CLEARWATER, FL– ProVise Management Group LLC  President and CEO V. Raymond Ferrara, CFP®, CSA, has joined the Board of Directors of Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc., announced EYA President and CEO Karen Waddell. 

“Ray brings stellar credentials to the board from the financial services industry,” Waddell said.  “His valuable expertise will assist us in continuing our mission of helping troubled children.” 

ProVise Management Group LLC is a full-service financial planning firm which is a Registered Investment Advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  ProVise is one of the largest financial planning firms in Florida, and manages about $520 million as of May 31, 2006. 

Ferrara has more than 35 years of financial services industry experience.   He is a Registered Principal with the National Association of Securities Dealers, a Certified Financial Planner licensee, and a Certified Senior Advisor.  He has served on the Board of Directors for the Financial Planning Association (FPA), Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP), and National Advisor’s Trust Company (NATC).  He is a member of the Board for Great Companies, LLC, a private money manager, Morton Plant Mease HealthCare, BayCare Health System, and the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

Ferrara was featured as one of America’s best financial planners in the book Secrets of the Wealth Makers, and is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Financial Planning Association of Tampa Bay.

Other members of the board include EYA Co-Founder Ruth B. Eckerd; James T. Swann III; Nancy Eckerd Hart; Joseph W. Clark; Ken O'Herron; EYA President and CEO Karen Waddell; Stewart Turley and Karen Brown Dunlap.