Bruce Deardoff is the chairman of Deardoff Automotive Group, which is comprised of several auto dealerships in Central Florida, including Island Mercury, Jaguar and Land Rover on Merritt Island. The dealerships employ more than 350 people. He is also a former member of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners, appointed in early 2010 to fill a vacant seat. He won election to the post later that year and was reelected in 2012. Deardoff helped guide the Port through a period of unprecedented growth that included more than $1 billion in capital spending on new projects. The work strengthened the Port’s role as an important engine of economic growth along the Space Coast and in Central Florida. A Brevard County businessman for more than 30 years, he has also dedicated countless hours to civic organizations and philanthropic causes. Deardoff received a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Fordham University in New York. Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the EFSC Board of Trustees for a four-year term that began in July 2018. Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed Deardoff to a second four-year term in January 2021.