Gov. Ron DeSantis announced appointments and reappointments to the St. Johns River State College District Board of Trustees this month. Alexandria Hill and Kevin Payne were newly appointed to the board, while Richard Komando, Willard "Judd" Sapp Jr. and Tammy "Chereese" Stewart were reappointed. The Florida Senate must confirm these appointments before they become official.
St. Johns River State College operates three campuses across Orange Park, Palatka and St. Augustine, serving approximately 8,000 students combined. Hill brings legal expertise to the board as a partner in the Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne Dibenow law firm. She is active in the Clay County community and serves on the Clay County Development Authority. Hill earned a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from Stetson University and a law degree from the University of Florida. Payne works as senior manager of contracting for Imagine 360 health insurance company and serves as president of the Jacksonville Association of Health Underwriters. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Texas and an MBA from Oklahoma City University.
Komando brings extensive legal experience to the board as a partner in the Bradley, Garrison Komando law firm on the First Coast. He previously served as circuit director and statewide general counsel for the Fourth Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Office for Northeast Florida and worked as an assistant state attorney in that circuit. Komando holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and an MBA from Florida State University, along with a law degree from Loyola University. Sapp is a Navy veteran who previously served on the St. Johns County Day School Board of Trustees. He earned a bachelor's degree from Florida State University.
Stewart currently serves as assistant county manager for the Clay County Commission and was previously elected to that position. She is involved in multiple local organizations, including the Clay County Development Authority, Clay County Cattlemen Association, Clay County Farm Bureau and the Florida Planning and Zoning Association. Stewart earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a master's degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of North Florida. These board members will help guide the college's operations and strategic direction across its three-county service area.