TAMPA -- The following information was released by the office of the Governor of Florida:
Governor Charlie Crist today appointed six members to the Florida Board of Governors during a board meeting at the University of South Florida in Tampa. The board is responsible for the management of Florida's State University System.
'I am privileged to appoint this distinguished group of Floridians to the Board of Governors,' said Governor Crist. 'Each appointee is passionate about securing the best possible education for our students, and ensuring Florida continues to develop the talent required to compete in an innovation-based economy.'
The six appointees to the Florida Board of Governors include:
Ava Parker, 47, of Jacksonville, is a reappointment to the Board of Governors, having served as the vice chair of the board and chair of the facilities committee during her first term. She is the president of Linking Solutions Inc. and a practicing attorney at Lawrence and Parker P.A. Parker is also currently serving on the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and has previously served on the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees. She received her bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Florida. Parker fills the seat created by the resignation of Lynn Pappas for a term ending January 6, 2012.
Richard A. Beard III, 66, of Tampa, has 36 years of experience in real estate development and has been the president and owner of R.A. Beard Co., a real estate investment company, since 1995. He has been member of the Board of Directors at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute and the Florida Health Science Center at Tampa General Hospital. He is a current member of the Florida Council of 100 and is the founding chairman of the University of South Florida Board of Trustees. Beard received his bachelor's degree from Georgia Institute of Technology. Beard succeeds Sheila McDevitt for a term ending January 6, 2017.
Dean Colson, 56, of Coral Gables, has been a partner with the Law Firm of Colson Hicks Eidson since 1981. He also currently serves as a special advisor to the Governor on higher education. Colson was a member of the University of Miami Board of Trustees from 1991 to 2009. He also served on the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Committee from 2002 to 2006. In addition, Colson served as law clerk to the Honorable Peter T. Fay in the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and Justice William Rehnquist of the Unites States Supreme Court. He received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University and his law degree from the University of Miami. Colson succeeds John Dasburg for a term ending January 6, 2017.
Patricia Frost, 72, of Miami Beach, spent 28 years as a teacher and principal in the Miami-Dade County Public School System, retiring in 1993. She is currently a trustee at Florida International University and has served as chair of the Florida International University Board of Directors and as chair of the Florida International University Academic Policy Committee. Frost was named Educator of the Year for her work at Florida International University and with the Miami-Dade County and Broward County public school systems. She received her bachelor's degree from Colby College and a master's degree from Columbia University. Frost succeeds Zachariah Zachariah for a term ending January 6, 2017.
Morteza 'Mori' Hosseini, 54, of Daytona Beach, has been the chairman and CEO of Intervest Construction Inc. for 29 years. He is the vice chairman of the board and chairs the Committee on Trustees and the Committee on Facilities and Capitol Planning for the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Board of Trustees. Hosseini is a member of the Florida Council of 100 and previously served on the Halifax Hospital Medical Center Board of Commissioners. He received an aeronautical engineering degree from the Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering in London, England, and his bachelor's degree and master's degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Hosseini succeeds Carolyn Roberts for a term ending January 6, 2017.
John Rood, 54, of Jacksonville, has been chairman of the Vestcor Companies since 2007 and was previously chairman from 1983 to 2004. Rood was an Ambassador of the United States to the Bahamas from 2004 to 2007. Previously, he served as the vice chair, chairman and commissioner of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission from 1999 to 2004. Rood has also served as the commissioner of the Marine Fisheries Commission. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Montana. Rood succeeds Ava Parker, who is being reappointed to complete the term of another seat, for a term ending January 6, 2017.
About the Florida Board of Governors
The Florida Board of Governors was established by a Florida Constitutional Amendment approved by voters in 2002 and is responsible for the management of Florida's State University System. The board consists of 17 members - 14 appointed by the Governor and subject to Senate confirmation, plus the Commissioner of Education, the chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, and the chair of the Florida Student Association.
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