New College Board of Trustees Elects Schulaner as Chair

The New College of Florida Board of Trustees elected Felice Schulaner as its chair and William R. Johnston as its vice-chair at the Board’s Sept. 10, 2016 meeting.
“When I graduated from New College, I never imagined I would have the honor of serving as Board chair,” Schulaner said. “New College changed my life and I am looking forward to ensuring current and future students have the opportunity to experience the extraordinary educational experience I enjoyed.”

In addition to her role on the New College Board of Trustees, she is a board member of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, a director of the New College Foundation and a member of the boards of Visible Men Academy and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

From March 2011 until May 2015, Schulaner served as executive director of the Coach Foundation, whose mission areas are women’s empowerment and education for underserved populations.
Previously, Schulaner was the senior vice president of human resources for Coach Inc., a multibillion-dollar global accessories company, a position she held from 2000 through 2008. She held similar positions at Optimark Technologies and Salant Corporation. Her career also included senior human resources positions at American Express and Macy’s, and retail management positions at Sears and Jordan Marsh. She and her husband Dennis Rees live on Siesta Key.
Schulaner graduated from New College with a bachelor of arts in economics. She was reappointed by the Board of Governors of the Florida State University System to a second term, ending on January 6, 2020.
Johnston, who lives in Bradenton, is highly regarded throughout financial circles. He served from 1996 to 2001 as the president and chief operating officer of the New York Stock Exchange, followed by two years of consulting with the Exchange. He has a long and distinguished record on Wall Street, with Johnston & Lunger, Mitchum Jones & Templeton, Agora Securities, and LaBranche & Co. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, where he has remained active and is an emeritus trustee.
Currently he is also a member of the boards of the Plymouth Harbor Foundation, Visible Men Academy and the New College Foundation. His past advisory board service included the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in New York, Goizueta School of Business at Emory University, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies of the University of Richmond, Hollins University in Virginia, Friends of Fort De Soto National Memorial and Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County. He has been married for 54 years to his wife, Betsy, and has two grown children and two granddaughters.
Johnston previously served as chair of the New College Board of Trustees, from 2012 to 2014. He was re-appointed by the Board of Governors to a second term ending on January 6, 2020.