USF St. Pete Adds Diamond, Gross to Campus Board

USF St. Petersburg appointed former Florida Representative Ben Diamond and Morgan & Morgan law partner Paul Gross to its campus board. Both will serve four-year terms.

Board members oversee campus operations and serve as advocates for the university within Pinellas County. Their contributions will influence the institution's strategic direction and local engagement.

“Ben Diamond and Paul Gross have both distinguished themselves through career achievement, but what stands out is their deep commitment to serving our community,” said Thomas Smith, interim regional chancellor at USF St. Petersburg. “This combination of professional expertise and civic leadership will be invaluable to our university. I look forward to their unique perspective and the experience they will bring as we continue to advance USF St. Petersburg and our impact across the region.”

The Florida Legislature established the USF St. Petersburg Campus Board in 2001. The USF Board of Trustees appoints its seven members, all Pinellas County residents, based on recommendations from the USF president. Members serve staggered four-year terms.

Diamond, a St. Petersburg attorney and partner at Diamond & Lile, represented St. Petersburg in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2022. He also served as general counsel to former Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. Diamond is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and an adjunct professor of law at Stetson University College of Law.

Gross, a law partner at Morgan & Morgan's St. Petersburg office, is a third-generation Floridian. His parents are USF graduates. Gross previously served as an assistant public defender in Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit and was president of Temple B’nai Israel in Clearwater. He also served on the Sixth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.