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
Winston Scott
Bruce Deardoff
Dr. Kristine Zonka
Ronald Howse
Chair
Ronald Howse is a professional engineer, licensed in the state of Florida, Owner and Chief Executive Officer 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 District 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 Governor Charlie Crist and later twice reappointed by Governor Rick Scott to the Florida Transportation Commission, which helps guide the state’s transportation policy, and he currently serves on the panel. Governor Scott also appointed him to the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District. In addition, Governor Scott appointed Howse to the Eastern Florida State College Board of Trustees for a term that began July 15, 2015. He was reappointed for another four-year term in January 2021 by Governor Ron DeSantis. Howse served as Vice Chair of the Eastern Florida State College Board of Trustees from the 2017–18 academic year until being elected Board Chair in August 2022, and he was re-elected to that role in August 2024.
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 an active member of the medical staff at Palm Bay Hospital with the Health First Medical group and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgery. 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 a new four-year term by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2021. He became the board's vice chair in August 2022 and was re-elected in August 2024.
Winston Scott
Winston Scott is Director of Operational Excellence at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and a former NASA astronaut who flew on two space shuttle missions in 1996 and 1997, logging over 24 days in space and conducting three spacewalks with nearly 20 hours outside the spacecraft. He is a former Navy Captain who also served as Vice President of Student Affairs at Florida State University and Executive Director of the Florida Space Authority. Scott earned a Bachelor Degree in music education from FSU and his Master's Degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Naval Postgraduate School. Gov. DeSantis appointed Scott to the Eastern Florida State College Board of Trustees in March 2021.
Bruce Deardoff
Bruce Deardoff is the chairman of Deardoff Automotive Group, which is comprised of several auto dealerships in Central Florida, including Island Mercury, Jaguar, and Land Rover on Merritt Island. The dealerships employ more than 350 people. 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 a second four-year term in January 2021.
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. DeSantis appointed Zonka to the Eastern Florida State College Board of Trustees in October 2025.