Each of the 28 community colleges in Florida's statewide system is under the local control of a lay District Board of Trustees composed of citizens who serve without pay and are legally vested with decision making power in all matters of college policy, programs, building, budget and personnel.
Each trustee is appointed by the governor. Seven Orange and Osceola County citizens form the Valencia College District Board of Trustees. Meeting in regular sessions, these civic-minded individuals contribute their time and talent to guiding the development of Valencia College so that it remains responsive to the educational needs of its local community.
Michael A. Sasso is the managing partner at Sasso & Sasso, P. A., a Central Florida law firm. In his legal practice, Sasso devotes most of his time to general civil litigation and business law. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Barry University School of Law. He also serves on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and on the boards of the Central Florida Urban League and the Seminole County Bar Association.
John Davis is currently Secretary of the Florida Lottery, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in October 2020. Prior to that, Davis served in a variety of roles in the public and private sector, including as executive vice president of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, president of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida and as external affairs director for the state Department of Children and Families. Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University, where he played on the FSU football team. He later co-founded ProStyle, a fitness company designed to give clients the experience of training like a professional athlete.
