Board of Governors

Trey grew up in Jacksonville, FL and is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in finance. He is a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and has earned the Certified Financial Planner™ certification. Trey assists families with integrated and custom wealth management strategies designed to help them pursue their desired goals, while building, managing and preserving their wealth for current and future generations. Trey is involved locally on the board of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Rotary Club of Pensacola, Northwest Florida Estate Planning Council, First Baptist Church Pensacola, Leadership Pensacola Class of 2020 and serves as the Vice-President for the Pensacola State College Foundation. Trey and his wife Claire have a daughter Margo.

Michael was born and raised in Pensacola, and after graduating with honors from the University of Florida M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction, Michael began his career in construction in South Florida. In 2005, he returned home to work alongside his father, Rick. Michael assumed the role of President of Morette Company in 2009 following the loss of his father. Since that time, Michael’s strong leadership skills, attention to detail and commitment to owner satisfaction have upheld Rick’s ideals and Morette Company’s position as one of the premier providers of construction services in Northwest Florida. Michael is currently active serving the Pensacola community on several local boards including the Synovus Bank Board, Pensacola State College Board of Governors, the Baptist Health Care Foundation Board, UWF’s Building Construction Advisory Board and Pathways for Change Advisory Board. He was a member of the 2008 Class of the Greater Pensacola Chamber’s Leadership Pensacola and was recognized as a Rising Star by the Independent News in 2009. Michael has also been included multiple times in InWeekly’s annual “Power List” of the top 100 most influential people in Pensacola. Michael and his wife Laura Rae, have two daughters, Kennedy and Alexandra (Lexi) Morette.

Tom Owens is the Market President for the Florida Panhandle with Truist. When combined with his professional expertise, his longevity on the board and his service as Past-President of the Foundation make him an exceptional leader of our finance and investment committee. He is active in the community and has/or is currently serving on several boards including Baptist Hospital, Covenant Hospice, Fiesta of Five Flags, YMCA, Manna, Community Health of North West Florida. In addition to his service as the Treasurer for the Board of Governors, he also actively serves on the executive committee and the nominating committee.

A Pensacola State College Alumna, Jenn Kinego Del Gallo's commitment to the community, is obvious from her tenure of service on the Pensacola State College Board of Governors. In addition to this role, she is a member of Impact 100, serves on the steering committee for the Council on Aging's fundraising Gala and supports the Independence for the Blind. Ms. Kinego Del Gallo lives in Gulf Breeze and works as a full-time realtor for Paradise Coastal Realty, and continues to use her skills from the PSC surgical technology program by working part-time at the Medical Center Clinic. She enjoys the beach, boating, and traveling and considers herself blessed to be a part of this community. Jenn is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Pensacola Association of Realtors (PAR).

A PJC Alumnus, Betty Roberts is active in the community and consults on marketing, public relations, fund development, business and relationship development and donor relations. As a member of the executive committee for the PSC Foundation, Betty brings a wealth of personal relationships cultivated through her years of community service. A strong supporter of the arts, she has actively served on the boards of the Opera, the Symphony and the Museum of Art. In 2010, she was recognized as the Pensacola Opera Guild Volunteer of the Year. Currently, she serves as the Past-President of the Rotary Club of Pensacola - the largest and oldest club in the community. She has been instrumental in the success of the college and served as the Coordinator for Business Industry and Associate Professor of Adult Education where she marketed and implemented training programs for business, governmental agencies and service organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. She was instrumental in securing grants in excess of $200,000 to lay the cornerstone for the Downtown PJC Center for Professional Development. In this role, she facilitated recruitment for Pensacola’s first Wal Mart. Her expertise was sought as a former PJC Accreditation Advisory Committee member.

Lane attended Pensacola Junior College from 1980-1982, then attended the University of West Florida where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Marketing. He served as vice president and an owner of Gulf Coast Office Products until the company’s sale to Staples. Currently, Lane serves as the Area Sales Manager for Staples and is the Chair of the Pensacola State College Alumni Association Board.  Lane also serves on the Nominating Committee for the PSC Board of Governors. Active in the community, Lane serves on the Arc  Gateway Foundation Board. Lane is married to Jill Harper. They have two sons, Stefan and Brandon.

