Carlos Alfonso
Carlos Alfonso is a founding principal and CEO of Alfonso Architects, an award-winning architectural firm in Tampa, Florida. He is also founder and CEO of Alliant Partners in Tampa, a real estate consulting, management and development entity with diverse experience and assignments throughout the United States.
Mr. Alfonso is a Director of the Florida Council of 100, a Director of The Florida Wildlife Foundation; an Advisory Board Member of USAmeriBank, and is the ex-officio Trustee Member of the University of Florida Foundation's Board of Directors, serving on it's executive committee.
In addition, he previously served on the State of Florida's Constitution Revision Commission (1997-1998); The Florida Communities Trust; The Super Bowl XLIII Board of Directors; The Mercantile Bank Board of Directors; The Florida 2012 Board of Directors, Florida TaxWatch Board of Directors and The Tampa Bay History Center Board of Directors.
Mr. Alfonso earned both a Bachelor of Design and a Master of Arts in Architecture from the University of Florida. He was awarded the 2002 University of Florida, College of Architecture Alumni Award and the Young Architect's Design Award from the University of Florida, College of Architecture in 1995. Alfonso Architects was named 2003 Firm of the Year in Florida by the Florida Chapter of The American Institute of Architects.
He is a Florida licensed Architect and Class A General Contractor and holds multiple pilot ratings. Carlos and his wife Dorothy, have three children and reside in Tampa.
Mr. Alfonso was appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees In 2001 and elected Vice-Chairman in 2009.
Courtney Cunningham
Courtney Cunningham is the President of The Cunningham Group, Inc., a corporate and public affairs firm. The Cunningham Group specializes in communications services, stakeholder engagement, government relations and online integrated marketing/Web development.
Before establishing The Cunningham Group, Mr. Cunningham worked as chief of staff of the Office of the Chairperson of the Miami-Dade County Commission. In that position, he served as top political and legislative advisor to Chairperson Gwen Margolis, former president of the Florida Senate. He also worked closely with Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas.
Before joining the Office of the Chairperson, Cunningham was an officer and investment banker with a top Wall Street firm. He counted many states and municipalities as his clients and served as senior investment banker for Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade County Housing Finance Authority.
Mr. Cunningham has also served as director of government relations with Ryder System Inc., a Fortune 250 transportation and logistics company.
Prior to moving to Florida, Mr. Cunningham served in the administration of President George Bush. In the beginning of the administration, Mr. Cunningham served as deputy chief counsel at the Republican National Committee, where he directed outside law firms handling litigation for the national party. He subsequently moved to the Department of Labor as a senior legislative officer, representing the administration on Capitol Hill on all labor legislation. Mr. Cunningham is active in both civic and government affairs. He served on the transition team for Gov. Jeb Bush. In late 1997, he was nominated by former Florida House Speaker Dan Webster and appointed by Gov. Lawton Chiles to the Florida Elections Commission. Bush reappointed him in 2000. Bush also appointed him as general counsel for the 1995 Florida Republican Convention. Mr. Cunningham was recently elected to the University of Florida Foundation Board. In February 2005, the Board of Governors appointed Mr. Cunningham to the University of Florida Board of Trustees.
He received his bachelor of arts and juris doctorate from the University of Florida and is a member of the Florida Bar Association. Mr. Cunningham, his wife Tasha, and his son live in Pinecrest.
Roland C. Daniels
Roland C. Daniels is President of Saturn of Gainesville - Saturn's first North Central Florida store. He was the general manager of Saturn of Dadeland in Miami, and was the president and general manager of his own Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealership in Castle Rock, Colorado.
Mr. Daniels graduated from Howard University with a bachelor's degree in marketing. While a student at Howard University, he was a special messenger in the office of the President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson. After graduating from Howard, Mr. Daniels was employed by Sears, Roebuck and Co. His 17-year career there included numerous management positions.
An active participant in the community and civic organizations, Mr. Daniels is a member of the Rotary Club of Gainesville and serves on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County, North Central Florida Hospice, Inc., Alachua County Healthy Kids, AvMed North Florida, Shands Healthcare and Wachovia National Bank. Mr. Daniels is also a member of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance for Economic Development, Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Alumni Chapter. He is past president of the Gainesville New Automobile Dealers Association. Mr. Daniels was named a trustee of the University of Florida in 2001.
Jordan Johnson
Beginning May 1, Jordan Johnson assumes a new leadership role at the University of Florida as Student Body President.
Johnson previously served in Student Government as Budget and Appropriations Chairman and most recently as Senate President where he led efforts to make Student Government practices more transparent.
He also developed a plan for the installation of compact fluorescent bulbs in the lighting fixtures in the Reitz Union. This saves about $40,000 a year in energy costs.
He was elected Student Body President on Feb. 25, 2009 with almost 62 percent of the vote. He serves a one-year term. In that role, Johnson represents the interests of more than 51,000 very bright students—all with a range of concerns about the campus and the nation.
For Johnson, keeping students informed and up-to-date on the university's tenuous budget situation is of foremost concern. He spearheaded the launch of a Student Government budget blog in the weeks leading up to the approval of the university's final budget, and he pledged to ensure students' concerns are heard by President Bernie Machen.
