The 14 people who will lead Florida universities

The 14 appointees to the Florida Board of Governors and their bios were taken from a state of Florida press release.

Pamela Bilbrey, 48, of Pensacola, is a graduate of Florida State University. For 20 years she served as the vice president of marketing at the Lakeview Center Inc. Since 1997 she has served as senior vice president of corporate development at Baptist Health Care, Inc. She is also a member of the American Marketing Association, Rotary Club of Pensacola and a board member of the Girl Scouts of America.

Dr. Castell V. Bryant, 64, of Miami, graduated from Florida A&M University in 1975. She began her career as an educator and taught middle school from 1974-1978. Bryant served as a member of the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees and has been president of Miami-Dade Community College, North Campus, since 1997. She also serves as a member of the Council on Black American Affairs, the National Commission for African Americans and the Miami-Dade Community College Foundation Board.

John Dasburg, 59, of Key Biscayne, received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. He has been the president of Marriott Lodging and CEO of the Marriott Corporation. In addition he was president and chief executive officer of Northwest Airlines from 1990-2001. Dasburg currently serves as chairman, chief executive officer and president of Burger King Corp. He has served on the UF Foundation Board of Directors, the UF Business Advisory Council and the Mayo Clinic Foundation.

Miguel De Grandy, 44, of Miami, earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. De Grandy served as an assistant state attorney in the 4th Judicial Circuit. Between 1989-1994 De Grandy served in the Florida House of Representatives. He was a partner in the law firm Greenberg, Traurig, P.A. before becoming president of his own practice in 2001.

Rolland Heiser, 77, of Sarasota, earned an undergraduate degree from the U.S. Military Academy. He served in the Army from 1947-1978, retiring as a lieutenant general. Heiser has served as the director of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and is currently the president of the New College Foundation.

Gerri Moll, 41, of Naples, received her undergraduate degree from McMaster University. Since 1984 she has served as the president of Bank of America in Naples. She is also a member of the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation Board, the Leadership Florida Board of Regents and the Collier County Economic Development Council.

Joan Wellhouse Newton, 73, of Orange Park, was awarded an associate of arts degree from Briarcliff Junior College in 1949. From 1963-1997 Newton worked as chair of the board at Regency Centers Inc. In addition, she has been the chair of the Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vice chairman of the National Advisory Council for Historic Preservation and on the board of directors of Barnett Banks of Florida. Since 1997 Newton has worked as chairman emeritus for Regency Centers Inc. and serves on the executive committee of the board of the Cummer Gallery of Art and Gardens, the executive committee of the board of Bok Tower Gardens, the finance committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, the Episcopal Foundation and the Youth Music Education Board of the Jacksonville Symphony.

Ava L. Parker, 40, of Jacksonville, received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. She served from 1995-1997 as general counsel at Edward Waters College. Currently, Parker is a partner in the law firm of Lawrence, Parker & Neighbors, LLC and serves as president of the Florida Chapter National Bar Association, general counsel for the Eleventh Episcopal District of the AME Church and as a member of the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees.

Thomas F. Petway, 62, of Jacksonville, earned an undergraduate degree from Florida State University. He served on the now-defunct Florida Board of Regents. Since 1977 he has been chairman of the board for Zurich Insurance Services Inc. He is the current chair of Bush’s Transition Team.

Carolyn K. Roberts, 57, of Ocala, graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland in 1969. In 1989 Roberts was appointed by then-Governor Bob Martinez to the Board of Regents and was reappointed by Bush. Bush appointed her to the Board of Education in 2001. In addition to her state duties, Roberts served on the Shands Health Care Board of Directors and as chair of the University of Florida Foundation. Roberts is the current president of Roberts Real Estate Inc. and has served in that capacity since 1993.

Chris Sullivan, 54, of Tampa, received his undergraduate degree in 1972 from the University of Kentucky. He has served as chairman of the Employee Policies Institute Foundation. He is a founding member of the USF BOT and chaired the committee that decided on a substantial pay raise for USF President Judy Genshaft. He is the founder and current chairman and CEO of Outback Steakhouse Inc. and serves as a member of the Council of 100 and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

John W. Temple, 65, of Boca Raton, received an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in 1959 and a masters degree from Stanford University in 1965. Temple was the president of Arvida Corporation and Arvida/Disney before becoming the president and CEO of Temple Development Company in 1989. In addition, he is currently a member of the Florida Council of 100, the Tourist Development Council and the Urban Land Institute.

Steven Uhlfelder, 56, of Tallahassee, earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. He served on the Florida Board of Regents before being appointed to the Florida State University Board of Trustees. He is also currently the co-chair of Bush’s Mentoring Initiative. Uhlfelder has served as special counsel to Gov. Reuben Askew and executive director of the Florida Constitution Revision Committee. Outside of government service, Uhlfelder was a partner with Holland and Knight, LLP, before beginning a private practice in 2001.

Zachariah P. Zachariah, 53, of Sea Ranch Lakes in South Florida, attended University Intermediate College before receiving an M.B.B.S. degree from Armed Forces Medical College in Poona, India. He interned at the University Medical College in Trivandrum, India, and served a residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Tampa. Zachariah has served on the Board of Medicine, where he was chairman and vice president. He currently serves on Nova Southeastern University’s Board of Trustees and is a professor of Medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Information compiled by News Editor Rob Brannon