Eight appointed to Apprenticeship Advisory Council

FLORIDA — Six men and two women have been appointed to the state Apprenticeship Advisory Council.

According to the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, the governor has appointed Kirk Barras of Middleburg, Steve Cona III of Tampa, Marcelo Dossantos of Fort Pierce, Eric Kennedy of Margate, David McCraw of Lakeland, Lee Middleton of Wesley Chapel, Natasha Sherwood of Lutz, and Kathryn Starkey of New Port Richey to the council.

Here is more about those appointed to the council:

Kirk Barras
Barras, of Middleburg, is the Training Director for Jacksonville Plumbers & Pipefitters. He is a United States Navy veteran. Barras is the President of the Jacksonville General Apprenticeship Association and serves on the Board of Directors for CareerSource Northeast Florida.

Steve Cona III
Cona, of Tampa, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Associated Builders and Contractors. Cona earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of South Florida.

Marcelo Dossantos
Dossantos, of Fort Pierce, is currently the Director of Talent Development for FloridaMakes. He is the Executive Director for the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Leadership Council. Dossantos earned his bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University and his master’s in business administration from Amberton University.

Eric Kennedy
Kennedy, of Margate, is President of EDK Management Consultants. He is a current member of ACE Mentorship of South Florida. Kennedy earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and math from Florida Southern College and a master’s degree in management from Troy University.

David McCraw
McCraw, of Lakeland, is the Director of the Tampa Area Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC). He is currently a member of CareerSource Polk County and the Florida Association of Apprenticeship Administrators. McGraw is a graduate of the Tampa Area Electrical JATC.

Lee Middleton
Middleton, of Wesley Chapel, is the Training Director for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 123. He is currently a member of the United Association and was a previous member of American Welding Association. Middleton earned a degree in instrumentation technology from Erwin Technical College and a certificate as a training coordinator from Washtenaw Community College.

Natasha Sherwood
Sherwood, of Lutz, is the Executive Director of Independent Electrical Contractors. She was previously the Chief Executive Officer and Head of School for the Tampa Bay Christian Academy. Sherwood earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations and her master’s degree in mass communications from the University of Florida.

Kathryn Starkey
Starkey, of New Port Richey, has been a Commissioner for the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners since 2012. She is a graduate of Florida State University and Pinellas Technical Education Center.