Arthur Hertz

Arthur H. Hertz is Chairman, CEO and a controlling shareholder of Wometco Enterprises, Inc., a private company that owns Marine Exhibition Corporation, the owner/operator of the Miami Seaquarium and Wometco de Puerto Rico, Inc., the franchisee for Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin Donuts for Puerto Rico. Today it owns and operates 34 Baskin-Robbins Stores, 14 Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts combo stores and 2 Dunkin Donuts stores.

Mr. Hertz graduated cum laude with a BA degree from the University of Miami in 1955. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Eta Sigma, both scholastic honor fraternities; Omicron Delta Kappa, national honorary leadership fraternity; and Iron Arrow, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a University of Miami graduate. He is a certified public accountant in the State of Florida.

Mr. Hertz serves on numerous community professional organizations and foundations including: Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation, C.E.O.; University of Miami Board of Trustees; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; GMCVB; City of Miami Off-Street Parking Authority, Past Chairman; VISIT FLORIDA, Past Chairman; Orange Bowl Committee, Member, Past President; Diabetes Research Foundation; University of Miami Alumni Association, Member, Past President; Miami City Club, Member, Past President.

Jack Painter

Jack Painter is the former president and board chair of Tampa-based Fahlgren Benito Advertising, tireless promoter of Florida tourism, who oversaw the process of transitioning Florida’s tourism marketing from a government agency to an industry-driven corporation. He  led one of Florida’s largest advertising agencies and was active in numerous civic causes in the Tampa Bay area.

Mr. Painter joined Benito Advertising of Tampa in 1974 and rose to become the firm’s president and, in 1982, its chairman of the board. He oversaw staggering growth at Benito, which at one point handled as much as $50-million in advertising.

Mr. Painter was widely known as an industry spokesman and an advocate for greater cooperation between cities on both sides of Tampa.

Mr. Painter served as a director and officer of numerous area organizations, including the United Way, Easter Seal Society, the Florida Aquarium, the Pinellas County Arts Council and the Salvador Dali Museum.

Donna Ross

Donna Ross was the long-time president and CEO of the Florida Attractions Association, who has played a key role in building unified support by the state’s various tourism interests for a statewide tourism marketing strategy.

Ross was a gubernatorial appointee to the Florida Commission on Tourism as well as the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors and served as its first woman chairman of the board. Prior to her chairmanship, she also served VISIT FLORIDA as secretary and treasurer as well as chairing the Legislative Task Force and the Marketing Steering Council. She held memberships in numerous tourism industry organizations, served on the board of the Tallahassee-Leon County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the advisory board of University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, and is a past board member of the National Council of Attractions of the Tourism Industry Association (TIA) of America.

Ross’ organization management background included seven years with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, where she held several positions including staff vice president of economic affairs.

Donna Ross retired in 2007 from the Florida Attractions Association as serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association for 19 years.

Governor Jeb Bush

Governor Jeb Bush was the 43rd governor of the state of Florida, serving from 1999 through 2006.

JEB BUSH was born in Midland, Texas. After arriving in Florida, he helped start a real estate development company that today is one of the largest, full-service commercial real estate companies in South Florida. In 1987-1988, he served as Florida’s secretary of commerce and promoted Florida’s business climate worldwide.

He has consistently supported the state’s tourism industry, particularly in the wake of the 9/11/01 tragedies, when he persuaded state lawmakers to allocate $20 million in public funds to assist statewide tourism recovery and went “on the road” to persuade out-of-state and in-state residents alike to take Florida vacations.