from the News Service
of Florida
Gov. Rick Scott appointed Gary Chartrand, the executive chair and former CEO of Jacksonville-based Acosta Inc., to the State Board of Education.
Chartrand, 56, replaces former state education board Chair T. Willard Fair, who quit in protest of the treatment of Commissioner Eric Smith.
Chartrand has been with Acosta, which provides sales and marketing for packaged goods companies, since 1983.
His appointment is subject to approval by the Florida Senate. His term ends Dec. 31, 2014.
In March, Smith announced he would resign in June. Shortly afterward, Fair also resigned, saying Smith was not treated well by Scott’s administration.
Fair claimed that Smith had not met with the new governor since Scott took office in January.
Just after Fair issued his resignation, Scott made personal phone calls to remaining State Board of Education members assuring them of his commitment to education.
Meanwhile, a search for Smith’s replacement is ongoing, with an update on the search process expected at a State Board of Education meeting today.