Press Release:

TALLAHASSEE -

Governor Charlie Crist today appointed two new members and
reappointed one member to the State Board of Education.

"The shared experience, leadership and commitment of these appointees will help develop the talent of Florida's future innovators and ensure our students are well-prepared for tomorrow's workforce needs," said Governor Crist. "I am confident they will serve their communities and the people of Florida with great wisdom and foresight."

The three appointees to the State Board of Education include:

* Kathleen Shanahan, 50, of Tampa, is reappointed to the State
Board of Education. She has been CEO of WRSCompass since 2005.
Previously she was president of Irish ROSE Consulting from 2003 to 2005.

From 2001 to 2003, she was chief of staff for Governor Jeb Bush.
Shanahan is also a member of the Florida Council of 100. She received
her bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego, and
her master's from New York University. Shanahan will serve a term ending December 31, 2013.

* Susan Story, 50, of Pensacola, has been president and CEO of
Gulf Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company since 2003. Her experience with Southern Company began in 1982 and includes positions such as a nuclear power plant engineer, executive vice president of Southern Company Engineering and Construction Services, vice president of Southern Company Supply Chain Management, and vice president of Real Estate and Corporate Services at Alabama Power Company.

Story is the Chair of the Florida Council of 100. She is also immediate past chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and a past vice chair of Enterprise Florida. She has served on the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission and the Florida Tax and Budget Reform Commission. Story is also a member of the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. She received her bachelor's degree from Auburn University and her master's from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Story succeeds Linda Taylor for a term ending December 31, 2013.

* Mark Kaplan, 42, of Tallahassee, has been the vice president of
Mosaic Fertilizer since 2007. Previously, he was chief of staff to both
Governor Jeb Bush and Lt. Governor Toni Jennings from 2004 to 2007.

From 2000 to 2003, Kaplan was executive director of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. He has served as a member on Governor Crist's Action Team on Energy and Climate Change from 2007 to 2008, as a member of the Council of 100 from 2005 to 2006, and a member of the First District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission from 1999 to 2001.

Kaplan received his bachelor's degree from the University of
Florida and his law degree from Florida State University. He succeeds
Peter Boulware for a term ending December 31, 2013.

About the State Board of Education

The State Board of Education's mission is to increase the
proficiency of all students within one seamless, efficient system, by
providing them with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills
through learning opportunities and research valued by students, parents,
and communities. Their goal is to maintain an accountability system that
measures student progress toward accomplishments such as high student
achievement, seamless articulation and maximum access, a skilled
workforce and economic development, and quality efficient services.

About Florida Education

A decade of educational progress in Florida continued this year with an
8th-place national ranking by the 2010 Quality Counts: Fresh Course,
Swift Current report. The Quality Counts report card issued annually by
Education Week tracks state education policies and performance and
assigns each state an overall point total to signify their education
standing in the nation. This year's ranking improves the Sunshine
State's ranking of 10th last year and 14th in 2008, up from 31st in
2007.

In addition, the College Board's release of Advanced Placement (AP) exam
results show that Florida is tied for fifth in the nation in the
percentage of 2009 graduating seniors who passed (scored a 3 or higher) an AP exam in high school. The state's five-spot jump from last year's ranking includes a 3.1-percentage increase in the passing rate, nearly double the increase of the next ranked state. Florida also moved to the top of the nation in the percentage of 2009 graduating seniors who took an AP exam in high school.