During his term as President, Johnson intends to support a number of student-backed initiatives including those encouraging sustainability and improving student services. He wants motion-sensor lights in residence halls and to expand student free printing options on campus. He also plans to create a program to help prevent drunk driving, an epidemic among college students.
Originally from Orlando, Johnson is a senior majoring in economics. In Fall 2009, he will be taking classes toward a Masters of Arts degree in International Business. Johnson serves as the student member on the UF Board of Trustees.
W.A. "Mac" McGriff III
Mac McGriff is a private investor in Jacksonville. He was president of Alliance Mortgage Co. from 1975 to 1989. He also is the former president of Florida Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida and a former chairman of the board of directors of Associated Industries of Florida. Mr. McGriff is a past president and board member of Leadership Jacksonville and served on the board of Jacksonville Wolfson Children's Hospital. He graduated from UF with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1969 and received the UF Distinguished Alumnus award in 1993. Mr. McGriff served as one of the University of Florida representatives to the University Medical Center Board 1986-1996 and served as CEO of the hospital for 1996-1999. Mr. McGriff was appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees in 2001 and was elected Vice Chair in 2007.
John J. (Jack) Mecholsky, Jr.
Dr. John J. (Jack) Mecholsky, Jr., Ph.D, is a Professor and Associate Chair at the University of Florida in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. He is known as an international expert in the failure analysis of brittle materials.
He received his B.C.E. in Civil Engineering (1966), Master's Degree in Structural Engineering (1968) and Ph.D. in Materials Science (1973) from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He received the University of Florida Engineering College's Teaching Award in 2003. Mecholsky received the Schwartzwalder-PACE award in 1984 from the National Institute of Ceramic Engineering. He is a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and served as Vice Chair of the New Mexico Chapter; Chair of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter, and Chair of the Florida Chapter.
He was a member of the American Society of Testing and Materials, serving as Chair of the Subcommittee on Fracture Testing of Brittle Materials [E24,07], a member of the Materials Research Society, American Society of Engineering Education, International Association of Dental Research, Sigma Xi, National Institute of Ceramic Engineers and Keramos, a ceramic honor society.
Mecholsky has over 200 technical publications and over 50 technical reports and holds patents for the development of a laser hardened composite material and a bioactive tapecast multi-layer ceramic/metal composite.
Mecholsky serves on the Board of Directors of the American Ceramic Society and the Board of Directors of St. Francis House (SFH), a temporary shelter and soup kitchen in Gainesville, FL. In 2005 he served as chair of the SFH Board.
Joelen Merkel
Mrs. Merkel was Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange Company, and Senior Vice President, Treasurer and a Director of BHC Communications, Inc., an American Stock Exchange Company, majority owned by Chris-Craft, through July 31, 2001. At that time Chris-Craft was acquired by News Corporation and Fox Television Stations. Mrs. Merkel now serves as a consultant for them. She graduated with honors from the University of Florida in 1973 with a BSBA in Accounting. She was employed by Arthur Andersen & Co. in Miami as a CPA for three years before starting her 25-year career at Chris-Craft. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the UF Foundation, serving on the Finance Committee. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for University of Florida's Fisher School of Accounting and she and her husband, Bob, also a Florida alumnus, are members of the Bull Gator Club. In June 2001, she was appointed to the University of Florida's Board of Trustees and serves as the Chairman of its Audit and Operations Committee.
Dianna Fuller Morgan
Dianna Morgan retired in September of 2001 following a 30-year career with the Walt Disney World Co. Prior to retirement, she served as Sr. Vice President of Public Affairs, with responsibility for Media Relations and Government Relations. She previously served as Sr. Vice President of Human Resources. During this time, Walt Disney World was recognized as the largest single site employer in the country.
Mrs. Morgan's corporate board involvement includes service as a member of the Board of Directors for CNL Bancshares, Inc. Previously she served on the Board of Directors for CNL Hotels and Resorts Inc., where she chaired the Compensation Committee and served as a member of the Audit Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Orlando Regional Healthcare System and serves as Vice-Chair of the national board for Children's Miracle Network. She previously served on the boards of directors for the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Rollins College Hamilton Holt School. Previous governmental appointments include the Orange County Commission on Children, the Orange County Tourist Development Commission, the Florida Tourism Commission and Enterprise Florida, the state's public-private economic development agency. At the time of her retirement, Disney created a special award recognizing her love for her community, The Dianna Morgan Children's Champion Award, to be presented each year to an organization exemplifying outstanding service to children. She is also a recipient of Leadership Orlando's Distinguished Service Award, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce Glass Ceiling Award and the Downtown Development Board Award for contribution to the arts.
Mrs. Morgan received her BA in Organizational Communications from Rollins College where she was named its 2000 Alumna of the Year. She was appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees in 2001 by Governor Jeb Bush and was elected Vice Chair in 2001 and Chair in 2007.
