Governor Charlie Crist Appoints Keith Monda and Robert Johnson to New College Board of Trustees

(March 31, 2010)  Keith D. Monda, former president and chief operating officer of Coach, Inc. and Sarasota attorney Bob Johnson have been named New College of Florida Trustees by Governor Charlie Crist. The appointments are effective March 29, 2010, for terms ending on January 6, 2015.

Keith Monda succeeds former Trustee Mary Ruiz on the Board. A retired resident of Siesta Key, he was president of Coach, Inc. from May 2002 until June 2008, having served previously as chief operating officer and executive vice president. Monda also served as a director of Coach, Inc. from June 2000 to November 2009.  Prior to that, he worked at Timberland Company, where he held the posts of senior vice president for finance and administration, as well as senior vice president for operations and chief financial officer. He also worked for J. Crew, Inc. as an executive vice president for finance and administration and held management positions with Bunge Corporation and Pfizer, Inc.

Monda holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration and a master of arts degree in economics from Ohio State University. He is currently a member of the Ohio State University Foundation Board, co-chair of the Advisory Committee for the Executive Dean of Arts & Sciences at Ohio State and chairman of the Arts & Sciences Ohio State University Capital Campaign.

Attorney Bob Johnson returns to the New College Board following a two year hiatus.  Johnson is a former state senator and representative. He succeeds former Trustee Jane Smiley, who was originally appointed with Johnson to the New College Board of Trustees in 2001 by Governor Jeb Bush, when New College of Florida was designated the independent honors college of the State of Florida.  Johnson served as Chair of the New College Board from 2001 until 2007. 

Johnson, a graduate of Florida State University and the University of Florida Law School, now returns to continue his long legacy of public service to New College and the Sarasota community. Johnson was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the National Council of the Arts from 1985 to 1993.

A major figure in New College’s history, Johnson began his affiliation with the school in the 1970s and played an important role in making the College part of the State University System in 1975. In 1977, he was named and continues to serve as a Trustee of the New College Foundation. Johnson helped procure funding that resulted in the construction of the Jane Bancroft Cook Library, the Heiser Natural Sciences building and numerous other facilities on campus.

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