The Board of Directors serves the New College Alumni Association (NCAA) in carrying out its mission in support of the College. The board meets four times a year and oversees the NCAA’s core programs, services, fundraising, communications, and events. The board of directors invites open comments and suggestions for their activities. Please e-mail [email protected]. All alumni are welcome to attend board meetings.
The board is governed by its mission and bylaws.
Upcoming Meetings
About the Board of Directors
- Overview: Board of Directors Mission & Responsibilities
- Bylaws
- Mission Statements
- Alumni Association Conflict of Interest Policy
Meeting Minutes
Board Directory
Dan Stults ’77-’81
Dan Stults developed an interest in the drivers of human behavior and the questions of what we know and how we know it. These interests led to a Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology, a focus on experimental design, statistics, and a career of research. Published in the areas of Experimental Social Psychology, Psychometrics, and Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Dan left academics to take leadership positions in industry where he worked to understand the unmet needs of individuals and the best ways to fulfill those needs. His most recent position was as Head, Global Business Intelligence for AbbVie. Currently a resident of Sarasota, Dan can be found working with the New College Foundation when he is not on the water, playing with his dogs or communing with family.
Kati Baruja ’96
Kati, now using the name Rhyn, graduated from New College in 2000 with a major in humanities. They worked in non-profits all over Latin America for several years and later obtained an MA in Translation and Interpreting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Their passion for cross-cultural dialogue led to a career in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State, where they have served tours in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; and Tel Aviv, Israel. They are headed to their fourth post in London in just a few weeks, along with their 8-year-old and co-parent.
Wesley Beggs ’10
Born and raised in Tampa, Wesley Beggs is a lifelong Floridian and community advocate. She graduated from New College of Florida in 2014 with a B.A. in Political Science and is an active member in her community. Wesley is currently serving on the Board of Directors for multiple local organizations dedicated to education and community organizing, including the Sarasota World Affairs Council. Wesley ran for municipal office in the 2018 election cycle and has spent her time dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders. She currently serves as President of the Florida Young Democrats, where she works across the state to mobilize young Floridians and affect electoral change.
Benjamin Brown ’05
Chair
Benjamin Brown attended New College of Florida from 2005 to 2009, concentrating in political science. While a student, his passionate interest was student government; he served as a student member of the Student Academic Status Committee from February to December, 2007, and then as President of New College’s student government, the New College Student Alliance, for calendar year 2008. After graduating, Benjamin attended the University of Michigan Law School. Since 2013, he has been engaged in the active practice of law in New York State. He spent the first four and a half years of his career at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, a nonprofit organization. From 2017 to 2022, Benjamin served as an Associate Attorney at Gina DeCrescenzo, P.C., a boutique litigation firm dedicated to protecting the civil rights of students, from pre-kindergarten through higher education. Benjamin now has an independent private practice, Law Office of Benjamin Brown, while remaining of counsel to Gina DeCrescenzo, P.C.
Doug Christy ’96
Doug Christy graduated from New College in 2000, where he studied Economics and worked as a Debacle writer and on the New College Radio. He is now an Attorney at the Law Office of Douglas G. Christy, PLLC. He is also the Chair of the City of Sarasota Nuisance Abatement Board. As a member of the NCAA Board, Doug would like to focus on strengthening community involvement and increasing local attention on the accomplishments and work being done by New College students and faculty.
John Lodge Connelly ’76
John Lodge Connelly was born to former glass-worker turned banker and former poet and musician turned mother. No forms of art would be inspiration throughout his primary and secondary education years. County budget cuts and his parents kept most of that modeling from him. Until after his first college year, when he transferred to New College, his closest exposure to art was three years of home-room in his high school’s art classroom. After a music tutorial sponsored by Professor Ronald R. Riddle in Electric Bass in his second term, John decided to take a sculpture tutorial with Professor Jack Cartlidge in his third, in keeping with the self-determining mission in New College’s educational philosophy. These two choices turned out to be deciding factors in his life. He went on to invent his own art form, Musical Sculpture, and devoted his Senior Thesis and art career to the medium, with shows in Tampa and Sarasota. He became a professional bassist and worked in a variety of jazz ensembles, including the New College Jazz Quartet. He was the principle bassist on the band Mantramatic’s first CD, “Transmission”. He worked for renowned sculptor and poet John Chamberlain in his Sarasota studio, and then as his Darkroom Manager, producing works that are in the Whitney Museum and Chase Manhattan Bank permanent collections, becoming his personal assistant, before devoting the rest of his career to Education. He has worked for Keiser University for 23 years, and is a recipient of a Master of Science in Education. He also writes poetry and prose.
