FGCU Board of Trustees

Trustee Blake Gable is Chief Executive Officer and President of Barron Collier Companies, and brings to his role in-depth knowledge of the Naples area, the Collier family, the development business, and the political process.

A native Neapolitan, Mr. Gable graduated from Naples High School prior to attending Tulane University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a History major.  More recently, he received a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Executive MBA program of Florida Gulf Coast University.

Commitment to his community remains a priority for Mr. Gable, who has graduated from both the Leadership Collier and Leadership Florida programs; he serves on the Leadership Council of Advisors for the latter.  In addition, he is a former Trustee of the area YMCA; the area American Heart Association; United Way and also currently sits on the Boards of The Immokalee Foundation; Enterprise Florida; and The Florida Sports Foundation, as well as the Randy Roberts Foundation. He also was the 2012 Chair for the Farm City Barbeque.

For five years after having received his undergraduate degree, he was Legislative Director of United States Representative Ed Pastor (AZ) in Washington.  After a half year of worldwide travel, Mr. Gable joined the Barron Collier Companies in 1999.  Since that time, he has served in various capacities of increasing responsibility throughout the firm, including as project manager for the town of Ave Maria.

Current Appointment Term: January 6, 2018 – January 6, 2023 

Mr. Blake Gable (Chair)
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Stephen Smith is a retired partner of Accenture where he spent 30 years and was admitted to the partnership of Arthur Andersen & Company, that later became Accenture, in 1984. Mr. Smith served in numerous U.S. and global leadership roles at Accenture in a variety of industries including Consumer Goods, Financial Services and Government. During his career Mr. Smith focused on helping the firm’s clients develop strategies to deal with changing markets and apply new technologies to enhance operations and gain competitive advantage.

At the time of his retirement, Mr. Smith was serving on the Board of Accenture. More recently, Mr. Smith has served on the Board of a number of emerging companies, including Procurian, Gestalt and Adondo.

Mr. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Lafayette College and a Master of Science in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Current Appointment Term: January 26, 2018 – January 6, 2021

Mr. Stephen Smith (Vice Chair)
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Josh Ballin serves as the 22 President of the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Student Government. He is a junior studying Resort and Hospitality Management and is a founding father of the Alpha Tau Omega Lambda, Alpha Chapter fraternity on campus.

Previously, Mr. Ballin served on FGCU Student Government as a Senator representing the Lutgert College of Business.

Mr. Ballin graduated from West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina. He chose to attend FGCU because of the faculty/student ratio, the competitive business college, and the beautiful amenities that make the campus feel like a home away from home.

The top priority for Mr. Ballin and his team is representing every student and advocating for their needs.  Mr. Ballin and his team hope to implement a variety of platforms and initiatives on campus during their term.

Current Appointment Term: April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2020

Mr. Josh Ballin
President, FGCU Student Government
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Blvd. South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

As Founder and President of ASC Consulting & Marketing, Ashley Coone works as a connector and strategist for nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals. 

Trustee Coone is a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership from Webster University. She began her career in politics serving in the office of Congressman Connie Mack IV and has worked with numerous candidates. In June 2016, she was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to serve as DeSoto County Clerk of the Circuit Court. 

Ms. Coone has served on the Florida Commission on Ethics, the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland and the FGCU Alumni Association board. She is the co-founder of Links2Success and successfully spearheaded the efforts to open the first Boys & Girls Club in her hometown of Arcadia, Florida. 

Prior to launching her consulting firm, Ms. Coone served as Executive Director of the DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce. She is a graduate of Leadership Florida Connect, Leadership Lee County, Gulf Coast Leadership Institute and Leadership DeSoto.

Current Appointment Term: September 25, 2018 - January 6, 2021

Ms. Ashley Coone
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Darleen Cors is the president of the Naples Community Church Board of Trustees. 

She currently serves as a member of the League Club Inc. Ms. Cors previously served as the vice president for development of Capital Caring and as president of the Junior League of Northern Virginia.  She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Cincinnati.

Current Appointment Term: March 24, 2016 – January 6, 2021

Ms. Darleen Cors
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Richard P. Eide, Jr. was born in Cleveland OH in 1947, educated at Williams College (BA in American History, 1968), and served in the United States Marine Corps.

