School Board Members Sworn in, New Chair Elected

From Sarasota County Schools: Eric Robinson was sworn in by Sarasota County Judge Erika Quartermaine Tuesday, Nov. 22, as the newest member of the School Board of Sarasota County. Robinson was elected in August without opposition; he begins a four-year term in the District 3 seat vacated by Frank Kovach. Longtime Board member Caroline Zucker, who was re-elected to the District 2 seat in August, was sworn in by retired Judge Lee Haworth for another four-year term.

The occasion was the annual reorganization meeting of the School Board. Members of the Board elected Zucker as chairwoman and Bridget Ziegler as vice chairwoman. They will serve in those roles until the board’s next annual election of the chair and vice chair in November 2017.

Zucker said her goal as chairwoman is for School Board members to continue to work together well as a team. “We sometimes have different opinions and perspectives on the issues we face, but we are all committed to doing what’s best for the students of Sarasota County,” she said.

New School Board member Robinson owns and works at the CPA firm of Robinson, Hanks, Young and Roberts. He has been appointed by various Florida governors to many boards, including the statewide organization Workforce Florida as the finance chairman, and the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport Authority as the chairman. He currently serves on the Florida Board of Accountancy and the board of trustees of the State College of Florida. He was previously appointed by the School Board of Sarasota County as a member of the Board’s Financial Advisory Committee.

During his senior year in college, Robinson, already serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve, was activated and served in the first Gulf War a Seabee. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in business administration from Florida International University. He is married to former Sarasota County Commissioner Christine Robinson; they have three children: E.J., Johnny and Madison.
The next meeting of the School Board will be at 3 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 6, in School Board Chambers at The Landings, 1980 Landings Boulevard in Sarasota.

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