Florida Board of Trustees

Pat Balthrop

Apalachicola, trustee since 2015

Patrick J. Balthrop, Sr. was born and raised in the Florida panhandle and is the founding principal of Apalachee Ventures, LLC. He has more than 35 years of experience building, growing and turning around businesses and commercial enterprises around the world, most recently as CEO of a publicly traded company. Pat is a demonstrated thought leader in the life sciences, medical device and genomics industries. He serves on the board of directors of several companies, including Agendia, Discovery Life Sciences, Pattern Bioscience, MaxCyte (NASDAQ: MXCT) and Burke Porter Group. Pat was CEO, president and a board director of Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX) for more than 10 years. He served as president of Fisher Healthcare and previously enjoyed a 20-year career at Abbott in clinical diagnostic systems and vascular devices. Pat has an MBA from Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, and his undergraduate studies were at Princeton University and Spring Hill College. He earned a BS in biology from Spring Hill.

Tracy Duda Chapman

Oviedo, trustee since 2023

Tracy Duda Chapman joined A. Duda & Sons, Inc. in 1992 as Associate Counsel at the corporate headquarters in Oviedo, Florida. She was promoted to General Counsel in 2000. In 2005, she was appointed Corporate Vice President of Corporate Services, with oversight responsibility for Corporate Communications, Governmental Affairs, Risk Management, Food Safety and Technical Services. She was appointed Chief Executive Officer of The Viera Company, DUDA’s real estate development subsidiary and Senior Vice President of the corporation in 2007. In June 2016, she was appointed to her current position as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer. Before joining DUDA, Tracy practiced law in the real estate department of the Dean Mead law firm in Orlando from 1990 to 1992. Tracy is a member of The Florida Chamber Board of Directors and is a member of the Florida Land Council. Tracy is also a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture & Natural Resources through the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences program at the University of Florida. Tracy remains an active alumni member of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute and is a past President of its Alumni Association.

Chris Dillavou

Tequesta, trustee since 2020

As Executive Vice President and COO at Greg Norman Company, Chris oversees the company’s consumer businesses, joint ventures, real estate, licensing and private equity investments in the U.S., Australia, Asia, Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. Chris is also a co-owner of Florida Living Realty, a boutique residential real estate company specializing in Palm Beach County and Martin County. A native Californian, Chris lived overseas and spent time in 33 other countries, which has informed his perspective as a global citizen. A seeker of adventure, Chris’ heart sings in the outdoors and in wild places as a lifelong mountaineer, fisherman, diver and distance runner. Chris holds a B.A. from Boston College and an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. He lives in Tequesta, Florida with his wife and three children, and is committed to land stewardship and the conservation of wild places that will enable these same experiences for future generations.

Jarred Fayson

Tierra Verde, trustee since 2022

Jarred is CEO of SF Fulfillment, a family-owned and operated third-party logistics business headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Jarred played football at The University of Florida and the University of Illinois, where he graduated in 2010 with his B.A. He went on to play in the NFL from 2010 to 2015, achieving his lifelong dream. After his playing days, Jarred went on to handle the commercial rights for the world’s largest fishing platform, representing professional athletes and partnering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Geographic, Blue Star Planet and others. Jarred and his team filmed several migrations and brought awareness to coastal issues and estuaries. Today, Jarred can be found between his home in Tierra Verde, FL and Cedar Rapids, IA with his wife, Muffy Sadler-Fayson, and son, Cruz. Looking forward, Jarred is yearning to raise awareness and educate others on what can be done to preserve, improve and protect marine life and estuaries.

Ryan Hixon

Neptune Beach,  trustee since 2023

Land ownership, conservation and stewardship have been seminal focuses of the Hixon family for generations and largely define the bedrock of Ryan’s life passions. A native Floridian who has lived, studied and worked internationally, Mr. Hixon’s deep connection to the wilderness through a lifetime love of the ocean and forest fuels his drive to help protect the world’s natural ecosystems. Since 2018, he has been a commercial broker, currently on JLL’s North Florida Multifamily team, actively marketing investment sales opportunities throughout the region. Ryan serves on the board of Hixon Properties, leading the San Antonio-based real estate business to outperform in responsible urban-infill development, and assisted in delivering the first mass-timber office building to the state of Texas. Mr. Hixon is also part of the management team running a sustainable 1,000-head cattle ranch in western-central Idaho and is actively restoring a family-owned 3,000-acre longleaf pine forest in North Florida to pre-Columbian condition. Dedicated to lifelong learning, he holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Toronto. He and his wife, Lauren, live in Neptune Beach and are most commonly found barefoot, outside in their garden or on the beach, with their two children and Jack Russell Terrier.

Cheryl Holder

Miami, trustee since 2021

Dr. Cheryl L. Holder is a National Health Service Corp Scholar, Internist, HIV Specialist, once Medical Director of one of Miami’s largest community health centers and a participant in NIH and CDC health advisory and programmatic review panels. She has dedicated her career to improving health of underserved populations. Since 2009, Dr. Holder teaches about the social determinants of health, diversity, HIV prevention and the health impact of climate change at Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University. She also serves as Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Community Initiatives. Her leadership roles extend to several medical and climate change-focused organizations. She is president of Florida State Medical Association, Founder and Co-Chair of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action and Co-chair of Miami Dade Heat Health Task Force. Most recently, her TED Talk “The link between climate change, health and poverty” garnered over 250,000 views.

