Charles Patrick Garcia On Florida Board Of Education.

On June 6, 2001, Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed Charles Patrick Garcia, the Chairman and CEO of Sterling Financial Investment Group to the 7-member panel of the newly created Florida Board of Education, (FBE), frequently referred to as the “super-board,” a government entity charged with the responsibility of executing revolutionary changes to Florida’s educational system.

This new legislation, signed by the Governor in a ceremony in the State’s Capitol in which Garcia was present and where the Governor introduced Garcia to members of the national media, effectively changes the way in which educational services are presently delivered throughout the entire educational system in Florida with the new systems conceivably serving as a model for other states in the country.

“This is a huge day for Florida’s future,” Governor Bush said during the ceremony, calling the education overhaul one of his signature accomplishments. “As far as historic moments go, this is definitely, if not at the top of the list, then very close to it.”

This new board will control Florida’s public and private education system and the $21 billion it spends annually for education. On July 1st, the new legislation abolishes the Florida education code, the board of regents which oversees the 11 state universities and a host of other education boards and bodies and transfers power to the new 7-member super-board that will create and promulgate all new educational policies, services and programs.

Mr. Garcia, whose duties will encompass the supervision of 3500 public schools, 28 community colleges and 11 state universities with over 3.5 million students in the State of Florida, is the only Hispanic appointed to the board. In a statement to the press, Garcia, who is a product of public education, said that, “A nation is judged by the quality of the citizens it produces, and I hope to make a significant contribution to this country by helping to improve the quality of education for all Florida students regardless of race, color or creed to ensure their receipt of the best education possible that hopefully will be used by other states as a new educational model.”

“I am honored by my appointment by the Governor to this board which further demonstrates his commitment to the Hispanic community in Florida,” says Garcia who adds that “I will work to improve the State’s commitment not only to education, but also to all minorities, including Hispanics who are the fastest growing segment of the population in Florida.” Garcia is an entrepreneur and businessman who founded Sterling Financial Investment Group, international investment firm with Latin American headquarters in the Republic of Panama.

Garcia has had excellent training in this area; shortly after serving as a White House fellow and working for President’s Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Garcia helped former secretary of Education and “Drug Czar” William “Bill” Bennett edit two books on education that Bennett wrote about improving the nation’s schools. Garcia also helped draft the nation’s first National Drug Control Strategy, a comprehensive blueprint to fight the spread of drugs and attack drug abuse in the United States.

In April of 2001 Governor Jeb Bush nominated Garcia to serve on the first-ever Judicial Nominating Committee, a group responsible for nominating to the president of the United States candidates for Federal judgeships and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District. Garcia has been named as one of the Top 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States by Hispanic Business magazine and Univision Television featured Garcia on their series “Orgullo Hispano,” a profile that spotlights the world’s leading Hispanics who serve as role models to the Hispanic community at large; Garcia is only the 20th person to be featured since the series began in 1996. Northwood University named Garcia Palm Beach County’s top Entrepreneur in 2000.

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