Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Jan. 30 announced the appointment of Bob Broton, Peter E. Batty, Michael Downer and Edward “Eddie” Kertis to the College of the Florida Keys district board of trustees. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Bob Broton
Broton is retired and previously was the director of engineering at Northrop Grumman. He is a member of the Electric Warfare and Information Systems Association and the board of directors for the Moorings Condominium Association in the Upper Keys. Broton earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Peter E. Batty
Batty is the president and owner of United Atlantic Insurance Group and co-founder and chairman of the board of Gulf Atlantic Bank. He also is the president and owner of Southernmost Processing Services Inc. and ICAMCO Inc. Batty chairs the Key West Planning Board and is a member of the Florida Keys Community Foundation’s board of directors. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Florida International University and a master’s degree in political science and government from Florida State University.
Michael Downer
Downer is the proprietor at Key West Fine Wines and previously was a senior lawyer and executive at Capital Group. He was the chairman of the Southwestern Law School board of directors and was a board member of the Alliance for Children’s Rights. Downer earned a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles and a juris doctor from Southwestern Law School.
Edward “Eddie” Kertis
Kertis is a consultant for the Hawaiian Native Corporation and a captain and divemaster for the College of the Florida Keys. He is a member of the Key West Military Affairs Committee and the Key West Art and Historical Society. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Kertis earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stetson University, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Florida, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Air Force War College.
