Governing Board

John T. Berteau

Governing Board Chairman Emeritus

John T. Berteau is of counsel to the law firm of Williams Parker Harrison Dietz & Getzen, a law firm that has served the Sarasota, Florida, area for more than 90 years. Mr. Berteau focused his practice in the areas of wills, trusts, estate planning and administration. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Duke University.

Mr. Berteau has served on committees of the American Bar Association and the Florida Bar Association involving estate planning and taxation. He has been a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel since 1994.

Mr. Berteau has served on the boards of many charitable organizations. He has served as chairman of the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation; chairman of Southwest Florida Hospice Foundation; chairman of the Friends of Selby Library; and as vice-chairman of Siesta Key Utilities Authority. He has also served as a director and legal counsel to the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. He is a past Commodore of the Field Club; past president of Sarasota Girl's Inc. Foundation; and past president of Sarasota Bay Rotary Club. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and has also served several terms as Senior Warden (chief layman) of St. Boniface Episcopal Church.

Mr. Berteau has been included in The Best Lawyers in America 2007–2019, has been named by Florida Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in Florida, and has been listed in Florida Trend Magazine's Legal Elite.

Ric Gregoria

Governing Board Chairman

Ric Gregoria is an AV-rated attorney that is board certified in wills, trusts, and estates. His practice concentrates on these areas as well as estate business planning and succession. He is a partner at the law firm of Williams Parker where he currently serves as the Firm President.

Mr. Gregoria graduated first in his class in the accounting program at the Florida State University College of Business, where he was Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi. Mr. Gregoria graduated from the University of Virginia School Of Law, where he served as managing editor of the Tax Review. He is a Certified Public Accountant and previously practiced with the accounting firm of PriceWaterhouse and the law firm of Squire Patton Boggs (formerly Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P.). Mr. Gregoria has co-authored the BNA for Federal Estate Tax Returns and has been a regularly presenting expert for Steve Forbes and his education programs through Forbes Magazine.

Mr. Gregoria was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in 2009–2019 and was named as Lawyer of the Year in 2019 by Best Lawyers in America.

Charles (Dan) D. Bailey, Jr.

Governing Board Vice-Chairman

Charles (Dan) D. Bailey Jr., a sixth-generation Floridian, was born in 1946 in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in Sarasota, Florida. He received his BA degree in 1968 and JD degree in 1971 from Mercer University and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1971.

Mr. Bailey is general counsel to the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority. He served for five years as the principal attorney for the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board. He also practices in the area of land use planning and zoning. He previously served as general counsel to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Sarasota County. Mr. Bailey was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007–2020; “Lawyer of the Year” in Land Use and Zoning Law in Sarasota in 2016; the 2006 and 2011 Florida Super Lawyer; and Florida Trend Magazine's 2019 Legal Elite.

His prior civic activities include service as president of the Sarasota Chapter of the American Red Cross; Sarasota County Civic League; Sarasota County Bar Association; Sarasota Tiger Bay Club; and service as Lt. Governor of Kiwanis, Division 21. He previously served as chairman of the United Way of Sarasota County and chaired the William G. & Marie Selby Foundation for nine years. He was the founding chair of Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence (SCOPE).

He is the father of four and grandfather of six.

Dave Bullock

Governing Board Member

Dave Bullock is an experienced management professional with more than 30 years managing and operating public agencies. His innate ability to quickly comprehend complex public policy issues and craft solutions have led to his long record of success and notable accomplishments. Mr. Bullock's specific areas of expertise include operations and project management, economic development, budgets and financial projections, contract management, media relations, policy implementation, organizational change, growth management, infrastructure planning and development, and performance management.

Mr. Bullock served as the Town of Longboat Key's Town Manager for six years and as Sarasota County's Deputy County Administrator (DCA) for 14 years. He also worked in the private sector as a management consultant for eight years. After a brief retirement, he was asked to serve as the Sarasota County Economic Development Corporation's CEO.

Mr. Bullock was a founding member of SCOPE (Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence) from 1998–2002. He received his Bachelor of Science in Education in 1972 from West Chester State University, where he received the President's Award for Outstanding Achievement. He was also a volunteer firefighter and paramedic from 1982–1987.

Cathy L. Layton

Governing Board Member

Cathy L. Layton is a retired commercial real estate broker. She was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and has lived in Sarasota since 1970. She attended the University of Colorado and graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Government Volunteer Positions (appointed or elected):
Sarasota County Planning Commission, Housing Authority of the City of Sarasota, Charter Review Board of Sarasota County, Professional Selection Advisory Board for the Sarasota County School Board, SHIP Affordable Housing Advisory Board.

Community Involvement:
Community Housing Trust of Sarasota, Florida Bar Grievance Committee, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Sarasota (chaired), Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation (chaired), Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (chaired), Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (chaired), William G. and Marie Selby Foundation (chaired).

Her most fulfilling recent service has been to the Bay Park Conservancy, which is creating a 53-acre legacy park on Sarasota Bay for the enjoyment of all.

Layton has been married to Pete Russell for 25 years and delights in sharing with him three children, their spouses, and six grandchildren.