Board of Advisors 2025-2026
Renee Agler
Executive Director
Baker McKenzie’s Global Service Center
Tampa, FL
Renee Agler is the Executive Director for Baker McKenzie’s Global Service Center in Tampa and a member of the firm’s global leadership team. Renee played a key role in building the Center from the ground floor and is now responsible for providing overall strategic direction to the Center, enabling employees to deliver high-quality business services for the firm’s stakeholders.
Before assuming this Executive Director role, Renee held various Human Resources roles in companies such as Raymond James, Charles Schwab, EverBank, and Bank of America. Renee’s impressive career as an HR leader had a visible impact in successfully driving organizational change, strategic problem-solving, and developing and implementing HR strategies.
Renee is a passionate business leader with strong beliefs in the power of creating inclusive workplaces where employees have a sense of belonging. By promoting an environment that encourages diversity to generate creative and original ideas, Renee brings an innovative mindset to business challenges.
Renee has an MBA and is Greenbelt certified, and she is also a Tampa Bay Titan 100 honoree for the second straight year.
Renee lives in Tampa with her husband, Jeremy Agler, and enjoys traveling for a spontaneous weekend getaway or an international adventure.
Dave Ballesteros
CEO & Founder
Flowstone
DeLand, FL
Dave has over 30 years of experience in the high-tech industry and has worked for several large global organizations, including NEC, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, and NICE. He was early in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) space and served as the Head of Partnerships and Alliances at Foundever, the third largest Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) in the world.
Dave now owns and runs Flowstone Group, a technology advisory firm that helps mid to large sized enterprises with their strategic direction and assists in the evaluation and procurement of solutions ranging from Contact Center Software, Telephony Systems, AI platforms, Data Centers and CyberSecurity.
Beyond his career, Dave is deeply involved in the DeLand, Florida community and Stetson University. In addition to serving on the Stetson School of Business advisory board, he is also on the boards of multiple non-profits including Making The Difference Outreach and Lighthouse Works.
Known for his networking prowess, Dave connects people across various sectors. Personally, he enjoys golf, music, and family time. Dave’s family includes his wife Toni, a nurse practitioner, his daughter Payton, and his son Xander. Toni and Payton are also Stetson alumnus and Xander graduated from Elon University.
Karen Brown ‘95, MAcc ‘96
Partner
Ernst & Young
Orlando, FL
Karen Lenn Brown is a double hatter with a BBA and a Master’s in Accountancy.
Karen was the first female partner at the Jacksonville office of Ernst & Young and is now located in the Orlando office. She is an audit partner and has been with Ernst & Young for almost 21 years. In 2014, Karen was named one of the Women of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal.
Karen currently serves on the Audit Committee and the Chair of the Finance Committee of the YMCA of Orlando, Florida.
Rob Chambers ‘04, MAcc ‘05
CEO
Americold Realty Trust
Atlanta, GA
Rob is the CEO of Americold Realty Trust, a publicly traded, global, industrial real estate company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. In his role, Rob has global P&L responsibility and oversees operations, business development, Information Technology, and market strategy. He also leads the physical development and automation organization.
Prior to his role as President, Rob was Americold’s Global Chief Commercial Officer. Before joining Americold, he was the Chief Financial Officer for Saia, a publicly traded transportation company. Rob began his career with KPMG in their Audit and Advisory practice.
He is also both a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Rob also serves on the Board of the Global Cold Chain Alliance.
Rob resides in Atlanta, GA, with his wife, Lauren, and their children, Kate and Will. Rob enjoys golf, travel and great food and wine with friends and family.
Greg Dasher ‘86
Vice President, Small Business Underwriting
UFG Insurance
DeLand, FL
Greg Dasher has been a leader in the commercial insurance industry for the last 35 years. Mr. Dasher joined UFG in June of 2023, when he was hired into his current position, Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer of Small Business. He spent the first 10 years of his insurance career, starting in claims, then several positions from agent, to marketing and branch manager within the independent agency network. His past 26 years were in all areas of Small Business Underwriting at CNA. He started as a frontline underwriter, built the first service center, designed, launched and managed CNA’s proprietary BOP product and ultimately led the Small Business Underwriting team for the past several years.
Greg holds a BA in Business Administration from Stetson University. Greg holds and maintains his Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation. He has been a board member of Verisk’s Businessowners’ Panel since 2005.
Greg enjoys living back in DeLand and spending time with family, friends and fellow Hatters and attending Stetson games, concerts and events, as well as daily walks through campus.
Grant Davis ‘93
Founder & President
Davis Executive Consulting and Coaching
St Paul, MI
Grant Davis earned his BBA in General Business from Stetson in 1993 and his MBA from Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University in 2005.
