The Board of Trustees of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has elected three new members. Attorney Morgan Bentley, journalist Mary Braxton-Joseph, and philanthropist Audrey Robbins each will serve a three-year term on the Board. Their Board service began on July 1.
Morgan Bentley is managing partner of the law firm Bentley Goodrich Kison. A highly regarded trial attorney, he focuses the majority of his practice on complex business litigation matters, and his experience extends to real estate disputes, including land use and zoning. Bentley is a former president of the Sarasota County Bar Association and a former member of the board of governors of The Florida Bar.
Mary Braxton-Joseph is an Emmy-award winning television journalist and media consultant. From 1990 through 1995, she was Senior Advisor for Media Relations and Public Affairs for the Council on Foundations. Prior to that, Braxton-Joseph served as Manager of Community Affairs and Editorials for WJLA-TV 7, the ABC network affiliate in Washington, D.C. She also served for five years on the Rhodes Scholars Selection Committee.
Audrey Robbins is a retired educator and a community volunteer and philanthropist who is active in the arts as well as human services and education. She previously served as Math Department Chair at the Out-of-Door Academy. Currently, she serves as a trustee of The Sarasota Ballet, and she chaired the Gala Committee for the 2022 Sarasota Opera Gala.
The other members of the Selby Gardens Board of Trustees are Daniel “Pat” Ball, Aaron Bellamy, Ariane Dart, Norbert P. Donelly, Renée James Gilmore, Jean Weidner Goldstein, Teri A Hansen, Marcy Klein, Katherine A. Martucci, Cornelia Matson, Marianne McComb, Keith Monda, Dr. Joel Morganroth, Mike Quillen, Jeannie Russell, Pauline L. Wamsler, Margaret Wise, and Jennifer O. Rominiecki, President & CEO of Selby Gardens. McComb and Morganroth were reelected as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, for the current year of Board service.
Former trustees J. Allison Archbold, Esq., and Michael J. Wilson, Esq., both completed their third three-year term on the Board at the end of June, and now will continue their service to Selby Gardens on the Advisory Committee.