In 34 years at J.P. Morgan and Co., Inc., New York NY, he managed the Municipal Bond Department, managed trading and underwriting for the U.S. Treasury, Federal Agency, Fixed-income Futures, and Derivatives markets, and worked in Institutional Sales, primarily with hedge funds. He retired from Morgan in 2003. In 2009, he helped the principals to found Pierpont Securities, Stamford CT (today called Amherst Pierpont Securities) where he worked until 2013.

Mr. Eide married Lulie Simmons Pierpont of Worcester MA in 1969. They lived in Short Hills NJ until 2002 when they moved to Naples. Their four children and nine grandchildren are regular visitors to SW Florida. Mrs. Eide was a fifth-grade teacher at Peck School, Morristown NJ and the Board Chair at Kent Place School, Summit NJ and Miss Porter’s School, Farmington CT.

The Eides remain residents of Naples and spend summers in Harbor Springs, MI. Mr. Eide currently serves as Treasurer of the Port Royal Club in Naples.

Current Appointment Term: January 6, 2018 – January 6, 2023

Mr. Richard Eide, Jr.
340 Little Harbour Lane
Naples, FL 34102

Joseph G. Fogg III is the retired Chairman and CEO of Westbury Capital Partners L.L.C., a Long Island based late stage venture capital firm.  Trustee Fogg founded Westbury in 1990. Mr. Fogg began his career on Wall Street at Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. following his graduation from Harvard Business School in 1970. He retired as a Senior Managing Director and member of the Management Committee at Morgan Stanley in 1994. While at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Fogg served in various capacities, including founding member and head of the Mergers and Acquisitions Department; the Corporate Finance Department; and ultimately as head of Morgan Stanley’s worldwide investment banking operations. As head of Morgan Stanley’s 1,000-person Investment Banking Division, he oversaw the operations of 16 offices on four continents.

In 1990, Mr. Fogg founded Princes Gate Investors L.P., a $750 million private equity investment partnership managed by Morgan Stanley. He currently serves as an Advisory Director of Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Fogg serves as a Director and Vice President of The Forum Club of Naples, a director of The Yale Club of Southwest Florida and is a member of the Yale Development Board.  He is Vice Chairman of the City of Naples Citizens’ Police Review Board. He was a director of the Yale University Art Gallery and the Trust for the National Mall (DC) for many years. He is a graduate of the Greater Naples Leadership Masters Class XX.

Long active in Republican politics, Mr. Fogg served as National Finance Chairman of Robert Dole for President in 1988, National Vice Chairman of Phil Gramm for President in 1994, and Finance Chairman of the New York State Republican Party and Florida Finance Chairman for Rudy Giuliani for President and Newt Gingrich for President.  He was also actively involved in the Florida campaign of Marco Rubio for President.

Mr. Fogg earned his B.A. in Economics from Yale College in 1968 where he was a member of the Fence Club and his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1970, where he was a George F. Baker Scholar. 

He presently resides in Naples, FL and Seal Harbor, ME with his wife Leslie Kirk Solbert Fogg. He has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Current Appointment Term: March 17, 2016 – January 6, 2021

Mr. Joseph Fogg III
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Jamie MacDonald is a Professor of Geology and 2019-2020 Faculty Senate President.  He has worked at Florida Gulf Coast University since 2007, and teaches upper division classes in the Environmental Geology B.S. program, as well as general education geology. 

A native of Hyde Park, New York, Jamie graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 1998, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geology.  He then went on to the University at Albany and earned a Ph.D. in Geology. 

Jamie’s field-based scholarship has focused on active and potentially active faults, neotectonics, and Mesozoic tectonic development in Washington State.  He also was awarded two National Science Foundation grants to infuse innovative pedagogy into the geology curriculum at FGCU. 

