Board of Trustees

David Leidel

is chair of the SFCC District Board of Trustees. He was appointed to the board in August 2007, representing Highlands County. Originally from Birmingham, Ala., Leidel moved to Sebring in 1998 to open the Lake Placid office of the investment firm, Edward Jones. Leidel holds a bachelor of Business Administration in Finance degree from Stetson University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Auburn University. A graduate of Leadership Highlands, Leidel is the president of the Highlands County Family YMCA and a member of the Sebring Noon Rotary Club. Leidel and his wife, Michelle, have a daughter, Taylor, and a son, George “Trip” III.

Gary Delatorre

is vice chair of the SFCC District Board of Trustees. He was appointed to the SFCC District Board of Trustees in 1999, representing Hardee County. He graduated from Hardee High School and attended North Carolina State and South Florida Community College. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1977 to 1981. Delatorre owns Coldwell Banker Am-South Realty, as well as Main Street Pub in Wauchula. He serves as president of the Hardee County Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Elks Club, Masons, Lions Club, and Shriners.

Timothy D. Backer

was appointed to the SFCC District Board of Trustees in 2009, representing DeSoto County. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., he moved to Arcadia, Fla. In 1972. One of the college’s own, Backer graduated from SFCC with an associate in arts degree in 1975. He went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from the University of South Florida in 1983. A real estate appraiser since 1975, Backer has been adjunct faculty in real estate at SFCC since 1985. He serves as commander of the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Auxilliary and is the chief of the DeSoto County Volunteer Fire and Rescue, a position which he has held for the past 23 years. Backer is currently chairman of the DeSoto High School Advisory Committee and vice-chairman of the West Elementary School Advisory Committee. He is president of the DeSoto County Board of Realtors, an office in which he has served ten terms. He is also a member of the DeSoto District School Board Calendar Committee. Backer and his wife, Pat, have three children--Tim, Jim, and Bryan.

Tami Cullens

was appointed to the SFCC District Board of Trustees in 2006, representing Highlands County. She was born and raised in Highlands County, graduated from Avon Park High School, and earned her bachelor’s degree in retail from Webber International University. For the last nine years, Cullens has been an active member of the SFCC Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors, serving as secretary, vice president and president. She is a member of the Highlands County Outreach Board of Good Shepherd Hospice, has been a mentor with Take Stock in Children for six years, and was involved in planning Florida Hospital Heartland Division’s benefit galas for many years. Cullens follows in the footsteps of her uncle, Ronnie Sachsenmaier, and her brother-in-law, Jim Brooks, who both served on the SFCC District Board of Trustees in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Joan H. Hartt

has served on the Board since 1999, representing Highlands County. She graduated from Sebring High School and attended Florida State University. Hartt, also serves as a member of the SFCC Foundation Board of Directors. For the last 11 years, Hartt has been involved with the Highlands County Republican Executive Committee and served as treasurer for eight years. She is also a member of the Salvation Army Board. She works in the family business, S.Y. Hartt & Son, Inc., which focuses on citrus and cattle production. Her five sons Steve, Jarvis, Gregg, Ralph, and Fred all work in the family business.

Dr. Louis H. Kirschner

was appointed to the SFCC District Board of Trustees in 1999, representing DeSoto County. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, he graduated from Chicago City Junior College in 1963, attended Southern Illinois University, and graduated from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1972. He has been a chiropractic physician for 30 years. He has been chairman of the DeSoto County Republican Executive Committee since 1990.

Richard L. Maenpaa

has served on the SFCC District Board of Trustees since 1999, representing Hardee County. A resident of Wauchula, he is a retired general manager of Peace River Electric Cooperative, where he worked for 31 years. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Ohio State University in 1958. He also serves on the Boards of the Hardee County Visiting Nurses Foundation and the Peace River Center, which provides mental health services in Highlands, Hardee, and Polk counties.

Anne D. Reynolds

was appointed to the Board in 1999, representing Highlands County. Early in her career, she taught 10th grade at Lake Placid High School. A resident of Lake Placid, she and husband Charles helped found Interlake Academy (now Lake Placid Christian School) for middle grades in 1978, where she taught 5th through 8th grade for 15 years. Reynolds’ fascination in archaeology began when she discovered Native American artifacts on her property, which was later found to be a 3000-5000 B.C. Archaic site. Since 1993, she has presented programs on early Florida history and Florida archaeology to students at all of the Highlands County schools and at local organizations, the Lifetime Learners Institute, and Elderhostel.