Gordon Sprague was born and raised on a family farm in Vermont. He served four years in the US Air Force and after attending college he worked for the Parks and Recreation Department in several southern cities. He then served as Assistant to the President for Fogelman Properties and as a Mutual Fund Money Manager for AIM in Houston. In his “retirement” he became a NASCAR racecar driver, competing on several circuits and became a collector of antique cars, operating a museum in his home in Gulf Breeze, FL. He has advised presidents of several colleges to include Florida State University, University of West Florida, and Vermont Technical College. He is known as a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, and farmer. Married 55 years, two children, and four grandsons.

Douglas (“Doug”) Alan Bates, is proud to practice in the same town where he was born and raised. Living and working in Pensacola allows Doug to interact with lifelong friends on a daily basis, and allows him to serve local businesses that share his values of hard work, dedication, and personal service. Doug remains mindful that the opportunity to serve clients in his hometown is a great privilege, one that he never takes for granted. An active member of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, Doug serves on the Section’s Executive Council, as well as several substantive committees. Doug is also a member of The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Student Education and Bar Admissions, as well as numerous other local, statewide, and national organizations. Doug supports and is actively involved with Pensacola Catholic High School, Pensacola State College, University of West Florida, Pensacola Sports, the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, First United Methodist Church, Bill Bond Baseball League and is the President of the Pensacola State College Foundation Board of Governors. He also enjoys playing golf, coaching youth sports, and spending time with his wife and four children.

Jim Benson served a 31-year career in Eastman Chemical Company, Division of Eastman Kodak. He later moved to a Startup Law Enforcement Software Company, SmartCOP. He later served tutoring students for college applications & Testing with Academic Center for Testing, LLC. He has previously served with Boys & Girls Club in Kingsport, TN, Parks & Recreation in Kingsport, TN,  Chairman of Chemical Distributors Product Stewardship Committee.He is married to Terry Benson, previously Pensacola High School IB teacher: now, President of Academic Center for Testing, LLC. A tutoring company preparing students for taking ACT, SAT, and PSA Tests for college entrance. They have three children and 7 grandchildren.

Becca Boles joined Florida Power & Light (Formerly Gulf Power) in 2013 as the Corporate Communications Director. She is responsible for leading the strategic communications plan of the company through customer, media, employee, and investor engagement. Becca has a strong background in Marketing and Customers Service. Prior to Florida Power & Light, Becca was the Marketing Director of the Pensacola News Journal and the publisher of its local women’s magazine, Bella. She began her professional career in retail and was the general manager of two McRae’s department stores located in the Florida Panhandle. Becca is passionate about giving back to her hometown of Pensacola. She is a member of Five Flags Rotary, past president of WSRE Board of Directors, past president of the Autism Pensacola Board of Directors, and a member of the Studer Community Institute Board of Directors. Her heart for missions has taken her on eight mission trips to five different countries including Kenya, Liberia, Haiti, and Costa Rica. Becca attended Pensacola State College and graduated from Florida State University with her bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She is married with two children and enjoys any activity that includes a beach, a bike, or a boat.

I believe that Vocational and Meaningful Academic Programs are more important now and in the future than at any time in our history. Pensacola State College is uniquely structured to prepare students for lifelong careers.

“I have been associated with various public entities in my years as a Navy wife for almost forty years. I have been sponsor or on the board of directors with Navy League, Women of the Navy, Various wives clubs, etc. As an individual I have served on various boards in San Diego, Coronado and Pensacola. I was active in the Navy with personnel issues related to Desert Storm and traveled with my husband twenty million miles each year for four years, to each of his various eighteen out of CONUS (Continental U.S.) Naval Air Stations in the Western Pacific as Commander Naval Air Forces Pacific, Admiral John Fetterman. Because more military families were being forward deployed, he visited all of his eight carriers each year. Although I could not land on those decks, I spoke with wives and families. With Admiral Fetterman, I visited and interviewed families in bases in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, several bases in Japan, Singapore, Alaska, the British Indian Ocean Territories, Korea and other countries, discussing the needs of Naval Families who were dealing with schools, hospitals, Various Commissary issues and Navy housing issues, Naval Exchanges in “out of CONUS” locations, etc. By dealing with these concerns, I feel confident that I bring much to the table of a campus such as PSC. Additionally, I have served on many boards in Pensacola and have been an ardent supporter of the community that I love. I also credit Pensacola State College with my love of learning.”

Hal George is the Legislative Aide at Doug Broxson, Florida State Senator. His experience includes Human Resources Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the retail industry, skilled in Labor Relations, U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Interviewing, Succession Planning, and Organizational Development. He has a BS focused on Public Relations/Image Management from the University of Florida.He previously served on the WSRE Foundation Board, President of Pensacola Little Theatre, the ARC Gateway, and is currently serving on the PSCF Campaign Cabinet.