Cynthia O'Connell
Mrs. Cynthia O'Connell is the Senior Vice President of Hill and Knowlton, a public relations firm located in Tampa and General Manager of Hill and Knowlton's Tallahassee office. Prior to joining Hill and Knowlton, Mrs. O'Connell was the General Manager of RBBO/WeberShandwick's Tallahassee office. She has worked as a managing director for BSMG Worldwide, handling day-to-day strategic public relations for clients including the Florida Lottery, Floridians for School Choice and the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Australia. Mrs. O'Connell has operated her own business, Total Event Management in Tallahassee, and is a former advertising manager for First Florida Bank in Tampa. She graduated from Florida State University in 1978 and received a continuing education certificate from Louisiana State University in 1985. She served the state of Florida in various capacities and has actively supported the Florida University System. She is the widow of former University of Florida President Stephen C. O'Connell. In 2001 Mrs. O'Connell was appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees.
S. Daniel Ponce
S. Daniel Ponce is a partner in Legon, Ponce and Fodiman, P.A., a Miami-based law firm specializing in complex business and commercial litigation. He has been a lawyer in the State of Florida since 1974 and a Certified Public Accountant since 1972. An A.V. rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, Mr. Ponce is admitted to practice law in all courts of the State of Florida and Federal Courts, including the United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida; the Eleventh and Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals; and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Ponce is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Imperial Industries, Inc., a Florida-based NASDAQ public company headquartered in South Florida.
Mr. Ponce is President and Chairman of the Orange Bowl Committee and is on the Executive Board of the New World School of the Arts in Miami. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the UF Foundation, serving on the Audit and Finance Committees and also currently serves on the University of Florida Athletic Association Board, having served on the Audit Committee, Finance Committee and the Athletic Director Search Committee. Mr. Ponce has served for many other organizations and has received many awards, including the University of Florida Hall of Fame.
Mr. Ponce served as Senator Bob Graham's Special Counsel in Washington, DC in 2002. Mr. Ponce was formerly Assistant General Counsel and Acting Executive Assistant to the State of Florida Comptroller and Cabinet Officer (1974-75).
Mr. Ponce received his Bachelors Degree in Business (BSBA) with honors in 1970 and his Juris Doctor (JD) in 1973, both from the University of Florida. He is married to Nancy Sebek Ponce and they have three children.
Earl Powell
Earl W. Powell is Founding Partner and Chairman Emeritus of Trivest Partners, L.P., a private equity firm in Coral Gables. He is a shareholder and Director of SouthernSun Asset Management, Inc. in Memphis, and a Principal of Westshore Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity firm in Tampa. Prior to forming Trivest in 1981, he was a partner of KPMG Peat Marwick.
Mr. Powell was appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees in 2003. From 1997 to 2003, he was a Director of the University of Florida Foundation and Chairman of the Investment Committee. He helped establish and is Chairman of the University of Florida Investment Co. (UFICO).
Mr. Powell is a Trustee of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and a Trustee Emeritus of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.
Mr. Powell attended the University of Florida from 1957 to 1960 and earned his bachelor's degree in business administration (accounting) in 1964. He also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Mr. Powell and his wife, Christy, have been supporters of higher education for many years. They endowed the Powell Gene Therapy Center at the University of Florida and created the Earl and Christy Powell Endowed Professorship at Stephens College, where Mrs. Powell is a member of the board.
Steven M. Scott
Steven M. Scott, M.D. serves as chairman of Scott Holdings, LLC, an entrepreneurial medical investment company. He is the founder of Vista HealthPlan, a nationwide HMO which was built from five troubled plans he purchased and consolidated into one branded plan. Dr. Scott worked closely with the Florida Department of Insurance during the consolidation. Vista, with revenues of $1.2 billion and 300,000 members, was sold in July 2007 to Coventry Health Care, Inc. (NYSE:CVH).
He also formally served as chairman of Phoenix Physicians which he founded in 2003 to provide emergency department physicians practice management for hospitals and municipalities throughout the country. Dr. Scott continues to invest and fund various health care enterprises throughout Florida and the southeast. Dr. Scott has also served on advisory boards at Wake Forest University, Babcock School of Business as well as the Women's Health Advisory Board at Duke University.
Dr. Scott is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Between teaching, private practice and the development of niche health care enterprises, Dr. Scott has nearly 35 years of experience in medicine and medical administrative businesses.
He received his medical degree from Indiana University Medical Center and completed his residency training at the Duke University Medical Center. In 1978, Dr. Scott was appointed and continues to serve as the Assistant Consulting Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke. He is licensed originally in Indiana and currently is licensed in most states by reciprocity including Florida and North Carolina. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the North Carolina Medical Society and the Florida Medical Society among others. Married with five children, Dr. Scott lives in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Alfred C. Warrington, IV
Al Warringtion is founding chairman and co-CEO of Sanifill and founder of Atlanta-based House of Cheatham. He retired from Arthur Andersen as a managing partner in 1989 after more than 30 years with the company. Mr. Warrington graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1958. He is a past national president of the University of Florida Alumni Association and Gator Boosters. In 1979, he was named a University of Florida Distinguished Alumnus and was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the Fisher School of Accounting in 1985. In 1996, the University's Warrington College of Business was named after him. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Mr. Warrington was appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees in 2001.