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.

Valencia College District Board of Trustees meeting Osceola Campus, September 24, 2001

Beth Smith

Chair

Beth Smith is the vice president of government and education for Cigna Healthcare. Prior to her current role, she served as corporate manager of community relations for Orlando Health. Smith serves on the boards of Leadership Florida and the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools. Smith earned her bachelor's and master’s degrees from the University of Central Florida (2004 & 2019).

 

Michael A. Sasso

Vice 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.

John Davis

Trustee

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.

Angel de la Portilla

Trustee

Angel de la Portilla serves as president of Central Florida Strategies, a consulting firm with experience representing real estate developers on local government matters involving land use and zoning changes, impact fee deferrals and reductions, assistance with permitting issues, and representation on real estate transactions with the public sector. He has also been involved as a government consultant on large-scale construction and transportation projects representing firms involved in design, engineering, program management, and construction. De la Portilla also serves on the board of directors of NAIOP Central Florida and Business Force.

Daisy Lopez-Cid

Trustee

Daisy Lopez-Cid is the owner of Remax Premier Properties. She is the past president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and is the president-elect of the Osceola Association of Realtors.

John Martinez

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.

Tracey Stockwell

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.