Charles S. Isler, III, chair of the District Board of Trustees, is a Panama City native, and a shareholder in the law firm Isler, Sombathy & Sombathy, P.A. of Panama City. He holds an A.A. from Gulf Coast Community College, B.S. from Florida State University, M.B.A. from Georgia College, and Juris Doctor from the John Marshall Law School.
Denise D. Butler, vice chair of the District Board of Trustees, is a native of Coral Gables, a resident of Eastpoint, and president of Cook Insurance Agency of Apalachicola. She holds a B.S. in education and an M.S. in educational leadership from Florida State University.
Karen L. Durden, is a native of Tallahassee and resident of Panama City Beach. She is an interior designer and is a past-president of the Gulf Coast Community College Foundation, Inc., and past-chair of the Gulf Coast Medical Center Board of Directors.
Dan A. Estes, a native of Bassett, Virginia, is a businessman and owner of D.A. Estes & Associates, Inc., Vetted Services, Inc., and Bay County Investments of Panama City. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and has served as Vice Chair of the Bay County Planning Commission.
Shirley J. Jenkins, a native of Port St. Joe, Florida, is the first African-American tax collector of Gulf County. She is Co-Pastor at New Life Christian Center Church in Port St. Joe and Tallahassee, Florida. She was educated in the Gulf County School System, and attended Gulf Coast Community College and Florida Memorial College in Miami.
Dr. Stephen C. Myers, a native of Panama City, is a dentist with a Panama City Beach general practice emphasizing adult restorative and cosmetic dentistry. He holds an A.A. from Gulf Coast Community College and a D.M.D. from the University of Florida.
William C. Sumner, a native of Jacksonville and resident of Wewahitchka, is a real estate broker and a retired bank president. He holds B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Georgia.
Linda R. Wood, a native and resident of Port St. Joe, Florida, is serving a second term on the Gulf County School Board. She is a former secondary school language arts teacher and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Education from Florida State University.
Derrick G. Bennett, a native of Panama City, is a partner in the law firm Harrison, Rivard and Bennett. He represents the firm as the primary attorney for the District Board of Trustees, holding a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor from Stetson University.
A. James Kerley, a Tennessee native, became the fifth president of Gulf Coast Community College in June 2007. He holds a B.S. in social sciences/history/secondary education from Tennessee Tech University, an M.A.T. in history from The Citadel, and a Ph.D. in educational administration and supervision of higher education from Florida State University.
