The College of the Florida Keys District Board of Trustees has four new members, courtesy of Gov. Ron DeSantis appointments.
They include insurance and banking executive Peter Batty, retired engineer Bob Broton, lawyer-turned-wine entrepreneur Michael Downer, and veteran Eddie Kertis, who works as a divemaster at the college.
All are Republican, state records show. Two have donated to state-level campaigns, though none apparently gave to the Governor himself.
Republican Party of Monroe County Chair Rhonda Rebman Lopez celebrated the appointments in a statement.
“This is very exciting for us to have such strong influential new voices on our college board. I plan on assisting with fundraising so we can really level up the college’s opportunities for our students,” she said.
“We are very excited to have great trustees that will be so instrumental in a broader outreach for academic interests, communication efforts with state and federal officials, and the important potential for a much larger fundraising base than ever before.”
Batty, of Key West, is President and proprietor of United Atlantic Insurance Group and the co-founding Chair of Gulf Atlantic Bank. He also works as President and owner of Southernmost Processing Services Inc. and ICAMCO Inc.
His community involvements include serving as Chair of the Key West Planning Committee and membership of the Florida Keys Community Foundation Board of Directors.
He holds a master’s degree in political science and bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Florida State University.
A registered Republican voter since 1998, Division of Election records show Batty has given nearly $9,500 at the state level since 2006. His most frequent recipient was Realtors PAC.
His biggest contributions included $5,000 to Senate President Ben Albritton’s political committee in 2023, $3,000 to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson in 2022 and $500 to Democrat Catherine Vogel’s Attorney General campaign in 2012.
Broton, of Key Largo, is a member of the Electric Warfare and Information Systems Association and the Mooring Condominium Association Board of Directors. Before retiring, he worked as Director of Engineers at Davie-based aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman.
He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana. Registered to vote in Florida since 2011, Broton has made one state-level donation, a $400 check to Rebman Lopez’s 2022 campaign for the Florida House.
Downer owns Key West Fine Fines, chairs the Southwestern Law School Board of Directors and is a member of the Alliance for Children’s Rights Board of Directors. He previously worked as a senior lawyer and executive at Capital Group.
He holds a Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School and a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He’s been registered to vote in Florida since 2018.
Kertis, of Key West, is a consultant for the Hawaiian Native Corporation and a captain and divemaster for the College of the Florida Keys. He is also a member of the Key West Military Affairs Committee and Key West Art and Historical Society.
A U.S. Army veteran, Kertis earned master’s degrees in environmental engineering from the University of Florida and strategic studies from the U.S. Air Force War College. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stetson University.
State records show he has been registered to vote in Florida since 2018 and had no party affiliation until a recent switch to the Republican Party.
The seven-member College of the Florida Keys Board of Directors serves as the school’s governing body and sets its policy direction. Trustees are appointed by the Governor and serve staggered four-year terms.
The appointments are subject to Senate approval.
