Board of Trustees
Valencia College District Board of Trustees
Each of the 28 community colleges in Florida's statewide system is under the local control of a lay District Board of Trustees composed of citizens who serve without pay and are legally vested with decision making power in all matters of college policy, programs, building, budget and personnel.
Each trustee is appointed by the governor. Seven Orange and Osceola County citizens form the Valencia College District Board of Trustees. Meeting in regular sessions, these civic-minded individuals contribute their time and talent to guiding the development of Valencia College so that it remains responsive to the educational needs of its local community.
Chair
Michael A. Sasso is the managing partner at Sasso & Sasso, P. A., a Central Florida law firm. In his legal practice, Sasso devotes most of his time to general civil litigation and business law. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Barry University School of Law. He also serves on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and on the boards of the Central Florida Urban League and the Seminole County Bar Association.
Vice Chair
John Davis is currently Secretary of the Florida Lottery, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in October 2020. Prior to that, Davis served in a variety of roles in the public and private sector, including as executive vice president of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, president of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida and as external affairs director for the state Department of Children and Families. Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University, where he played on the FSU football team. He later co-founded ProStyle, a fitness company designed to give clients the experience of training like a professional athlete.
Trustee
Blair Bradley is a former Analyst for North American Reserve Corporation, commodities trader for British Petroleum, and senior gas buyer for Southwest Gas. Active in her community, she serves as a STEM tutor and volunteer for the local Parent Teacher Association and an alumni interviewer for the Rice Alumni Volunteer Association. Bradley earned bachelor’s degrees in both Biomedical Engineering and Managerial Studies from Rice University.
Trustee
Shawn Hindle is the President of Hanson, Walter & Associates, Inc. Active in his community, he currently serves on the Osceola County Planning Commission and the CareerSource Central Florida Board of Directors. Hindle earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from North Carolina State University.
Trustee
Belinda Kirkegard is the President of the National Entrepreneur Center. Previously, she was appointed to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and the Central Florida Corridor Task Force. She was listed as one of the 2023 “50 Most Powerful Ones to Watch” by Orlando Magazine and received the 2021 “People to Know Award” from Florida Trend. Kirkegard earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration from the University of Central Florida and her master’s degree in public administration from Troy University.
Trustee
John Martinez is executive director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Previously, he was director of PNC Bank’s Capital Markets and a member of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. Martinez earned his bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and juris doctor from the Florida State University College of Law.
Trustee
Tracey Stockwell is executive vice president and chief financial officer for Universal Orlando. Before joining Universal Orlando in 1997, she worked at Price Waterhouse. Currently treasurer of the Universal Orlando Foundation, Stockwell is a member of the Florida Institute of CFO's and has served in a variety of roles in the Orlando Economic Partnership. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. She is both a Florida Certified Public Accountant as well as an Ontario Chartered Accountant.