin. “I was already familiar with the kind of passion that Tony brings to the organizations he works for, so I knew he was the right candidate.”
“As soon as Tony got there,” says Tedrow, “he took command of the culture. For a lot of leaders, that takes months and sometimes years.” He adds, “He’s had incredible success in a pretty short amount of time. The organization is really transformed.”
“Whenever I’m around SunServe,” Jobin concurs, “I’m really inspired by the staff and their commitment and Tony has a lot to do with that. He has a team whose professionalism, dedication, experience, and training are really incredible. When you’re in the presence of that staff, you are overwhelmed by the commitment they have to this Mission.”
Thinking back to his first week on the job Lima recalls, “I didn’t have time to think, I just had to go!” Lima delivered on his promise. Within months of joining SunServe, the non-profit hosted its first gala. The annual event has become so popular, they sold out the 3rd Annual Shine Gala on April 5th at the kick-off party held last November. As the largest mental health provider for the LGBTQ+ population in South Florida, SunServe now stands head and shoulders above the rest. “There are plenty of organizations that do non-clinical work,” Tedrow says. “They’ll do housing. They’ll do non-therapeutic substance abuse work. They’ll address women’s issues through groups or programs. But we do therapy. We do therapeutic groups, individual therapy, so that positions us uniquely.”
We’ve added two LGBTQ+ focused Sober Houses and are able to provide comprehensive care with the help of our Project SOAR partnership,” Lima proudly adds. “We’re now providing services to over 8,000 people each year.” The organization has also expanded into Miami-Dade and is looking to serve Palm Beach County in the near future. “We’ve achieved a 25% increase in our grant funding,” Lima states. “This growth is partly due to securing new corporate donors such as Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, and the Miami Dolphins. These are all organizations with which I had established relationships prior to my tenure at SunServe.”
As beneficiaries of Florida AIDS Walk, every dollar they raise between October and April comes back double from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “This past year we were the top fundraisers,” he said. Showing no signs of doubt that he plans to beat his personal best this year.
So, what’s next on Lima’s “to-do” list? In addition to adding more beds to the SunShine Pride House, there are costs associated with wraparound services. “Our partnership with FLITE Center brings a wealth of knowledge to the project,” explains Lima. “It’s not just a house, you have to be in care with us. Whether it’s therapy, life coaching or substance use support, you’re offered comprehensive treatment and support.”
New programming, new corporate partners and fostering a trusting and transparent office culture is all part of Lima’s master plan for SunServe. “We’re up to 44 employees, and through this we’ve been able to expand our services, and our programs, with a particular focus on gender expansive youth and their families,” he said.
Thanks in part to Lima’s tireless fundraising efforts, SunServe is now able to attract professionals with Masters and Doctorate degrees. He says, “Some even have multiple degrees. We’re getting more people from great schools and attracting the best of the best.” Tedrow agrees, adding, “Sunserve is an incubator. People come there to build skills to challenge themselves to engage in ways that they haven’t before, to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom, to live real life experiences.”
Lima has spent the majority of his career working as an LGBTQ+ advocate, political operative and non-profit executive throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He’s led award-winning advocacy initiatives, leveraged governmental support, developed effective fundraising strategies for building and expanding non-profits. Among his achievements, Tony helped lead the charge to make marriage equality a reality in the state of Florida in 2015 and led the charge to establish transgender rights in Miami- Dade County. In 2018, the Miami Dolphins honored him with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award and the following year he received the Diversity Leadership Award from the national Harvey Milk Foundation. In 2021 Lima was recognized by Honor 41 as one of the “National Top Latino Leaders,” the same year that the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named him to the “50 Most Influential Hispanics in Florida” list.
“I’ve done really exciting and personally rewarding work in my life,” Lima says. “I’ve always felt a need to have a job that helps make the world a better place. I know it sounds trite but it’s true. Equity is important. Equality is important. It’s just in my DNA.”