Garry Jones

Winter Park, Lifetime Trustee

As President of Full Sail University, Garry Jones is one of the prime catalysts of the university’s forward motion, as he continually works to ensure that the university’s progress maintains the original mission and culture—or “heartbeat”—of the institution. Garry served as a consultant during the creation of Full Sail, and in 1980 joined the faculty as an educator. From 1980 to 1999, he served in a variety of leadership roles across the institution and was promoted to the role of President in 1999. During his tenure as President, Full Sail University has received a wide range of accolades and awards for its educational approach and the quality of its curriculum.

Previously, Garry and his wife Isis appeared on Winter Park Magazine’s “Most Influential People List” which highlighted individuals who make a difference through their professions, volunteerism, philanthropy, talents and community engagement. Over the last seven consecutive years (2018-2024), Garry has been featured on Florida Trend magazine’s “Florida 500 List,” identifying the 500 most influential Floridians across the state. In 2022, the Orlando Business Journal named Garry to their annual “Power Players” list in the category of “Central Florida’s Industry Giants.” Most recently, Orlando Magazine selected Garry as one of the “50 Most Powerful People of 2024,” and the Orlando Business Journal selected Garry as a recipient of its annual C-Suite Awards in 2023, honoring winners for their outstanding performance in their areas of expertise, as well as for their contributions to their industries and commitment to local community.

Currently, Garry serves on the Board of Trustees for The Nature Conservancy Florida (he previously held a chairmanship term of July 2019-June 2022); the Board of Directors for the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center; is a founding supporter of The Foundation for Foster Children. In addition, Garry serves on the Orlando Economic Partnership’s Governors Council; State of Florida Governor’s Council of 100 and holds a position on the Advisory Board for the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. He is a voting member of The Recording Academy (Grammys) as well as the Audio Engineering Society.

Originally from Christiansburg, Virginia, Garry attended Bluefield College for his associate degree, Virginia Tech where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and in 2016 he was awarded a Doctorate in Humane Letters by Bluefield College. He currently resides in Winter Park, Florida, with his wife and best friend of over 40 years, Isis.

Rena Langley

Orlando, trustee since 2021

Rena Langley is the Walt Disney World Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs. She oversees public relations, government relations, external communications, internal communications, executive communications and corporate citizenship for the Walt Disney World Resort. Rena has a deep breadth of experience in communications with more than two decades at Disney. She previously led Public Affairs for Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney. In the community, Rena serves on several boards, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Orlando Economic Partnership and the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness. In addition, she is part of the Advisory Council for the University of Florida’s Public Relations department. Rena is a former news reporter and spokeswoman for the American Automobile Association and her alma mater is the University of Florida.

John Levinson

Miami, trustee since 2022

Throughout his career, John has been identifying, analyzing and investing in leading applied-technology companies. He was a top-ranked technology analyst at Goldman Sachs, founder of a pioneering tech fund at Westway Capital and now a professional seed stage VC investor and advisor/ board member to young companies. To date, John has sourced and invested in over 60 early-stage applied technology companies in healthcare, FinTech, AgTech, AI and other sectors. Additionally, John has served on The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut Board for 10 years, from 2008-2018. During that time, he assumed many global and local leadership positions, including Board chair and vice chair, Campaign co-chair, Brazil Task Force co-chair and early advisor to companies in TNC’s TechStars Sustainability Accelerator. John holds a Chemistry degree from Lafayette College and an MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He also has served on various corporate and non-profit boards.

Phoebe McMillan

Cape Coral,  trustee since 2024

Phoebe McMillan has worked as a financial and strategic advisor to the restaurant industry for over 25 years. Phoebe started her career in investment banking at William Blair & Company and subsequently led the restaurant practice at Piper Jaffray. In 2003, she founded Restaurant Strategy, a consulting firm providing advisory services to restaurant and retail growth companies. Currently, Phoebe serves as the Trustee of NexTerra Wine Company, the 25th largest winery in the U.S., producing over 1.4 million cases annually.  Phoebe’s interest in TNC was sparked by a family member’s multi-year board participation at TNC Minnesota, and her passion for TNC Florida’s initiatives stems from her annual family trips to Gasparilla Island over the last five decades, beginning in the 1970’s and her residency in Cape Coral since 2020. She also currently serves on The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center located in Chicago, IL. Phoebe graduated cum laude with a degree in history from Princeton University and earned her M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Gilbert Miller

Sanford, trustee since 2018

Gilbert serves as the Board Chair of the Bradley-Turner Foundation, a 6th-generation family foundation. He has also been involved with the work of the Beloco Foundation for over twenty years, formally joining as a trustee in 2000. The grandson of the founder of Beloco, Gilbert, has prioritized defining the foundation’s mission and strengthening its overall governance. He is a trustee of Epworth-by-the-Sea, Andrew College, the National Center for Family Philanthropy and the Georgia Grantmakers Alliance. He is also a past board chair of Philanthropy Southeast. When not in the boardroom, Gilbert manages Kimi Farms—a 2^nd generation family Christmas tree business, Imik Properties—a small commercial real-estate development partnership and he is working on a series of young adult books based on his childhood in southwest Georgia A graduate of the University of Georgia, Gilbert continues to be involved at his alma mater, serving on the Dean’s Council of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. He and his wife, Jamee, have two sons, William and Benjamin, and a daughter, Juliette.

