SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL (SAC)

Jim Bos, CPBA, CPVA, CPTA & CPEQ
Vice President, MBJ Group Inc.

Jim's leadership background includes 30+ years of experience in executive management in banking; insurance and now a business and corporate talent management consulting practice.

His management/marketing experience includes operational management, sales, executive level presentations, corporate communication, advertising, media spokesperson and community relations advocate. He has also done group facilitation and strategic planning retreats for more than 20+ years.

Jim specializes in working with professionals in career transitions or career realignments. Jim also works with executives and their teams in Non-Profit & For- Profit Organizations (i.e. banks, accounting, construction, insurance organizations, developers, air-conditioning, etc.) He has facilitated job searches and placements for both non-profit and for-profit organizations. He has also involved in Executive Coaching/Mentoring, Strategic Planning & Development, Team Development, Leadership Development and has spoken to numerous groups on multiple subjects in human resource and talent management.

The MBJ Group is a human resources talent management company that is a provider of employee, group & individual talent management solutions using innovative tools such as pre-employment and post –employment assessments, benchmarking of positions, on-boarding, succession planning evaluation, team and individual performance enhancement, executive coaching/mentoring, career transition planning, outsourcing and locating the ‘right talent’ for a position.

Jim is a graduate of Corporate Coach U and was a Coaching Instructor for CCU for 4 years. He a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Calvin College and has attended graduate schools at Western Michigan University and the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. He is a licensed commercial lines insurance agent in the State of Florida, and the designations as a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), a Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA), a Certified Professional TriMetrix HD Analyst and Certified Professional Emotional Quotient.

He and his wife Mary Beth have six children and 8 grandchildren!

William “Bill” Costello, is a 43 year veteran of the fire service in Sarasota County.

Bill served as a firefighter/EMT/paramedic from 1976–1984 until he became a Station Lieutenant. In 1985 Bill was selected to be the departments Training Officer, he continues to hold that position today, at the rank of Division Chief for the Sarasota County Fire Department (SCFD).

Bill retired from SCFD in 2008 to take on the challenge of running the Fire Science Program for the Suncoast Technical College. Bill retired from STC in December of 2017 at the request of SCFD to again become their Chief of Training. Bill continues to develop programs to ensure our firefighters have the skills and knowledge needed to provide world class emergency services to our community.

Over the years Bill has been recognized for his fire service contributions; In July 1990 Bill was presented with a resolution from the Florida State University, Iota Lamda Sigma, Kappa Chapter making him a member of the “Council of Excellence” for his contribution to Apprenticeship within the State of Florida.

In 1997 Bill was chosen as one of the top two Fire Service Instructors in the State of Florida by the Florida Chapter of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.

In May of 2003 Bill was inducted into the National Vocational – Technical Honor Society

Bill also has his picture on the STC “Wall of Fame” for his dedication and contributions to our technical programs over the past 30 years as a part-time instructor in the Fire Science Program, teaching entry level, experienced firefighters and Company Officer Leadership courses.

Bill is married to his best friend Melinda. They have four children, all girls and five grandchildren. Bill is a Viet Nam War veteran. He spent 4 years in the U.S. Army from 1970 – 1974. Bill holds a Black Belt in Taekwondo, certified by the American Taekwondo Association.

Bill does not plan on ever retiring. He says his job is, by far, the best job in the world.

Dr. Ron DiPillo has 23 years of experience in public school education where he has served in a variety of roles including college adjunct instructor, high school math teacher, data coach, master scheduler, assistant principal, principal, assistant director, and executive director.

As the current executive director of Career and Technical Education and Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota, Florida, he strives to continually learn from his experiences and then use his knowledge to influence learning for current and future generations.

He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Argosy University.

Dr. DiPillo is originally from Northeast Ohio and married with two daughters, 19 & 21. He enjoys boating, fishing, golf, and the family dogs, Jake & Earl.

James Disbro is the Director, Regional Alignment & Programs Development at CareerSource Suncoast, serving Florida’s Manatee and Sarasota Counties. He has thirty years combined experience in workforce related services to include administration, operation, program design and direct service to employers and individuals. He has held similar senior management roles in two other Local Workforce Development Areas affording him a perspective that includes medium to large workforce service delivery models. James and his team work with staff members and community partners ensuring proper service alignment, workflow, implementation, continuity and quality that leads to the desired outcomes.

Ted Downing, Business Consultant, Facilitator and Certified Professional Life Coach brings a wealth of diverse practical real-world experiences to any group. Beginning with his secondary educational classroom experiences where he developed unique programs, he has always demonstrated a comfort level with problem solving and change. Ted has continually supplemented his educational growth while always broadening his work experience and skill sets.