Damaris Gonzalez grew up in Pensacola and Mobile. She has lived in Pensacola since 1972. She is married to Dan Gonzalez and has two children and five grandchildren. She started her banking/credit union career over 36 years ago. Currently, she is the Marketing Manager at Central Credit Union of FL where she has worked for 20 years. She supports Pensacola State College Foundation by serving on the Holiday Experience committee and is a Central Credit Union/ PSC Corporate Sponsor. She has served as an Ambassador for the Greater Pensacola Chamber since 2005. Damaris is active in the community volunteering for various charitable causes such as Miracle League, Manna Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and more.

Sharon Hess Herrick has more than 25 years as an independent FL/AL real estate broker/owner of Hess Realty Group, LLC (est.1994). Prior to kicking off her entrepreneur venture, Sharon succeeded in a 13-year local banking career as a commercial loan officer. Hess spent the first 7 years of her business financing large scale income-producing properties in the bond market as a mortgage broker. Later shifted into a full service residential and commercial sales as well as development consultant and estate property liquidation sales. Sharon and her husband own and operate Sun Farm Energy (Est. 2011), a commercial and residential installer of solar as well as EV charging stations and power walls(est.2000). In 2000, they opened, Coastal ICF (insulated concrete form construction) both licensed in FL and AL. Sharon is a graduate from Tulane University School of Business BSM and UWF MBA, and LEAP Alumni Class 1984. Sharon serves on the Baptist Health Care Foundation Board, PSC Board of Governors, Past President and Treasurer of the Pensacola Children's Chorus, past Trustee and finance chair of the UWF Board of Trustees. She serves on the UWF College of Business Advisory Board and is a current member of Fiesta of Five Flags Forces, Pensacola Yacht Club, Merry Makers Krewe and First United Methodist Church. Sharon and her husband, Doug, reside in East Hill and have a daughter attending Auburn University. In her free time, she enjoys boating, gardening, fundraising, estate sales and her pups.

“I am a lifetime Pensacolian with deep roots in the community. I am a product of Pensacola Catholic High School and the University of West Florida, but can attribute a lot of my success to my time spent involved with Pensacola State (then PJC). My first job was working with the college, focused on Career and Technical Education. The role that PSC plays in workforce development in our community is simply unmatched, and absolutely critical to our community’s success. My goal on the board is to help educate our community on the true value of a Pensacola State education.”

I am one of the fortunate few who has the privilege of saying they are born and raised in Pensacola, FL.  After graduating as Valedictorian from Washington High School, I graduated with a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Florida.  Seeking an opportunity to utilize my degrees, I pursued employment with D.R. Horton.  I earned my Florida real estate license and began as a Sales Representative in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.  I was quickly offered the role of Online Sales Concierge for the Northern Gulf Coast region (headquartered in Daphne, AL), requiring me to hold active real estate licenses in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.  Yearning to return to Pensacola, I jumped on an opportunity to transfer to DHI Mortgage, where I am currently a licensed loan originator.  As such, I have the privilege of assisting individuals with fulfilling their dreams of homeownership.  Now back home in Pensacola, I am eager to give back to our incredible community, starting with the PSCF.  I believe that personal growth, along with developing productive members of the community, is fostered by obtaining a higher education.  In my free time, you can normally find me playing/out and about with my Landseer Newfoundland, Freyja.  I enjoy being on/around the water (boating, scuba diving, paddle boarding, etc).

Dr. Thomas Lampone is Florida Blue’s Senior Medical Director for Quality and Provider Solutions. He is responsible for support, oversight, and leadership management of Florida Blue’s clinical quality and multicultural health programs. Dr. Lampone also supports Florida Blue’s value-based programs working with health systems and physicians to achieve quality based clinical metrics and outcomes. Dr. Lampone is board-certified in Internal Medicine and is on the clinical faculty at Florida State School of Medicine, and he continues to be clinically active. Throughout his career, he has been involved with many community and professional organizations. In addition to his service at PSC, he serves as a board member on the Council on Aging of West FL.

Kramer Litvak is a Managing Partner with Litvak Beasley Wilson & Ball. Prior to attending law school, Kramer worked as a Legislative Assistant to United States Representative Earl Hutto. Kramer’s community involvements include serving on the Pensacola State College Foundation Board of Governors and the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Northwest Florida, the Community Foundation of Northwest Florida, and the Pensacola Sports Association. He is the past president of the Northwest Florida Estate Planning Council and the past attorney for the Greater Pensacola Chamber.

