Members
Appointments to the seven member Board of Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., are made by the Governor (1), the Attorney General (1), the Chief Financial Officer (1), the President of the Senate (2), and the Speaker of the House (2). Appointments and terms of office are established pursuant to s. 288.8014, F.S.
VACANT
Appointed by Governor
Allan Bense
Mr. Allan Bense, of Panama City, is President of GAC Contractors. He is a partner is several companies with interests in road building, mechanical contracting, health care, insurance, general contracting, golf courses, pavement marking, farming and others. He is the Chair of the Board of the James Madison Institute. He is the past Chair of: the Board of the Florida State University, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, the Florida Council on Military Base and Mission Support, the Bay Economic Development Alliance; and past Vice-Chair of Enterprise Florida (the Governor is the chair). He is a member of the board of directors of the Gulf Coast Hospital, Gulf Power Company (SO; NYSE), and the Capital City Bank Group (CCBG: NASDAQ).
Bense served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 – 2006. He was elected Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives where he served from 2004-2006. He was the first Republican elected to House District 6 and served that district for eight years.
Appointed by Senate President
Term Beginning June 3, 2017 – Ending June 2, 2022
J. Collier Merrill
Mr. Collier Merrill is the president/owner of Merrill Land Company, a real estate development company, which specializes in commercial real estate, residential and commercial construction as well as condominium and subdivision development along the Northwestern Gulf Coast. He is the president/owner of Great Southern Restaurants, Inc., which owns and operates The Fish House, Atlas Oyster House, Jackson’s Steakhouse, Five Sisters Blues Café, Angelena’s, The Palafox House, and Great Southern Weddings, Catering & Events. Additionally, Merrill is serves as a stockholder and director of The Gulfarium: A Marine Adventure Park. Merrill is a graduate of the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.
Merrill is an active participant in the community, currently serving as Chairman of the University of West Florida Historic Trust. He also serves on the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and board of directors of Ascension Health Florida. Additionally, he is a trustee emeritus of the Pensacola Museum of Art, a member of Christ Church where he serves as a member of the vestry, and a member of the Pensacola Downtown Rotary Club.
Previously, Merrill has served in a number of community leadership roles: chairman of Visit Pensacola overseeing an annual budget of $10 million focusing on tourism and economic development; chairman of the Community Maritime Park Associates which governed and managed a $65 million community development project in downtown Pensacola; chairman of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; chairman of the Pensacola-Escambia County Promotion and Development Commission; chair of the Destination 2020 Strategic Planning Committee; chairman of the Florida Arts Council; president of the Pensacola Museum of Art; and president of the Home Builders Association of Northwest Florida. He has also served as a member of the boards of the University of West Florida, Pensacola State College Foundation, Catholic Social Services; Pensacola Chapter of the American Red Cross and served as a mentor for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Additionally, Merrill has served in a number roles related to both public and private community development. Merrill was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve as a member of the Board of Regents which governed all of the universities for the State of Florida carrying with it a fiduciary responsibility of $2 billion. After his service on the Board of Regents he was tapped to be the founding chairman of the University of West Florida Board of Trustees (2000-2004) overseeing the successful growth of the University and it’s $150 million annual budget. Merrill was also selected by Governor Rick Scott to serve on the Gulfcoast Consortium.
Merrill has been recognized and named Art Education Hero by the Florida Cultural Alliance, an Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the National Society of Fund Raising Professional, and a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, received the Downtown Rotary Club’s Grover Robinson Award for Service, and was named the University of West Florida’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year. In addition, Merrill was a recipient of the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce’s awards for Emerging Leader and Community Leader.
Appointed by Attorney General
Don Gaetz, Chair
Mr. Don Gaetz, of Seaside, has been a Panhandle business owner and civic leader for more than twenty-five years. He co-founded and operated a national health care company prior to serving coastal Northwest Florida in the state senate where he served as Senate President. He was Chair of the Okaloosa County School Board and Superintendent of Okaloosa County Schools as well as Chair of the Town Council of Seaside, Florida. Senator Gaetz is a member of the 2017 Constitutional Revision Commission of the State of Florida.
Appointed by Speaker of the House
Term Beginning June 30, 2017 – Ending June 29, 2022
Benjamin Lee
Mr. Benjamin Lee, of Lynn Haven, is the market president for Hancock Whitney Bank overseeing the Bay County region. With more than 15 years of experience, Ben provides an array of strategic banking and financial solutions complemented by a proven passion for helping the region’s businesses and nonprofits succeed. His experience and exceptional service has quickly earned him a reputation as one of Panama City’s top bankers.
Previously, he served as executive director at the Office of the State Attorney, where he was responsible for the management of seven offices in six Florida counties. He also directed governmental and legislative affairs and oversaw multi-million-dollar budgets.
Born and raised near Statesboro, GA, Ben holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s in Business Administration from Auburn University. With a strong commitment to service in the community, Ben is actively involved in a variety of organizations including the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, Bay County Economic Development Council, Covenant Hospice, Bay County Contractors Association, Haney Education Foundation, and the Holy Nativity Episcopal School Board of Directors. He is also involved with the county, serving on the ½ Cent Sales Tax Oversight Committee.
Appointed by Speaker of the House of Representatives
Term Beginning June 3, 2017 – Ending June 2, 2022
(replaced original member Robert Bonezzi)
VACANT
Appointed by Chief Financial Officer
Matt Terry
Mr. Matt Terry, of Port St. Joe is the owner of Appraisal Group of North Florida which provides real estate appraisals and consulting along the Gulf Coast. Having over 14 years of experience in the real estate industry, he continues to serve his client’s needs while maintaining public trust.
Matt has previously served as Vice Chairman of the Port St. Joe Port Authority, Gulf County Planning Development Review Board, and Gulf County Economic Development Council. Matt also served as lay leader of First United Methodist Church of Port St. Joe and on the Executive Board of Healthy Start of Bay, Franklin, and Gulf Counties. Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Flagler College and a SRA designation with the Appraisal Institute.
Appointed by Senate President
Term Beginning June 30, 2017 – Ending June 29, 2022
(replaced original member Jason Shoaf)
Former Members
Lewis Bear, Jr. (replaced Stan Connally, Jr.)
Robert Bonezzi (original member)
Stan Connally, Jr. (original member)
Pam Dana, Ph. D (original member)
Stephen Riggs, IV (original member)
Jason Shoaf (original member)