During his 25+ years of ever increasing Chicago corporate management responsibilities, highly respected organizations benefited from Ted’s unique capabilities. He served as Customer Service Manager and Equipment Control Manager for Xerox Corporation. Rising from the ranks of Senior Auditor at the Federal Reserve Bank, he earned the title of Asst. Vice President of Check Operations and Marketing and was nationally nominated to serve as Visiting Asst. Secretary to the Board of Governors (Federal Reserve System) in Washington D.C. His demonstrated accomplishments of leadership in creating win-win situations coupled with the utmost integrity in the banking industry catapulted him into the position of President/Market Manager for Bank One (Evanston) Corporation in Illinois. In this position he was responsible for 4 banking sites in the Chicago area, managed the market transition from non-sales to a sales environment while serving on 10 boards simultaneously.

Changes in the banking industry required Ted to establish new venues for his extensive business expertise after his banking career. He joined the ranks of entrepreneur as Owner/Operator of the Sports Section of the North Shore, a photography franchise specializing in Youth Sports Photography.

The Sports Section was a perfect match for Ted as he had left his mark in the collegiate sports world. While attending Miami (Ohio) University he reached the pinnacle of his athletic career by becoming an NCAA Champion in Track and Field and competing in the 1968 United States Olympic Trials. Ted was inducted into Miami’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. He served on the Miami (Ohio) University Alumni Board of Directors from 2009 – 2015 and was the President and Chair of the Board in 2015 – 2016.

Since relocating to Florida, Ted was the Parade of Homes Recommended Photographer by the Home Builders Associations of Manatee and Sarasota Counties and has served as a Business Consultant and Program Facilitator for the following organizations: Herald Tribune Distribution, Hillsborough County Headstart, Children’s First, Helen R. Payne, SCOPE and the Non-Profit Resource Center/The Community Foundation of Sarasota.

He is the Community Liaison and College and Career Resource volunteer through the College For Every Student program (CFES) at Booker High School and is currently serving on the School Advisory Council of Suncoast Technical College. Ted is a College Success Coach for Take Stock In Children, and was recognized as the Sarasota County School District 2018 Outstanding Senior Volunteer. The following is a link to the ABC-7 Outstanding Volunteer interview. http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/booker-high-school-volunteer-transforming-the-lives-of-teens/article_151513e6-3e81-11e8-82be-9bb6733ad51a.html

As a certified Professional Life Coach (Downing Champion Coaching) he has developed and facilitates a process for individuals seeking excellence in their personal and professional life.

Ted welcomes each opportunity to be a positive change agent for organizations and individuals through sharing the real-world experiences that he has skillfully integrated into his programs.

I am a product of Sarasota County Schools – Gulf Gate, McIntosh, Riverview. I am a UF alum and avid Gator fan! I have spent my entire educator career here in Sarasota; 16 years as a middle and high school teacher, 7 years in various leadership roles, and 8 years in administration. I love this work and am delighted to be a part of the STC family!

Born in Queens, New York. Moved to Sarasota in 1984. Married to Debra Hutchinson, LPN. One child – Paul Stephen – attending Boston University.

BS and MA in Gerontology from USF. Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) since 1994.

SAC Membership for over twenty years including past chairman and treasurer.

SAC Member for over 25 years. A father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Engineering degree and MBA grad work from DREXEL University in Philadelphia. Registered Professional Engineer. Principal and Managing Partner of GAP Engineering and Planning, LLC. Current President of the local Florida Engineering Society. Served on several County advisory boards, most notably, on the Sarasota County Planning Commission for nearly 15 years.

Erin Silk is the Director of Business Development Services at the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County. Erin’s role includes promoting workforce development and helping Sarasota County businesses connect to workforce solutions. She is passionate about helping retain and develop local talent. Erin is originally from Baltimore, MD and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Towson University.

My name is Denise Walker. I have taught Health Services courses here at STC and currently teach the Senior Level SPHS Practical Nursing students as well as serve as the Chairperson of the SDMT and Secretary of the SAC committee.

I have over 25 yrs experience as a Registered Nurse. I am a 3rd generation educator and have been teaching since 2011. Seeing my students succeed in becoming a more confident, professional Nurse and passing their NCLEX exams is what I love most about being a Teacher.

I am a huge proponent for SkillsUSA being introduced to the organization during my vocational training in Cosmetology in 1985. I currently serve on the SkillsUSA Alumni and Friends National office Executive Board as the Region 2 Representative. Since 2011, I have taken over 100 of my health occupation students to compete at the Regional, State and National conferences. A good number of those have won National medals in their contest areas.

Outside of the classroom, you can usually find me snorkeling, scuba diving, lobstering (in season) and spearfishing with my wonderful husband, partner in adventure, Joe.