Foundation Board of Directors

Ashley Bell Barnett has served the Polk State College District Board of Trustees since 2018, holding many leadership roles including Development Chair, Treasurer, and Vice-Chair. She is passionate about sustainable Community Development, with a focus on education. In addition, Ashley serves on many boards including Polk Vision Operations Board, ConnectEd Board, Governing Board Member of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Lakeland Regional Hospital Foundation Board, Polk Arts Alliance Board, Friends of Bonnet Springs Board, and Women United Global Leadership Council. Ashley has been the recipient of notable awards including the National Athena award, AFP philanthropist of the year, and Girls Inc. She Knows Where She’s Going Award. Ashley holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida and received a bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College. She is a fifth-generation Floridian living in Winter Haven with her husband, Wesley Barnett, and their two daughters Raleigh (10) and Birdie (6).

Boards: Foundation, Institute

Committees: Institute Executive; Jt Nominating; PR & Marketing

Ed Droste is a native of Waverly, Iowa, and graduate of Iowa State University. In 1973, Ed joined U.S. Home Corp. He left in 1976 to form his own firm, Provident Management Corp., specializing in resort management in Tampa Bay, South Florida, and the Florida Keys. Ed is co-founder of Hooters Restaurants, originating in Clearwater in 1983, now with more than 300 locations around the world and products in thousands of grocery outlets throughout the country. The Drostes are Co- Founders of Splitsville and Pete & Shorty’s Entertainment and Dining Concepts. Ed was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Florida Prostate Cancer Advisory Board and has been honored with the “Mr. Clearwater” Award, named TEKE Alumnus of the Year, and inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame. His wife Marsha serves on committees for Random Acts of Flowers, Moffitt Pinellas Partners and Chapel by the Sea on Clearwater Beach.

Boards: Foundation, Institute, MMG

Committees: Institute Executive; Facilities; Jt Finance; Jt Nominating; Jt Strategy & Planning; PR & Marketing 

H. Lee Moffitt is a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and the founder of Moffitt Cancer Center. A Tampa native, Lee received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida and his Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law. He chaired the Commerce Committee and the House Reapportionment Committee before being elected Speaker of the House. Lee has received numerous honors and distinctions, some of which are the Leadership Florida Lifetime Achievement Award, the Florida Trend’s Florida Icon Award, Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Florida Board of Regents, BioFlorida’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the H. L. Culbreath Jr. Profile in Leadership Award in 2022 and most recently, 2025 Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Tampa Metro Civitan’s. Lee actively serves on boards and committees in the public and private sectors, including Florida’s I-4 High Tech Corridor Council. He is president of H. Lee Moffitt, P.A., a government relations law firm in Tampa.

Committees: Jt Finance

Steve Raney is the Executive Chairman of Raymond James Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial. Steve also serves as Chair of Raymond James Trust and is one of the 13 members of the Raymond James Financial Executive Committee. Steve joined Raymond James Bank in 2006 as CEO following a 17-year career at Bank of America. He is the past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Tampa Bay History Center and serves on the board of directors of Starting Right, Now – a program aimed at meeting the needs of homeless high school students in Tampa Bay. He serves on the board of the Tampa Bay Partnership, the Tampa Bay area’s economic development organization as well as the Midsize Bank Coalition of America. Steve is a Tampa native and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Florida and a MBA from the Hough Graduate School of Business at the University of Florida. He and his wife Natalie live in Tampa with their two sons and are members of South Tampa Fellowship Church.

Boards: Foundation; Institute 

Francisco Sánchez is a member of the International Trade Practice at Holland & Knight, LLP. Previously, Francisco was chairman of CNS Global Advisors providing strategic advice to companies and governments worldwide. Until 2013, he served as Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce, appointed by President Obama in 2009. During the Clinton Administration, Francisco served as the Asst. Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. He also served as Special Assistant to President Clinton and Chief of Staff to the Special Envoy to the Americas. He has been named as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics by Bloomberg. Francisco also serves as Chair of the Aspen Institute Latinos & Society Program. Francisco obtained his B.A. and J.D. from Florida State University and holds a master’s in public administration from Harvard University.