Rick Scott announces 14 state board appointments

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott announced ten appointments and four reappointments to a variety of state boards. All the following appointments are subject to Florida Senate confirmation.

New College of Florida Board of Trustees

Felipe Colon, 36, of Sarasota, is a financial adviser. He received his bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. Colon succeeds Bradford Baker for a term ending January 6, 2021.

Mark Aesch, 51, of Spring Hill, is the chief executive officer of TransPro Consulting. He received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York, College of Brockport. Aesch will fill a vacant seat for a term ending January 6, 2020.

Northwest Florida State College District Board of Trustees

Charlotte Flynt, 72, of Miramar Beach, is a retired general contractor and owner of Two Oaks Construction, Inc. She will fill a seat previously held by her late husband Michael Flynt, for a term ending May 31, 2018.

Lori Kelley, 51, of Fort Walton Beach, is a certified public accountant with Warren Averett, LLC. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida. Kelley fills a vacant seat for a term ending May 31, 2018.

Tom Wright, 64, of Niceville, is a retired Major General in the United States Air Force and served as the Deputy Chief of Staff Operations for SHAPE HQ. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University, and a master’s in National Defense Strategy from the National Defense University. Wright fills a vacant seat for a term ending May 31, 2020.

Pasco-Hernando State College District Board of Trustees

Lee Maggard, 31, of Zephyrhills, is the assistant vice president and commercial relationship manager for CenterState Bank. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. Maggard fills a vacant seat for a term ending May 31, 2022.

Polk State College District Board of Trustees

Ashley Bell-Barnett, 33, of Winter Haven, is a community advocate in Polk County. She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College and her master’s degree from the University of South Florida. Barnett fills a vacant seat for a term ending May 31, 2019.

Tallahassee Community College District Board of Trustees

Eric Grant, 42, of Tallahassee, is the president of the Municipal Code Corporation. He previously served in the United States Marine Corps from 1998 to 2004. Grant received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy, his master’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Services, and his juris doctoral degree from the University of Virginia. He succeeds Kevin Vaughn for a term ending May 31, 2021.

Higher Education Facilities Financing Authority

John Hooker, 36, of Gainesville, is the Associate Director of Development at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. He received his bachelor’s and juris doctorate degrees from the University of Florida. Hooker fills a vacant seat for a term ending January 17, 2021.

The Higher Educational Facilities Financing Authority of Florida (HEFFA) is a statewide tax-exempt bond channel specifically chartered for nonprofit institutions of higher education to provide an economical and efficient way for private institutions of higher education to access the tax-exempt market.

Florida Building Commission

Jay Carlson, 60, of Port Charlotte, is the president of Carlson and Soforth. He will serve as chair of the board for a term ending February 20, 2022.

Robert Hamberger, 70, of Pompano Beach, is the chief building official for the School Board of Broward County. He will serve a term ending January 9, 2021.

Jim Batts, 61, of Jacksonville Beach, is the president of The Batts Company. He is reappointed for a term ending November 5, 2020.

Drew Smith, 55, of Parrish, is the chief operating officer of Two Trails, Inc. He is reappointed for a term ending November 5, 2020.

Brian Langille, 45, of Palm Harbor, is an assistant director for the City of Clearwater. He is reappointed for a term ending June 30, 2021.

The Florida Building Commission is composed of 27 members — appointed by the governor — of architects, engineers, contractors, fire protection, building officials, product manufacturers, insurance industry representatives, public education representatives and green building representatives.

The mission is to adapt and update the Florida Building Code, the state’s Accessibility Code, approve advanced training courses and evaluate waivers for the Florida-specific accessibility requirements.