FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2009
Media Contact: Michael Corby 904.632.3310

Florida State College at Jacksonville elects officers to District Board of Trustees
McGehee, Asay and Yates elected by fellow trustees to serve second consecutive term

The Florida State College at Jacksonville District Board of Trustees unanimously elected members Thomas R. McGehee, Jr., Linda H. Asay and Gwendolyn C. Yates to serve a second consecutive term as officers at the monthly Board meeting held August 4. This was the first official meeting of the Board of Trustees of the newly designated state college, and the first meeting of the new academic year.

Thomas R. “Mac” McGehee, Jr. will again serve as Board Chair. McGehee was appointed to the Board by Governor Bush in 1999 and reappointed by Governor Crist in July 2007. He is executive vice president of Mac Papers, Inc., a family-owned paper distribution company. He received his B.A. degree in business management from the University of Florida. McGehee currently serves on the St. Vincent’s Hospital Foundation Board. He previously held posts as director of the Printing Association of Florida; chair of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee and president of the Navy League of Jacksonville.

Linda H. Asay, J.D., was elected to serve as vice chair for Nassau County. She was appointed to the Board in 1999. Asay retired from Tulane University where she was vice president for external affairs. Her earlier career included service in state and federal government, and with an international corporation. For many years she served on the Board of Directors for INMED—Partnerships for Children; and is a board member of the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition. A member of the bar in Kansas and New York, she completed undergraduate work at Mills College, Oakland, California and received her Juris Doctor degree in 1965 from Washburn University in Topeka. Asay served as vice chair of the Board for Nassau County for three terms.

Gwendolyn “Gwen” Yates was elected to serve as vice chair for Duval County. She was appointed to the Board by Governor Crist in 2007. She has made a lifelong career of public service as a City of Jacksonville employee since 1974. She was founder and director until 1980 of what is now the Youth Crisis Center. She subsequently served in high-level management positions including division chief and interim director (by appointment) under three Jacksonville mayors. Yates served as president of the Florida Council on Aging Board of Trustees. She was elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 1999 and reelected in 2003. Her term expired June 30, 2007. As City Council member she chaired various committees including Public Health and Safety and Education; served as Finance chair for the Tourist and Development Council; and was vice chair of both the Rules and the Recreation Community Development and Education committees. She presently serves as vice chair of the City’s Public Service Grants Council. Yates is a graduate of Edward Waters College and completed the University of North Florida Government Fellows Program and Jacksonville University’s Management Development Certificate Program.

The Board welcomed two new trustees to their first Board meeting. Michael L. Corrigan Jr. and Bruce Barcelo were recently appointed to the Board by Gov. Crist. Both represent Duval County. The remaining trustees include Kevin F. Delaney, Emily B. Smith, serving Duval County; and James E. “Jim” McCollum and Suanne Z. Thamm (also recently reappointed by Gov. Crist) serving Nassau County.