The Honorable Lois Benson, Chairman

Escambia County

Term: 3/11/2009 - 12/31/2012
appointed by Governor Charlie Crist

Mrs. Benson is a graduate of Emory University in the field of Interior Design. She is a former councilwoman for the City of Pensacola, as well as a former state representative from 1992-1994. She currently serves on the board of the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, but was also a board member of the North Florida Water Management District. Mrs. Benson is very involved in her local community, serving on the boards of the Five Flags Rotary, The Zoo of Northwest Florida, and the Northwest Florida Historic Preservation Board.

Mrs. Jacqueline Bradley

Orange County

Term: 10/25/2005 - 12/31/2010
appointed by Governor Bush

Mrs. Bradley is a graduate of Yale and Columbia Universities, holding an MBA in Finance and Marketing. She and her husband are avid collectors of African-American Art, focusing on works that date from the 1950s to the present. Mrs. Bradley currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and serves on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida and the Cornell Museum of Fine Arts.

Mr. Donald E. Browning

Marion County

Term: 4/6/2009 - 12/31/2010
appointed by House Speaker Cretul

Mr. Browning resides in Weirsdale, Florida. He is an accomplished photographer whose work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and included in corporate, public, and private collections, as well as the Florida Department of State Art Collection. Mr. Browning served in the United States Navy and received his degree from Central Missouri State University. In addition to a design and graphics career in central Florida, he was also a councilman for the City of Winter Springs. Mr. Browning currently serves on the Department of Juvenile Justice Foundation Board, Brick City Center of the Arts Board, and is a member of Department of Corrections' 2007 Arts in Prisons Committee.

Mr. Xavier Cortada

Miami-Dade County

Term: 12/18/2009 - 12/31/2011
appointed by Speaker Rubio

Miami artist Xavier Cortada has exhibited his work in museums, galleries and cultural venues not only in Florida, but across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Antarctica. Mr. Cortada has created art for the White House, the World Bank, the Florida Supreme Court, and the Museum of Florida History. He holds three degrees from the University of Miami - a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Public Administration and Juris Doctor. He has been honored in the Congressional Record and with Xavier Cortada Day Proclamations by the City of Miami, Miami Beach, and Miami-Dade County. Cortada has received numerous awards for his volunteer work, including the prestigious Millennium International Volunteer Award from the U.S. Department of State/USA Today and the Florida International Volunteer Corps 1999 Outstanding Achievement Award. In 2006, the artist received the National Champion for Children Award from the Child Welfare League of America.

Mr. Timothy D. Deratany

Brevard County

Term: 10/25/2005 - 12/31/2010
appointed by Governor Bush

Mr. Deratany, a former Florida State Senator and Representative, is president of Deratany Consulting, a Governmental and Public Affairs firm. Prior to lobbying, Mr. Deratany served as Mayor of Indialantic and Director of University Relations at the Florida Institute of Technology.

At some point during each day, you can find Mr. Deratany painting in his riverside art studio. An avid artist for the past ten years, Mr. Deratany is a board member of the Brevard Museum of Art and Science and previously served as Chairman of the Florida Seaside Art Show. He belongs to the Brevard Watercolor Society and the Brevard Artists Guild. For Mr. Deratany, art offers a welcome respite from the hectic world of politics.

Mrs. Katharine Dickenson

Palm Beach County

Term: 6/23/2008 - 12/31/2011
appointed by Governor Charlie Crist

Mrs. Dickenson is a graduate of the University of Miami with a Masters in Education. She has been actively involved in her community by serving on such boards as the Children’s Museum at Singing Pines, Historic Palm Beach County Preservation Board, Historic Palm Beach County Preservation Board, as well as the Boca Raton Historical Society.

Mrs. Dickenson has also served on the boards of the Dorset Theater Festival and Manchester Music Festival in Vermont, the Florida Historic Preservation Advisory Council, Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She has been awarded the 1989 Florida Trust Distinguished Service Award, Palm Beach County’s Judge Knott Award in 1996, the 1995 Boca Raton’s Myrtle Butts Fleming Award and was recently inducted into Who's Who of American Women, 2006-07, the 25th anniversary issue.

Mrs. Susan Goldman

Nassau County

Term: 5/14/2010 - 1/1/2012
appointed by Senate President Atwater

Susan Goldman is a resident of Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island). She established and operated a successful art gallery in the island's historic district. A founding member of the Board of Directors of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, she served as President and Executive Director for three years. Other community activities include: efforts to be recognized by the Florida Association of Local Arts Agencies; steering committee for the Center for Lifelong Learning at Florida Community College, Jacksonville; first president of the newly established Fernandina Beach Arts Council; membership in the Island Art Association, Amelia Island Film Festival, and Amelia Island Museum of History; frequent volunteer with other local community organizations. As a result of the gallery, she has become an avid collector of southeastern folk art.

