DeSantis Appoints Four to Santa Fe College Board Amid Florida Education Shifts

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday named four people to the Santa Fe College District Board of Trustees, tapping two first-time members and returning two incumbents to lead the Gainesville institution. All four appointments still require Senate confirmation.

The trustees will oversee a college that has grown far beyond its community-college roots. Santa Fe now serves more than 22,000 students annually across seven campuses and online, carries an $82 million annual operating budget and employs 786 full-time and 676 part-time staff members, according to public documents. That scale makes governance decisions at the board level consequential not only for Alachua County but for students across North Central Florida who rely on the college for both workforce credentials and bachelor's degrees.

DeSantis tapped Robert Hitchcock and Karin Montini as first-time trustees. Hitchcock serves as vice president of Hitchcock & Sons, Inc. and sits on the Ronald McDonald House Gainesville Board of Directors. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Stetson University. Montini is currently associate head of school at Oak Hall School and brings a deep academic résumé to the board: a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Florida State University, a master's degree in school leadership from Harvard University and ongoing doctoral work in organizational leadership at Vanderbilt University. She previously developed curriculum for Kaplan K-12 Learning Services and taught in Arlington Public Schools.

The governor reappointed Emery Gainey and Caridad Lee to additional terms. Gainey, a retired Alachua County sheriff, also served as chief of staff for the Florida Attorney General's office and as sheriff of Marion County. He earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Florida. Lee owns Florida Blue Farms, previously served as vice president of the Florida Woodland Company and taught in Marion County Public Schools. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education from the University of Florida and a master's degree in religious education from Loyola University.

Founded as a small community college with roughly one thousand students, Santa Fe has spent more than five decades expanding its academic mission. The college now confers bachelor's degrees alongside associate's degrees — a transition that reflects both growing student demand and the state's broader push to expand four-year access through the Florida College System.

All four appointments await a confirmation vote in the Florida Senate.

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