Dr. Sejal Patel

Winter Park, trustee since 2022

With more than 20 years of experience in medicine, Sejal Dharia Patel, MD, is dual board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and obstetrics and gynecology. Raised in Clearwater, Florida, Dr. Patel received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Miami where she also completed her residency. She then held a fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a faculty position at the Ohio State University prior to returning to Central Florida. When not creating families, she is spending time with her husband Vipul (a urologic oncologist) and her children. Her interest in nature conservation started early. Being raised in Clearwater, she understood the importance of a balanced ecosystem. This was reinforced by their involvement with the Save Our Seas Foundation and the creation of marine protected areas. Dr. Patel is inspired to continue this passion for conservation on our planet through education, research and awareness.

Bruce Rauner

Key Largo, trustee since 2020

A Chicago native, Bruce served as the 42nd Governor of the State of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. Governor Rauner’s achievements included equal funding for charter schools, a historic tuition scholarship tax credit program and criminal justice reforms. Prior to his public service, Bruce was Chairman of private equity and venture capital firm GTCR. Bruce has served on the boards of numerous civic and philanthropic organizations, including New Schools for Chicago and World Business Chicago. Bruce serves on the boards numerous environmental organizations and works with TNC in Montana and Montana Land Reliance. Bruce received the Murie-Broome Award from The Wilderness Society for outstanding work in wilderness preservation. Bruce is an avid fly fisher, bird hunter, backpacker, skier, golfer and motorcycle and horseback rider. Bruce received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and his M.B.A. from Harvard University. Bruce and his wife Diana have six children and three grandchildren.

Anne Savage

Orlando, trustee since 2019

A world traveler, Anne has spent her professional career establishing conservation programs for endangered species. She developed Proyecto Tití, a conservation program designed to conserve Colombia’s most endangered primate, the cotton-top tamarin, making conservation of the cotton-top tamarin a priority in Colombia. Anne is the former Conservation Director for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, supporting Disney’s strong conservation legacy. She has worked with Walt Disney Imagineering to incorporate conservation into many of the theme park attractions and experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and other Disney Parks and Resorts. Anne received her B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She has held numerous leadership positions within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other scientific organizations. She received the Lowell Thomas Award from the Explorers Club and currently serves on the board of Fundación Proyecto Tití and Foundations of Success.

Robert A. Spottswood, Jr.

Key West, trustee since 2021

Robert is part of the 7th generation of the Spottswood Family to call Key West home. After attending the University of Florida, he went on to study law at Nova University, where he worked with several environmental groups, including the Everglades Law Clinic, to advocate for responsible development and preservation of vital native habitats for endangered and threatened species. Robert has continued to be an advocate for sustainable and environmentally conscious development through his law practice, which is focused on real estate development and the hospitality industry. In 2019, Robert and his wife Stephanie permanently relocated to Key West, where they now reside with their children Florence, Eleanor and Robert III. He serves as President of Spottswood Companies, Inc., President of Spottswood Management, Inc., Co-President of Keystar, Inc., and is a Partner at Spottswood, Spottswood, Spottswood & Sterling, PLLC. Robert is also Board Member of the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

JoAnn Tredennick

Jacksonville, Lifetime Trustee

JoAnn currently owns J Properties, LLC, a restoration and management company of historic properties in the Jacksonville area. In 2008, she retired as President of the Jacksonville-based National Financial Brokerage, Inc. JoAnn served as Chair for the Florida Board of Trustees from 2016 to 2019. She is a former Board Chair of Resco Products, Inc. and is married to Jack Meeks, a CPA and President of Jack Meeks & Associates. JoAnn holds a B.S. in Forestry from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from the University of North Florida.

Noah Valenstein

Tallahassee, trustee since 2021

Noah is a founding partner at Brightwater Strategies Group, PLLC, where he provides strategic guidance to private and non-profit sectors. Noah served as both the Secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the state’s Chief Resilience Officer, and worked to champion and advocate for water quality improvements, Everglades and springs restoration, coastal resiliency and land conservation in Florida. Noah led the creation of the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection at DEP, the agency’s resilience grant program, and helped secure record funding for climate change and resilience initiatives in Florida. He also served in leadership positions on the United States Coral Reef Task Force, the United States Everglades Task Force and the Environmental Council of the States. Noah graduated from FSU’s College of Law and received his Bachelor’s degree from UF’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, where he graduated with honors.