Jamie has held a number of service positions while at Florida Gulf Coast University.  Some of these past service positions include Chair of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, Chair of the CAS Peer Review and Support Committee, the Earth and Space Science Coordinator, the FGCU Campus Representative for the Geological Society of America, and a liaison for the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

Current Appointment Term: July 1, 2019 – August 6, 2020

Dr. James MacDonald
President, FGCU Faculty Senate
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Blvd. South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Leo Montgomery spent more than 39 years as a senior partner with Ernst & Young LLP.  Mr. Montgomery has served in several leadership roles at Ernst & Young, one of those being the Southeast Area Industry Leader for the Technology, Communications and Entertainment Group and serving on the International Telecommunications Advisory Committee. He has significant experience serving publicly held companies with merger and acquisition transactions as well as structuring financing arrangements.  Trustee Montgomery has assisted companies with more than 100 Securities and Exchange Commission filings including 20 initial public offering registration statements. At Ernst & Young, he served clients of all sizes from entrepreneurial enterprises to professionally managed companies including: Cingular Wireless, Bellsouth Corporation and AT&T Latin America (formerly FirstCom Corporation). Upon retirement, he was an Advisory Director at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and served as a director on corporate boards. Mr. Montgomery holds a B.A. degree from Harding University and is also currently a member of the Board of Artis Naples.

Current Appointment Term: September 22, 2016 – January 6, 2021

Mr. J. Leo Montgomery
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Edward Morton, of Naples, has served as a Principal and Managing Director of the investment firm Wasmer & Schroeder & Co. since 2007.  He retired in 2006 after 34 years of service as the CEO of the NCH Healthcare System, a diversified healthcare holding company.

Mr. Morton is a Florida native and was raised in Islamorada.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Miami, and a Master’s of Health Science degree from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).

He served on the Florida Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida, and is a past Vice Chair of the FGCU Board of Trustees and a past Chair of the FGCU Foundation Board of Directors.  Mr. Morton received the Florida Gulf Coast University 2017 Alumni of Distinction award for outstanding career achievements, commitment to community, and dedication to the University. 

Mr. Morton has served and currently sits on a number of civic-minded boards serving the citizens of Southwest Florida.

Current Appointment Term:  January 6, 2020 – January 6, 2025

Mr. Edward Morton
Wasmer Schroeder
600 5th Ave S., STE 210
Naples, FL 34102

Trustee Kevin Price is a Managing Vice President at Gartner, a technology-related research and advisory firm where he has worked in various capacities across Sales, HR and Research.

Mr. Price received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Florida Gulf Coast University. He has served on the FGCU Alumni Association Board of Directors and is the first undergraduate alumnus to be appointed to the FGCU Board of Trustees.

Current Appointment Term: January 16, 2015 – January 6, 2020

Mr. Kevin Price
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Jaye Hewitt Semrod received her BA from the University of Illinois and her MA from Fairfield University in Education.  Following graduation she was a public high-school teacher for eight years.  She left the classroom to work in New York City for Jack Morton Productions, a Corporate Communications Company, now Jack Morton Worldwide, a subsidiary of Interpublic.  During her twenty-year career she worked in production management, account supervision, and as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the New York Office.  For over ten years she served on the Board and Executive Committee of Outward Bound USA, an outdoor education organization.  She received Outward Bound’s distinguished Kurt Hahn award, named after its founder for her leadership and service.

In 1998 Ms. Semrod retired to Princeton, NJ where she continued to work as a community volunteer.  She served as Chair of the Board of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, a K-12 all girls’ school.  Under her leadership, she managed a capital campaign, developed scholarship programs, and organized a speakers’ forum to encourage leadership for young women.  She served as Vice Chair of Princeton University’s Art Museum Friends’ Board and was on the Board of Princeton Girl Choir.  She is one of the recipients of the Princeton YWCA’s Tribute to Women Award.

Ms. Semrod now resides in Naples, Florida and is a past President of the Port Royal Club.

Current Appointment Term:  January 6, 2020 – January 6, 2025

Ms. Jaye Semrod
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Trustee Ken Smith is a partner/owner in the Tarpon Blue family of companies where he serves as the President & CEO. Tarpon Blue owns companies involved in real estate, land & resource management, and insurance. The company also oversees the 70,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve in Charlotte County with operations involving cattle ranching, land management, vegetable farming, sod, and Eco-tourism. Previously, Dr. Smith served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Alico, Inc.; as the Vice President of Agricultural Operations for the Atlantic Blue Group, Inc., and in numerous management positions for Purina Mills.

Dr. Smith also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for The Nature Conservancy. He has BS and MS degrees from West Texas State University in Animal Science and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University.

Current Appointment Term: January 16, 2015 – January 6, 2020

Dr. Ken Smith
c/o Office of Vice President and Chief of Staff
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565