Dr. Barbara G. Hubbard

Levy County

Term: 1/1/2010 - 12/31/2011
appointed by House Speaker Cretul

Barbara Grazul Hubbard is the Creative Director of The Right Brain Workshop, specializing in institutional advancement, educational marketing, visual communication, and creative consulting.  She is an artist (printmaker), arts educator, and university professor. Barbara serves as Center Director for the Eckerd College Program for Experienced Learners and is involved in student mentoring, program growth and institutional advancement. Dr. Hubbard is also a professor of graduate study in higher education with extensive experience working with teaching professionals in the areas of faculty development and higher education administration. She was awarded her degree from the College of Education at University of South Florida. She is a graduate of the Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College as well as Leadership Pinellas alum.  Barbara is the chairman of The Pinellas County Cultural Council, past chair for the City of Dunedin’s Art and Cultural Advisory Committee, and active in the Professional Association of Visual Artists.

Mr. Robert B. Judd, Vice-Chairman

Broward County

Term: 6/23/2008 - 12/31/2010
appointed by Governor Crist

Mr. Judd, an attorney with Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A., is a graduate of American University and Catholic University where he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1985.  Mr. Judd serves on the boards of the Community Foundation of Broward County and the Broward Performing Arts Center Foundation.  He also serves as President of the Josephine S. Leiser Charitable Foundation and on the Donor Committee of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society.  Mr. Judd is a member of the Broward County Estate Planning and Planned Giving Councils, and has offered estate planning-related seminars to several local cultural organizations.

The Honorable Gwen Margolis

Lee County

Term: 3/3/2009 - 12/31/2010
appointed by Senate President Atwater

Senator Margolis began her public service career in the Florida Legislature when elected to the House of Representative in 1974 then re-elected for three additional terms. Her career in the Florida Senate began in 1980 when she was appointed to Chair the Finance, Tax, and Claims Committee, and later the Appropriations Committee where she assisted in leading the state out of budgetary crisis. In 1990, Senator Margolis became the first woman to serve as President on any Senate in the United States of America. She spearheaded the passage of landmark legislation touted as the toughest ethics legislation in the nation, as well as a constitutional amendment that opened all government records and meetings to the public, Government in the Sunshine. Senator Margolis also serves on the Board of Directors of the World Trade Center, Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, Jewish Home for the Aged, The Actor’s Playhouse, and Maximum Dance Company. She was inducted in to the Women’s Hall of Fame in 2009. She has four adult children, as well as her pride and joy, seven grandchildren.

Mrs. Janeen Mason, Secretary

Martin County

Term: 1/16/2009 - 12/31/2010
appointed by Senate President Jeff Atwater

Mrs. Mason is a fine artist, as well as an author and illustrator of children’s literature.  She has received numerous awards including a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, the US Maritime Literature Award, and the National Award for Excellence in Communities.  A one-woman exhibit featuring the original artwork from ten of her picture books traveled through Florida museums in 2008 and 2009.  She is a former Member of the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Stuart and Martin County, chaired the Public Art Advisory Board of Martin County,  maintains membership in the Children’s Book Council and is the current Illustrator Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in the State of Florida.

Mr. Craig Pugh

Hillsborough County

Term: 7/1/2009 - 12/31/2010
appointed by House Speaker Cretul

Craig Pugh is the Deputy Director and Acting CEO of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. Mr. Pugh joined Lowry Park Zoo in 1999 as Vice President for Advancement and Chief Development Officer and was formerly the Executive Director of Palm Beach Zoo, Associate Director for Communications at Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, and Managing Editor for Times-Mirror/Mosby (Chicago). Mr. Pugh served as Conservation Affairs Officer for the Species Survival Commission of IUCN—The World Conservation Union (Gland, Switzerland). Mr. Pugh’s public affairs and development consultancies have included botanical gardens, national parks, and professional societies in the U.S. and Caribbean. Mr. Pugh was a Rotary International scholar to the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, for undergraduate studies in biochemistry and genetics, and holds a Master of Science in Communications from Northwestern University.

Mr. Jon Ward

St. Lucie County

Term: 1/8/2008 - 12/31/2010

Mr. Ward is the director of the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency and Administrator of the 1200-seat Sunrise Theatre. He is the former director of the Division of Cultural Affairs for St. Lucie County, also serving as chairman of St. Lucie County's Cultural Affairs Council. An award winning illustrator and publisher, Jon currently serves as treasurer of the Florida Humanities Council. His organizational memberships include the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Florida Association of Public Art Administrators, and the League of Historic American Theatres.

Mrs. Margaret Wise

Sarasota County

Term: 10/25/2005 - 12/31/2010
appointed by Governor Bush

Mrs. Wise is a cultural and civic activist in the Sarasota area who has received numerous awards for her public service, including the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Golden Gavel Award in 1996, the National Philanthropy Award in 1996, the Bradenton Opera Guild Honor in 2000, and the Hall of Fame Video Archives in 2001.

As part of her continuing contribution to the Sarasota area, Mrs. Wise has served as a member of the Executive Committee of The Sarasota Opera from 1990 to 2000 and as the Opera’s President from 1991 to 1993. She has also served on the Asolo Theatre’s Executive Committee and on the Wine Fest Executive Committee. Mrs. Wise currently serves on the board of the Asolo Theatre.