Grant is the founder and President of Davis Executive Consulting and Coaching. His firm is focused on sparking growth with leadership teams in various industries, focusing on building materials and home improvement.
Before starting his firm, Grant worked in sales, marketing and general management roles with the biggest brands in the building industry, including Kohler Company and Andersen Windows & Doors. In his 19 years with Andersen, Grant played a pivotal role in the growth of the Renewal by Andersen business, leading the Andersen-owned retail operations. He also spearheaded the customer-facing and go-to-market teams for the traditional Andersen business as Senior Vice President.
Grant has also served on several non-profit boards and has been a member of the Executive Council for the Minnesota Historical Society since 2015.
Grant has lived in Minnesota with his wife, Kim, and their three kids for 16 years.
John R. Ellerman ‘68, MBA ‘69
Founding Principal
Pay Governance, LLC
Dallas, TX
Partner Emeritus, Pay Governance LLC (2022)
Founding Partner, Pay Governance LLC (2010-2022)
Managing Principal, Towers Watson (1978-2010)
John Ellerman is a highly experienced management consultant, specializing in executive compensation, with a career spanning over 50 years. He retired in 2022 from Pay Governance LLC where he served as a consultant and advisor to Fortune 500 companies. Prior to this, he worked at Towers Watson, ultimately becoming the Managing Principal of Towers Perrin after 32 years of service. His consulting journey began in 1972 as a General Strategy Consultant with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell (now KPMG).
In his role as an Executive Compensation Consultant, John designed annual and long-term incentive compensation plans, provided guidance to compensation committees, conducted comprehensive compensation analyses, and aided companies in revising executive compensation plans following mergers and acquisitions. He is also a recognized author in the executive compensation field, frequently contributing to Harvard Law School’s Corporate Governance Forum.
John holds both BBA and MBA degrees from Stetson University.
Frank “Lex” Ford III ‘07
President
Climate First Bank
DeLand, FL
After Stetson, Lex joined Mainstreet Community Bank as a management trainee and later credit analyst. In 2013, he moved to First Green Bank, advancing to Senior Credit Officer and then Wingman to Executive Chairman Ken LaRoe. There, he helped launch cannabis banking, making First Green the only Florida bank in the industry and quickly capturing the full market. The bank sold to Seacoast in 2018, where Lex stayed as a senior commercial banker until 2021.
That October, Lex became President of Climate First Bank—the world’s first FDIC-insured bank founded to combat the climate crisis—and joined its Board. The bank launched with $44 million in capital and, in 2022, transitioned to a holding company, Climate First Bancorp, with Lex as President. That year, it also launched OneEthos, Inc., a fintech where Lex serves on the founding Board. Since then, OneEthos has acquired two companies and supported Climate First Bank in originating 4,000+ consumer solar loans worth $190 million.
In January 2025, Lex was named CEO of Climate First Bank while continuing as President, as Mr. LaRoe moved to Executive Chairman. Today, the bank holds $1.25 billion in assets and $125 million in capitalization, making it the fastest-growing bank in the nation.
Vincent Fries ’98, MBA ‘00 | RGIP
Partner
PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP)
Washington DC
Vince Fries is a PwC Partner with extensive experience advising Fortune 500 clients in Banking and Capital Markets. His expertise covers corporate/M&A strategies, product development, operations, technology transformations, and regulatory compliance. Vince started his consulting career with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in 1998 and has helped global banks optimize various portfolios, including deposit, investment, mortgage, credit card, and more. He also spent 4 years at HSBC Bank as Director of Operations Improvement for its North American businesses.
Vince holds a BBA and MBA in Finance from Stetson University and is a Roland George Investments Program graduate. He resides in Northern Virginia with his wife, Lola, and enjoys travel and cooking with family and friends.
Corrine Heck
CEO & Founder
Details Flowers Software
Ormond Beach, FL
Corrine Heck, a visionary entrepreneur, reshaped the floral industry through Details Flowers Software. With two decades of floral experience, she merged creative finesse with technical prowess. Details Flowers Software, born from her transition from event design to coding, revolutionizes event florists’ businesses worldwide.
Corrine’s commitment to innovation and the industry is evident in her female-led team’s bespoke automation tools. She’s received numerous accolades, including recognition from the Society of American Florists and GrowFL’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies.
Beyond business, Corrine’s leadership shines in her roles as a wife, mother of three, and dedicated member of the Stetson University Board of Advisors. She also serves on the Boards of Seed Your Future and That Flower Feeling, organizations that promote horticulture, support floral industry growth, and inspire future generations to work with plants and flowers. Her journey is marked by innovation, growth, and a passion for inspiring transformation.