our dream team Staff

Christopher Smith is Business Developer, Advisor and Co-founder of Dreams Academy of Florida. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and has worked for Orange County Government for thirteen years. He is a prolific organist and has served as the Minister of Music in churches (in both Escambia and Orange County) throughout local communities for over 40 years.  

Christopher has been instrumental in the development of Dreams Academy and has brought all of his logistical and project management experience from Orange County Government to Dreams Academy to help carry out the mission and the vision as it relates to the families that Dreams Academy of Florida will serve.

Christopher is an avid family man, and he loves to cook. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. His number one pastime is playing his piano, organ, or singing and making music. 

Derrell Hunter is an Analyst Trainee for Dreams Academy of Florida. He entered the education field in 2011, and has served as a teacher assistant, varied exceptionalities teacher (e.g., Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st grade), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) teacher and behavior specialist. 

Derrell is a master degree candidate at Rollins College (Winter Park, FL) in the Applied Behavior Analysis and Clinical Science (ABACS) program.  Derrell served as an extern for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT), and a Therapeutic Services Volunteer for Nemours Children's Hospital. Derrell presented original research (Title: Diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations for interacting with individuals from other disciplines) at the Black Applied Behavior Analyst (BABA) conference in June of 2023.

With more than seven years of applied behavior analysis experience working with children with disabilities and/or behaviors, Derrell has professional experience in school settings, clinical, and  residential settings.

Seirra Mitchell works as a Research Assistant and Analyst Trainee for Dreams Academy of Florida. She is a Speech Language Clinician who specializes in serving individuals on the autism spectrum and holds the position of a Registered Behavior Technician. Her goal is to become a dually certified Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and Speech Language Pathologist. Currently, Seirra is pursuing a master's degree in the Applied Behavior Analysis and Clinical Science (ABACS) program at Rollins College (Winter Park, FL). She also serves as a student representative for Rollins College ABACS program, an extern for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, and a Child Life volunteer for Nemours’s Children’s Hospital.  

Seirra has presented original research titled "Diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations for interacting with individuals from other disciplines: BCBAs and SLPs" at the Black Applied Behavior Analyst (BABA) conference in June 2023. She is also scheduled to present a professional development panel at the upcoming Applied Behavior Analyst International (ABAI) Conference showcasing "PDS: A global perspective on interprofessional collaboration between SLPs and Behavior Analysts." 

Lauren Williams is the Community Events Coordinator for Dreams Academy of Florida. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Education and Promotion from Georgia Southern University.