Scott Luth serves as the President/CEO of Florida West, an Economic Development Alliance. In the last four years, Scott Luth has been the Senior Vice President of Economic Development with the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce. Then in 2015, Luth established the Economic Development Department as a separate entity. This entity is now called FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, a 501 c 6 organization whose sole mission is to create and expand economic prosperity in the Greater Pensacola area. He is responsible for Greater Pensacola’s economic development strategy, which includes business expansion and retention, entrepreneurial development, workforce development, attraction activities to market the Pensacola region, and asset development. An Ohio native and a 1992 graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in management, Luth is married with two children.

Commissioner Lumon May was first elected to serve as the commissioner for Escambia County District 3 in November 2012, and was appointed chairman from November 2013 through November 2014. Commissioner May currently serves as chairman of the Public Safety Coordinating Council and the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board. He is a member of the Southern Youth Sports Association, Community Action Program Committee, Inc., Juvenile Justice Council, and Council on Aging. A PJC Alumnus, this former PSA Board member and director of the Southern Youth Sports Association in Pensacola, was awarded the Admiral Kenneth L. Shugart Award. The honor is presented to someone who contributes to youth sports and seven core values. Commissioner May’s parents taught him that he could change the world if he could change his neighborhood. Applying that lesson to life, Commissioner May has served area youth through sports and academics for more than 25 years. Lumon is currently serving on the Selection Committee for the PSC Foundation Board of Governors. Commissioner May and his wife Tammie have two children, Armoni and LJ.

"I currently serve as Chief Financial Officer for the Office of State Attorney, Ginger Bowden Madden. I am a proud Pensacola Junior College graduate and am honored to serve the PSC Board of Governors by offering my time and commitment to enhancing the college and student experience."

As an Executive VP and the Commercial Banking Manager for Synovus Financial Corporation, Alan is a rarity: a seventh-generation Pensacolian. A graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, he started his career over 20 years ago as a Middle Market banker at SouthTrust Bank in Birmingham. He returned to Pensacola as a commercial banker at Wells Fargo Bank in 2006, covering the Florida Panhandle. Since joining Synovus in 2015, he has worked with our business and commercial clients in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. In his free time, Alan enjoys traveling, exercising and sports. In our community, Alan is quite active as the Past Board Chair for YMCA, Member and Past Treasurer for Fiesta of Five Flags, The Bylaws Chair for the Pensacola State College Foundation, Member and Past President for the Five Flags Rotary Club, President of the Northwest Florida Gator Club and a Board Member for the Sacred Heart Health System. Alan is married to Mollie, and has two children, Wells and Thomas.

“I am a product of this community and have the privilege of being able to give back to the community. I was raised in Gulf Breeze and am a product of the Santa Rosa County School District. During my junior and senior years at Gulf Breeze High School, I participated in the dual enrollment program with Pensacola State College, which allowed me to gain valuable educational exposure and experience and ultimately gave me the opportunity to double-major during my undergraduate studies at Florida State University. As a hospital administrator, I see first-hand how Pensacola State College impacts the lives of people and gives them avenues to succeed in life. I have been impressed with Pensacola State College’s growth and advancement over the years and am excited to help support its future endeavors.”

My name is Jo-Ann Price, age 73, married 56 years to a career Navy pilot, mother of three and grandmother of six. I have an A.S. Degree in general studies, a B.S. degree in early childhood education, an M.S. degree in public administration, along with several certifications in the field of education. I am President and Founder of Price Family Private Foundation, dedicated to providing support in the areas of educational opportunities, challenged populations, locally residing wounded warriors, senior citizen care, military spouse support, childhood medical services and hospice care. I’m also co-owner and vice-president of Price Capital Management, Price Asset Management and Price Farms. I’m truly impressed with the scope of services and programs provided by PCS. I began my secondary education as a non-traditional student, so I understand the challenges many students face, and it is evident that PSC is meeting those challenges. It would be my honor to be part of PSC’s success story.

