Carlos Alfonso
Carlos Alfonso is a founding principal and CEO of Alfonso Architects, an award-winning architectural firm in Tampa, Florida. He is also CEO of Alliant Partners in Tampa, a real estate development entity, which currently develops freestanding Single Tenant, Retail Properties located throughout the United States. He is currently a Florida Council of 100 Member, and ex-officio Member of the University of Florida Foundation's Board of Directors, He currently serves on the corporate boards of Florida Bank N. A. (NASDAQ), and Coast Trust Company, as its Chairman.
In addition, he previously served on the State of Florida's Constitution Revision Commission (1997-1998), The Florida Communities Trust; Florida 2012's Board of Directors, The Tampa Bay History Center's Board of Directors, among others. 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. He and his wife Dorothy, have three children. He is a Commercial, Multi-engine, Instrument, Turbine rated pilot.
In 2001, Mr. Alfonso was appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees.
Courtney Cunningham
Courtney Cunningham received his Bachelor of Arts & Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida. He is a member of the UF Foundation Board of Directors and the Florida Bar.
Before establishing Barreto Cunningham, Mr. Cunningham served as Chief of Staff of the Office of the Chairperson of the Miami-Dade County Commission. He also has worked as an officer and investment banker with a top Wall Street firm and as a senior investment banker for Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade County Housing Finance Authority. Mr. Cunningham was Director of Government Relations with Ryder System Inc., a Fortune 250 transportation and logistics company where he managed state government relations.
Prior to moving to Florida, 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 became a Senior Legislative Officer at the Department of Labor where he represented the administration on Capitol Hill on all labor legislation.
Mr. Cunningham is active in both civic and government affairs. Governor Jeb Bush named him to his transition team where he led the transition for the Florida Department of Labor. In late 1997, he was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Florida Elections Commission, and then reappointed by Governor Bush in 2000. Jeb Bush appointed Mr. Cunningham as General Counsel for the 1995 Florida Republican Convention and selected Mr. Cunningham to serve on the Board of Directors of the Liberty City Charter School. He is a Fellow of the British-American Project, which is sponsored by the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the Royal Institute of International Affairs. In February 2005, Mr. Cunningham was appointed by the Board of Governors to the University of Florida Board of Trustees.
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.
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.
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 Leon, 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 Miami. 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.
Kevin Reilly
Kevin was born on Long Island, New York, where he spent the first four years of his life. He moved with his family, parents Kevin and Felicia, and younger siblings Steven and Colleen to Palm Harbor, Florida. After six years in Florida, his family moved back to Long Island, then to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, before settling back in Palm Harbor. Kevin graduated from Palm Harbor University High School in 2004 and enrolled at the University of Florida in the Fall of 2004. He graduated in May of 2008 with a Bachelors degree in political science with minors in history and communication studies. Kevin began his involvement in Student Government as a sophomore class Senator. Kevin chaired the Senate Allocations committee until he was elected Senate President Pro Tempore. He then served as the Senate President. His other involvement includes Theta Chi Fraternity, where Kevin served as President from 2006-2007. Kevin was elected Student Body President in February of 2008 and will serve through May 1, 2009.
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.
Richard A. Yost
Dr. Richard A. Yost is Professor and Head of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Florida. He currently serves as the Chair of the University of Florida Faculty Senate and member of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Yost received his B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1974 from the University of Arizona, and his PhD degree in Analytical Chemistry in 1979 from Michigan State University. He joined the faculty of the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor in 1979, and has been Professor since 1989. He is an Affiliate Professor in the UF School of Natural Resources and Environment, a senior member of the Shands Cancer Center, a Fellow of the UF Institute for Science and Health Policy, a member of the William R. Maples Forensic Science Center and the Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, and has served as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Dr. Yost has supervised the research of over 80 graduate students over the past 28 years, with funding totaling over $8M from a wide range of sources (including NIH, NSF, NASA, DoD, DHS and USDA). Dr. Yost is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of analytical chemistry, particularly mass spectrometry. He was the recipient of the 1993 ASMS Award for Distinguished Contribution to Mass Spectrometry for the invention (along with Chris Enke) of the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Dr. Yost's research interests are in analytical mass spectrometry, particularly tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). He and his research group are currently focusing their efforts on ion trap MSn and on high-field ion mobility spectrometry. They are currently designing new portable instruments for explosives detection and a novel laser microprobe for mapping drugs and biomolecules in tissue specimens. Applications of their research range from biomedical to environmental to forensic studies. Research in the group has led to over 130 publications and 13 patents.
In his spare time, Dr. Yost is active in various community organizations, including the Boy Scouts and the Friends of the Library. He has served as a Scout leader for over 30 years, and is currently Scoutmaster of Troop 125 in Gainesville.