JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University is proud to announce that Robert E. Hill, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Acosta, Inc. and Michael O’Malley, vice-president – state government and community affairs at CSX Transportation have joined the University’s Board of Trustees.
“We’re thrilled that Robert and Michael are joining the board because they will help us continue to provide oversight and guidance, working with our administration and staff to offer the best possible educational experience for our students,” said President Kerry D. Romesburg.
A long-time sales and marketing professional, Hill has served Acosta in a variety of key capacities. He was president of Siler Brokerage, a family business founded in 1927, and managed sales and marketing for numerous consumer packaged goods companies when Acosta acquired Siler in 1994. He was appointed president and chief operating officer of Acosta in 2004.
A graduate of Furman University, Hill serves on numerous industry-related boards and is active in the Jacksonville community. He is the chairman of the Board of Directors of Baptist Health System which encompasses six Northeast Florida hospitals and a member of Baptist Medical Center (Downtown Board), and a member of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeast Florida. He is also a board member of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville and serves on the Furman University Board of Trustees.
O’Malley oversees CSX Transportation’s relationships with state and local officials across its 23-state network. This involves working with governors, mayors and state legislators to advance initiatives of interest to the railroad industry. He also oversees the company’s community affairs work, including the promotion of public safety awareness with regard to CSX’s rail operations, especially at highway grade crossings.
Prior to joining CSX, he served in several positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation, including chief of staff at the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency responsible for managing and providing safety oversight for the nation’s air traffic control system. He also served as a transportation and economic development advisor to Illinois Governor Jim Edgar in both Springfield and Washington, D.C.
O’Malley is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the London School of Economics.
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