- Home
- Administration & Departments
- Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees Update
Eastern Florida State College
District Board of Trustees
Ronald Howse, Chair
Dr. Edgar Figueroa, Vice Chair
Winston Scott
Bruce Deardoff
Laura Moody
Ronald Howse is a professional engineer, licensed in the state of Florida, and president
of a development, engineering and land planning company. The Cocoa resident received
his Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Central Florida. 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 the Public Works for the City of Altamonte Springs. He was first appointed
by Gov. Charlie Crist and then twice by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Transportation
Commission that helps guide the state’s transportation policy and currently serves
on the panel. Gov. Scott appointed Howse to the Governing Board of the St. Johns River
Water Management District. Gov. Scott appointed him 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 Gov. Ron DeSantis. Howse was the Vice Chair of the
Board from the 2017-18 academic year until being elected as board chair in August
2022.
Dr. Edgar Figueroa is a general surgeon with more than 30 years of experience in general
and trauma surgery. He practices with Steward Medical Group and at Sebastian River
Medical Center and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgery. Dr. Figueroa has
been a leader in bringing state-of-the-art robotics to the operating room. Prior to
his current position, he practiced at Holmes Regional Medical Center, where he was
on the Health First Foundation Board, and also served as Assistant Professor of Surgery
and Medical Director at the University of Florida Health Science Center in Jacksonville.
Dr. Figueroa has also been a surgeon at Hollywood Medical Center, Memorial Regional
Hospital Trauma Center and Mount Sinai Hospital, all in South Florida. 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.
Winston Scott is a Senior Vice President at the Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, and 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 Masters 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 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.
Laura Moody has been the Chief Legal Counsel for the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
since 2019, functioning as in-house counsel for Sheriff Wayne Ivey and his staff.
She researches and trains on legislative and case law updates; litigates asset forfeitures
and risk protection orders; and handles other legal matters, such as working with
the local criminal justice system. She previously was an Assistant State Attorney
for 12 years and served as a Felony Trial Division Chief from 2016-2019, and as the
Division Chief of the Elder & Economic Crimes Division from 2011-2016. Starting in
2000 she worked for the State Attorney's office in the Juvenile Diversion program,
and as a Victim Advocate before attending law school where she graduated from Florida
A&M as Valedictorian in 2007. Moody earned her bachelor’s degree from Flagler College
and a master's degree in public administration from UCF. She is a member of the Florida
Bar, the Brevard County Bar Association, and currently serves on the Board of the
Vassar B. Carlton Inn of Court in the capacity of counsel. In 2014, She was part of
the Legislative Task Force that successfully passed HB 409, “Offenses against Vulnerable
Persons,” which greatly enhanced the chance for successful prosecution of crimes against
the elderly. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Laura Moody to the EFSC Board of Trustees
in May 2022.