EFSC Board of Trustees

Eastern Florida State College's Board of Trustees is comprised of five voting members appointed by the Governor. Each of the 28 community colleges in Florida's statewide system is under the local control of a lay District Board of Trustees made up of citizens who serve without pay and are legally vested with decision making power in all matters of college policy, programs, facilities, budget and personnel.
Ronald Howse, Trustees Chair
Dr. Edgar Figueroa, Trustees Vice Chair
Bruce Deardoff
Michael DeMorat
Dr. Kristine Zonka

Ronald Howse
Chair

Ronald Howse is a professional engineer, licensed in the state of Florida, and CEO of the Real Deal Development Group and the Principal of Howseco, LLC. A Cocoa resident, Howse earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University
of Central Florida.

Howse currently serves on the Eastern Florida State College Board of Trustees and the St. Johns River Water Management District. He is a former Board Member of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, former Board Member of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce, and former Assistant Director of Public Works for the City of Altamonte Springs.

Howse was first appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist and later twice reappointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Transportation Commission, on which he also currently serves. Gov. Scott appointed Howse to the EFSC Board of Trustees for a term that began July 15, 2015. He was reappointed for another four-year term in 2025 by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Howse served as Vice Chair of the EFSC Board of Trustees from the 2017–18 academic year until being elected Board Chair in August 2022. He was re-elected to that role in August 2025.

Dr. Edgar Figueroa
VICE CHAIR

Dr. Figueroa is a general surgeon with more than 30 years of experience in general and trauma surgery. He is a physician and surgeon at Omni Health Care and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He previously served as a trauma surgeon at Health First Palm Bay Hospital with the Health First Medical Group. He served as Chief of Staff and Board member at HRMC and also served as Assistant Professor of Surgery and Medical Director at the University of Florida Health Science Center in Jacksonville. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico and his Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Central del Este, also in Puerto Rico. Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the EFSC Board of Trustees in July 2018, and he was reappointed to another four-year term by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2026. He became the board's vice chair in August 2022 and was re-elected in August 2025.

Bruce Deardoff

Bruce Deardoff is the chairman of Deardoff Automotive Group, comprised of several auto dealerships in Central Florida that include Island Mercury, Jaguar, and Land Rover on Merritt Island. He is also a former member of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners, appointed in early 2010 to fill a vacant seat. He won election to the post later that year and was reelected in 2012. Deardoff helped guide the Port through a period of unprecedented growth that included more than $1 billion in capital spending on new projects. The work strengthened the Port’s role as an important engine of economic growth along the Space Coast and in Central Florida. A Brevard County businessman for more than 30 years, he has also dedicated countless hours to civic organizations and philanthropic causes. Deardoff received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Fordham University in New York. Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the EFSC Board of Trustees for a four-year term that began in July 2018. Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed Deardoff to another four-year term in 2026.

MICHAEL DEMORAT

Mr. DeMorat is the Chief Deputy of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and is a thirty-four-year law enforcement veteran.  He has served on the Space Coast Early Intervention Center Board of Directors, the Serene Harbor Domestic Violence Shelter Board of Directors and Central Florida Crimeline.  He currently serves as an elder at Faith Reformed Presbyterian Church in Merritt Island. DeMorat earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of South Florida and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy 277th Session. He was appointed to the EFSC Board of Trustees in May 2026 by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DR. KristinE Zonka

Dr. Zonka currently serves as Administrator and Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County. A dedicated public servant and community leader, she is a foundation member of the Space Coast Health Foundation and a member of the Health Council of East Central Florida Board. Zonka also previously served as a Brevard County Commissioner. She holds an associate degree in nursing from Keiser University and both a master’s degree and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Frontier Nursing University. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Zonka to the EFSC Board of Trustees in October 2025.