Eric Randall is Pensacola’s Chief of Police. Chief Randall is a 1991 graduate of Booker T. Washington high school in Pensacola, Florida. Immediately after high school, Chief Randall enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served 8 years as a mechanical engineer. During his Naval career, Chief Randall deployed with the USS Enterprise Battle Group to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Southern Watch. In 1998 he began his law enforcement career with Newport News Police Department in Newport News, Virginia where he rose through the ranks to Assistant Chief of Police and served in a variety of assignments until June 2021. On June 14, 2021, Chief Randall was appointed Chief of Police for the city of Pensacola.Chief Randall earned his Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University. He is a graduate of the 63rd session of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police.  During his law enforcement career, Chief Randall has received numerous awards and commendations to include the two Life Saving Awards, 2014 Homeless Outreach Collaborative Team Outstanding Community Service Award, 2012 William F. Corvello Leadership Award, 2010 United States Attorney Public Service Award, 2009 Federal Bureau of Investigation Top Gang Investigation (Dump Squad Investigation), NOBLE Criminal Justice Achievement Award, and the United States Attorney Award for Excellence in Management.Chief Randall considers the opportunity to support the growing educational needs of the greater NW Florida community a distinct honor by serving on the PSCF Board of Governors. Chief Randall and his wife Barbara have three children, Elizabeth, Eric Jr., and Jasmine.

Jim Reeves is a Pensacola real estate attorney, developer and former politician who served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1966 to 1972 and on the Pensacola City Council from 1977 to 1983. He has been a principal in a number of high-profile real estate ventures, including Aragon and Hawkshaw Village. His community involvement is broad and as the Irish Politicians Club founder, he has been instrumental in the success of many generations of Pensacola leaders. He is recognized as a catalyst for change. Mr. Reeves was selected for the top spot in the 2018 Power List, just one more accolade in the litany of honors that tell a story of his influence. Pensacola State College has been the recipient of Reeves time and considerable influence. Most recently, Reeves was responsible for the establishment of the Molly McGuire endowment that supports student scholarships for those attending the college’s culinary institute. Annually, Reeves uses his influence to ask members of the IPC to donate $100 to grow this fund. In addition to the time Reeves dedicates to the college, he is also active on the boards of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola Cultural Center, Pensacola Jaycees, Gulf Breeze Rotary, and the Downtown Improvement Board. He serves as a trustee for the Gonzalez United Methodist Church and the Community Maritime Park Associates. In most roles, Reeves has served as chairman or president of the organization for which he volunteers his time.

Governor since 2010Kerry Anne Schultz, esquire, Schultz Law Group. She graduated Summa Cum Laude as Valedictorian with a Bachelor’s degree in both History and Political Science from Oklahoma City University in 1998.  Ms. Schultz also earned her Juris Doctorate with honors from Western Michigan University-Thomas M. Cooley School of Law in 2000. Ms. Schultz is currently a member of the Florida Bar Association; American Bar Association and the Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Attorney-Realtor Committee of the Florida Bar Association; Pensacola Inns of Court; Volunteer and prior Board Member of Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida, Inc.; Agent of Attorney’s Title Fund Services, Old Republic Insurance Company; Trustee of Pensacola Little Theatre; Board of Governors of the Pensacola State College Foundation; Member of Strathmore’s Who’s Who;  Member and prior President of Gulf Breeze Rotary; Governor for Rotary District 6940; Attorney Board Member for the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County; Board Attorney of Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida; Member of the Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Commissioner on the Florida Volunteerism and Community Service;  2018 Rotary District 6940 District Conference Chair; Sacred Heart Foundation Board; a 2009 and 2010 Rising Star Florida Super Lawyer; Board Member of The Starfish Project; Gulf Breeze Rotary’s 2018 “Citizen of the Year.” In 2020, Governor DeSantis appointed Ms. Schultz to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the First District. Ms. Schultz enjoys serving above self. She enjoys traveling to Kenya, Africa to serve and work on humanitarian efforts and international Rotary projects. She currently serves and partners with several friends who operate schools and orphanages in Kakamega, Kenya. Ms. Schultz is married to Paul Battle, a civil engineer, and they have a daughter, Ellanor Rosemary Battle. Ms. Schultz enjoys skiing, volunteering, spending time with her family and horses.

Charlie Sherrill is a Market Executive for SouthState Bank, responsible for all business and commercial banking activities in Northwest Florida. A proud seventh-generation Pensacolian, he graduated with a finance and real estate degree from Florida State University and held various commercial banking roles with Hancock Whitney and Truist prior to joining SouthState. In the community, Charlie serves as director with the Home Builders Association of West Florida, advisor with Florida Small Business Development Center’s Emergency Loan Program, and finance chair with Leadership Pensacola 2017. He also supports and is an active member of Rotary Club of Pensacola and Trinity Presbyterian Church. Charlie and his wife Mallory have four children and enjoy every outdoor recreation Pensacola has to offer.

