Emery Gainey Named Chair Of SF District Board Of Trustees, Robert Woody Named Vice Chair

July 19, 2023

July 19, 2023 – During Tuesday afternoon's District Board of Trustees meeting, Trustee Emery Gainey was named the new Chair, replacing Michael M. Goldwire who served in that capacity since 2021. Trustee Robert L. Woody was selected to remain in his current position as Vice Chair.

At the meeting, which was held at SF's Institute for Public Safety, SF President Paul Broadie II, Ph.D. thanked Trustee Goldwire for his service and cited the college's many accomplishments under Goldwire's leadership. Among them include the opening of Blount Hall, the start of SF Achieve, and the establishment of the ACB Excel program. Trustee Goldwire will remain on the Board as Immediate Past Chair.

Chair Gainey was appointed a Trustee in 2021, and has worked in public safety his entire career dating back to 1982 as a uniform patrol deputy for the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, where he went on to serve 25 years in many roles, including as Chief Deputy, Commander of the Uniform Patrol Division, and Homeland Security Commander. Later he became Sheriff of Marion County.

Chair Gainey is a Gainesville native, who earned his associate degree from Santa Fe College and bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Florida.

Trustee Woody has served on SF's District Board of Trustees twice – from 1990 through 2002, where he served both as Chair and Vice Chair, and again beginning in 2012.

He earned a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta and a master's degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Rollins College.