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Kelly Layman
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Kelly.Layman@flbog.edu
News
11/10/2011
PRESS RELEASE: Colson, Hosseini elected to lead Board of Governors, State University System, in 2012-13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 10, 2011
COLSON, HOSSEINI ELECTED TO LEAD FLORIDA BOARD OF GOVERNORS, STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, IN 2012-13
Dean Colson of Coral Gables, Morteza (“Mori”) Hosseini of Daytona Beach elected to posts of Chair, Vice Chair
BOCA RATON, Fla.—Today at its regular meeting, the Florida Board of Governors nominated and unanimously elected Dean Colson of Coral Gables and Morteza “Mori” Hosseini as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, for 2012-13.
Colson has been a partner with the law firm of Colson Hicks Eidson in Miami since 1981. Colson was Vice Chair of the Board of Governors and also served as the Chair of the Legislative Committee the past two years. He served as Chair of the University of Miami’s Board of Trustees, a private university, during his time on the Board from 1991 to 2009. He has served as a member and as Chair of the Florida Supreme Court’s Judicial Nominating Committee from 2002 to 2006. He received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and his law degree from the University of Miami. He worked as a law clerk to Judge Peter T. Fay at the Federal Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and to Justice William Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court. Colson was appointed to the Board of Governors in 2010. He also served as a special adviser on higher education issues to then-Gov. Charlie Crist from 2007-10. His seven-year term ends in 2017.
“At this challenging time for our 11 public universities, I look forward to continuing the strong commitment that I share with my fellow Board members to ensuring our State University System has the resources its needs while serving our more than 320,000 students at all levels,” Colson said. “The Board of Governors’ mission and its constitutional responsibilities have never been more tested nor more important.”
Governor Patricia Frost nominated Colson for the post of Chair, and Governor Norman Tripp nominated Hosseini to serve as Vice Chair.
Hosseini is the Chairman and CEO of Intervest Construction, Inc., the company he has owned for 30 years. He has served in several leadership capacities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a private university, as a member of its Board of Trustees. He is a member of the Florida Council of 100 and previously served on the Halifax Hospital Medical Center Board of Commissioners. He received an aeronautical engineering degree from the Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering in London, England, and his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Hosseini has been the Chair of the Trustee Nominating Committee, one of the standing committees of the Board of Governors, helping oversee the interviewing and selection of dozens of appointees by the Board of Governors to the 11 universities’ Boards of Trustees in the State University System. His seven-year term ends in 2017.
The members of the Board of Governors are appointed by the Governor in staggered seven-year terms and are subject to Florida Senate confirmation. Four of the 14 seats’ terms expire on Jan. 6, 2012. Three other seats of the 17 members serve by virtue of their designations (a faculty member, a Florida Student Association student representative, and the Florida Commissioner of Education).
The incoming Chair and Vice Chair will preside in these capacities at the Board of Governors meeting Jan. 18-19, which will be in Tallahassee to coincide with the 60-day Regular Session of the Legislature. For more information, see calendar information on www.flbog.edu. For more information about the Board members, click on “The Board.”
About the State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is governed by a 17-member Board of Governors, a constitutional body and led by appointed public servants. The System is comprised of 11 institutions with a total enrollment of more than 320,000 students, making it the fourth-largest public university system in the nation in terms of enrollment (some states have more than one university system). The Florida Constitution (Article IX, Section 7) was amended by the state's voters in 2002 to establish a statewide system of governance for all Florida public universities. As a result, the Florida Board of Governors was created in 2003 to oversee the State University System of Florida. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the System. The Board’s 17 members include 14 appointed by the Governor, with three serving by virtue of their designations (a faculty member, a Florida Student Association student representative, and the Florida Commissioner of Education). The Board of Governors appoints a Chancellor who serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the State University System. For more, including the Board’s Annual Report that reflects accountability measurements and benchmarks occurring at each institution, see www.flbog.edu.