I was given the opportunity and honor of serving as Community Health Northwest Florida’s (formally known as Escambia Community Clinics, Inc.,) CEO in November, 2015. I graduated from Auburn University in 1997 with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, and received my Master's Degree in Social Work from Florida State University in 2000. I joined Escambia Community Clinics in 2007, and throughout my tenure worked in the areas of Social Services, Community Outreach and Resource Navigation, Clinical Services, Grants, and Business Development. My professional experience spans various arenas of the Social Work profession including school readiness programs, hospitals, homeless, and people with disabilities. A past member of the Board of Directors of the EscaRosa Coalition on the Homeless and the Partnership for a Healthy Community. Currently serve on the Board of Director for the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, member of the Executive Committee, Membership Committee and North Regional Representative. My desire to serve on the PSCF Board of Directors stems from a passion in supporting access to those who wish to further their educational capacity through continued education. I believe in a “grow your own” philosophy both from a business and community standpoint. I would be honored to serve and support the Mission and Purpose of PSCF.

Placing the customer and community first has always been a fundamental principle of Gene Valentino’s professional and personal life. This principle has motivated Gene to create several game-changing strategies, focusing on cutting edge technology as the key to success.A timeline of Gene’s pursuit of his life follows: In 1982-1985, Gene was an Accredited Advisor of Insurance (AAI) and taught the insurance licensing courses at the Connecticut Independent Insurance Agents Association in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1988, Gene obtained one of the first rural cellular telephone company licenses from the FCC, and became President of Cellular One in Central California. His strategic growth plan resulted in the sale of the company for over $120-million in 1996. In 1999, Gene created Collector Solutions, Inc. (CSI) in Pensacola, Florida. Gene’s focus at that time was online payment processing for the government, not-for-profit, and utility sectors. As acceptance grew with online payments, Gene expanded this payment processing technology to commercial sectors as well. By the end of 2015, his operation was processing over $5-billion in transactions per year. In June, 2016, CSI merged with Jet Pay Corporation. As Chief Strategy Officer, Gene focused on strategic mergers and acquisitions while seeking partner relationships, promoting geometric growth. The strategy expanded to HR & payroll, banking services, and credit card merchant services.His work in the community mirrors his successes in business. From 2006-2014, Gene Valentino served as County Commissioner in Escambia County Florida where he provided over $200 million of improvements in the county and designed the county’s first economic development incentives through ordinances of law. Gene has also produced Hollywood films and has been a private pilot since 1975.

Bill Wein, Chief Executive Officer of IMS ExpertServices, has been honored as the 2017 Professional Leader of the Year through the Pensacola Area Commitment to Excellence (PACE) Awards. As CEO of IMS ExpertServices (a global firm dedicated to connecting the world’s best litigators to top subject matter expertise and expert witness talent), Mr. Wein has invested in the growth and prosperity of the company and its employees, clients, and stakeholders since its founding in 1992. One of the seven core values of IMS is to “give back in service to one another and community through time and treasure.” Bill Wein and IMS employees contribute to various organizations such as United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Pensacola Young Professionals, United Way, Chain Reaction, Ronald McDonald House, and Pensacola State College. Bill serves on the Feasibility Consultant Selection Committee for the Pensacola State College Board of Governors and is a sought-after community leader for his innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. He is a founding member of Innovation Coast and has spoken on various entrepreneurial insight panels for Gulf Coast Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), The University of West Florida Center for Entrepreneurship and EntreCon, to name a few. Bill was born in Columbus, GA, and attended the University of Colorado at Denver. Bill and his wife have two children.

“I grew up in Pensacola, and graduating from Southern Methodist University with a BBA in Marketing and a BA in Sociology, I began career in Marketing working in both New York, NY and Dallas, TX. In 2018, I was thrilled to move back to my hometown to begin working alongside my parents, John and Susan O’Connor. Currently serving as President of JW Restaurant Group Inc., I oversee operational activities of eight McDonald’s restaurants in Pensacola area. My focus has been on modernizing the organization, streamlining internal processes to increase efficiency, utilizing my extensive marketing experience to help grow the business, and expanding the organization to include our newest location in Beulah. Upon moving back to Pensacola, I hesitated joining any community organizations while I was focused on learning and growing our business. Now that things have settled down, I am eager to carry on my parents’ commitment to our community and would love to be a part of the Pensacola State College Foundation Board. I have a passion for education and the mission and vision of the foundation directly aligns with my own beliefs. I firmly believe that lives can be changed through access to affordable, quality education. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my husband and our dog, Moose. I am passionate about traveling, food, and college football.”