Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday his appointment of eight high-ranking First Coast residents to the Florida State College at Jacksonville District Board of Trustees.

All eight individuals are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate at a later date.

The following appointees and their perspective bios provided by the Governor’s office include:

Virginia Berg

Berg is the Director of Major Gifts for the Jacksonville University College of Law. Previously, she served as the Director of Government Relations for Florida State College at Jacksonville and the Director of Appointments for the Executive Office of the Governor. Active in her community, Berg is the Chair of the Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees and the American Enterprise Institute. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Auburn University and her master’s degree in business administration from the University of West Florida. 

April Carney

Carney is the President and Interior Designer for REDEW Design Build. Active in her community, she is currently elected as a Duval County School Board Member, representing District 2 and serving as the Vice Chair of the Board. Carney earned her associate degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville and her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.  

Daniel Martell

Martell is the Vice President of Regulatory Political Affairs for NextEra Energy Resources. Active in his community, he currently serves on the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors. Martell earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida and his juris doctor from Nova Southeastern University.

Alan Wachs

Wachs is a Partner at Smith Gambrell and Russell. Active in his community, he currently serves as a Commissioner for the Fifth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission and has been named as the Lawyer of the Year for Insurance Litigation in Jacksonville since 2022. Wachs earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Florida and his juris doctor from Florida State University. 

Thomas McGehee Jr.

McGehee is currently retired and previously served as the Executive Vice President of Mac Papers, Inc. Active in his community, he previously served as a member of the Printing Association of Florida Board of Directors. McGehee earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Florida. 

Rod Odom

Odom is currently retired and previously served as President of AT&T/Bellsouth. Active in his community, he is a member of the University of Florida Leadership Council and previously served as a member of the Oglethorpe University Board of Trustees. Odom earned his bachelor’s degree from Miami Dade College. 

Dr. Andrew Shaw

Dr. Shaw is a Medical Doctor and Neurosurgeon at Lyerly Neurosurgery – Baptist Health. Active in his community, he is a member of the North America Neuromodulation Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Shaw earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and biomedical physics from California State University Northridge and his Doctor of Medicine degree from The Ohio State University. 

Orrin “Wayne” Young

Young is the Vice President of Environmental Sciences for the Jacksonville Electric Authority. Active in his community, he is a member of the Leadership Jacksonville Board of Directors, the Community Hospice Veterans Partnership for Northeast Florida, and the Military Officers Association. A veteran of the United States Navy, Young earned his bachelor’s degree in management technology from the United States Naval Academy, his master’s degree in telecommunications systems management from the United States Naval Post Graduate School, and his master’s degree in strategic planning, policy, and design making from the Naval War College.