Maia Hinkle ’05
Maia Hinkle graduated from New College in 2007, where she was involved in dance for several semesters, supported the crew team, and directed Vagina Monologues in her final year. She earned an MBA at Rollins College. Prior to this term, she was on the NCAA Board for 6 years, during which time she served as the Governance Chair and Treasurer. She is currently the Principal/VP of CRM Strategy and Management at Vizient, Inc.
Miles Iton ’14
Miles Iton is a creative and arts administrator from Miami, Florida. At New College, he founded the live music and media marketing imprint n.e.Bodied Entertainment and has performed/lectured at institutions such as the Ringling Museum, TED, and the Harvey Milk Festival. He departed as a Fulbright award grantee to National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, where he is a graduate of the Institute of Creative Industries Design. Currently he is producing works as part of ALT-MILK, working on an EFL startup and freelancing in the medical marijuana industry.
Oliver Peckham ’08
At New College, Oliver concentrated in political science and environmental economics and served as an elected member of student government for all eight semesters. He went on to study at Bard College and Duke University, earning graduate degrees in climate science and energy management. Oliver now works as a science communications specialist for sustainable transportation and clean energy research in Richland, Washington.
Rachel Scherer ’07
Chair-Elect
Rachel attended New College from 2007 to 2011, and credits her varied career to the varied interests she pursued there. She’s always been passionate about using technology to support and empower communities. Through her career as a technology leader, she has built platforms to help researchers work on big emerging problems in education, and supported tech standards communities to help make education technology development easier and more accessible.
Benjamin Stork ’05
Benjamin Stork had a rocky start at New College and after failing to attend an academic probation meeting was ejected from the institution. After a glimpse of big university life the next year he returned bound and determined to return to the exciting intellectual milieu of New College. After successful readmission to NCF he was able to graduate in 2009 and gain admission to LECOM – Bradenton. Attending medical school on an Army scholarship he graduated in 2013 and pursued a joint Aerospace and Occupational Medicine residency with the Navy in Pensacola while also earning his MPH from the University of West Florida. Returning to the Army fold he became a flight surgeon for the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade (Screaming Eagles) and has served his country in deployments to Afghanistan, Europe, and hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico. He is now the course director for the US Army Flight Surgeon Primary Course and is responsible for the training pipeline of all Army flight surgeons. As he sits here typing this austere and self serving summary of his achievements he would much prefer to be commiserating with his NCF Cohort (with whom he still chats daily) enjoying cold beer and hot sun in Florida and debating the issues of the day like the once and future Philosopher Kings (and Queens) we surely were and will be again. He will never forget the ecstatic wonder.
Bob Watts ’73
Bob Watts grew up in a small town in Connecticut. New College was the only school to which he was admitted that he hadn’t visited, but he was very attracted by the program (and a scholarship). Entering in 1973, he studied International Relations during the tumultuous era of the merger with USF. Following New College, he earned a Master of International Affairs degree from the Columbia U. School of International and Public Affairs. From there, he went on to a rewarding career as a Foreign Service Economic Officer with the State Department. While in the Foreign Service he received a MA in Economics from Stanford, and served overseas in Portugal, Brazil, Peru, Canada and Central Asia. Since he retired in 2010, he has continued to work as a part-time consultant at State, and has been involved in volunteer activities with Jewish organizations at the local, national and international level.
Glenn Whitehouse ’86
Glenn Whitehouse is Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Florida Gulf Coast University. At FGCU, he co-founded and directs PAGES, a career program designed specifically for liberal arts students; and he is currently working on a badging program to help students build career-relevant skills and connect to jobs. His other administrative duties have included student affairs, program assessment, preparation for accreditation, and department chairing. His teaching and scholarly interests are in philosophy of religion, hermeneutics, modern German philosophy, and religion & popular culture. At New College, Glenn studied philosophy and religion, and went on to a Ph.D. at University of Iowa. New College is becoming a tradition in his family, with spouse Marianne ’88 a fellow alum, and son Daniel ’18 a current NCF student.