Congratulations Graduates!

Jeff Holcomb, State Representative, District 53, has lived in Hernando County for over 20 years. Prior to moving to Florida, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He also has a master’s degree in Intelligence Studies from American Military University. He has been married for 22 years to Stacey and has two daughters. He is currently a Realtor.

Jeff previously served as a Hernando County Commissioner where he had 8 years of distinguished service to the citizens of Hernando County. As a commissioner, he has balanced strong conservative values with the ability to move the county in a productive direction, while listening to the concerns of the constituents. In 2019, he served as Chairman of the Commission, and he also served as Chairman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee from 2018-2020. 

Randy Maggard is a businessman and community leader with principled ideals. He has served as vice president of Sonny’s Discount Appliances for 31 years. Throughout his career Randy has put our community first and earned our trust.

Born and raised in Pasco County, Randy attended Zephyrhills High School and has an Associate of Arts from Pasco-Hernando Community College. He is committed to our community and has served on the following community boards:

• State Representative, 2019-Present
• Southwest Water Management Governing Board, 2011-2019
• Southwest Water Management Governing Board Chairman, 2016-2018
• Chairman of the Republican Party of Pasco, 2006-2012
• Member of Sonny Maggard Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation
• President of Sonny Maggard Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation
• Coastal River Basin Board, 2004-2008
• Coastal River Basin Board Vice Chairman, 2008-2010

Randy lives in Dade City and has been married to Colleen for 35 years. They have three children. Outside of work and serving his community Randy enjoys hunting, fishing, ranching and spending time with his family.

Amanda Ortner will graduate from PHSC with two Associate Degrees (AA and ASN) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). She has a nine-year-old son Jaedan, her spouse Fisseha, and an amazing group of friends and family who have supported her throughout this journey. She was inspired to go to Pasco-Hernando State College because of the high standards and passing rates of the NCLEX state test. Beyond her wildest dreams, she was accepted for the fall semester of 2019/2020. She became part of a unique group of people fighting against all odds in a global pandemic to pursue a field where people were suffering the greatest and the job didn’t appear appealing anymore. The politics, hoops and shenanigans that she had endured were a big turn-off, but she still had a burning desire to know if this was her true calling.

Despite the pandemic and the change in learning this new profession, the professors and students at PHSC kept pushing through the chaos and unknown. She overcame so many obstacles from poverty, being a mother, while also building a better life for her son and achieving her dreams. She is very blessed to have a supportive partner and family that has always been beside her while she pushed the boundaries of her own expectations. She created her nursing foundation in a progressive care unit in her community, called a nursing boot camp, and she is looking forward to continuing her education in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at her hospital. She plans on pursing an education to help guide young nurses, just like her, to find education and fulfillment in the nursing profession.

Marilyn Pearson-Adams (Brooksville) was elected to serve as chair, PHSC District Board of Trustees (DBOT), succeeding Alvaro Hernandez, for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Pearson-Adams, is the president of Century 21 Alliance Realty, a director with the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce, and previously served as a board member of the Pasco Hernando Workforce Board. She has served on several professional committees and organizations, and holds relevant real estate industry certifications. Pearson-Adams has served on the PHSC DBOT since 2014.

Misty Renee Price, Ph.D., CPA, is currently enjoying her 13th year as a professor of accounting.  Price has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Florida, a master’s degree of accountancy from Auburn University, a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Florida and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Florida. She currently teaches accounting and finance courses and serves as a subject matter expert in developing online model courses in accounting and finance. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Price also serves as PHSC’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) director and is the newly elected faculty senate president. She serves on a number of PHSC Committees, including co-chairing the General Education Committee as well as the Student Success Committee. 

Prior to her career in academia, Price worked in industry for approximately 10 years performing internal operational audits, audits of internal controls and financial statements, preparing tax returns, and managerial accounting. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges.  

Brooke Thieme is graduating with her Associate in Arts, with a focus in Elementary Education at PHSC. She hopes to pursue a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and, later, earn a graduate degree in Educational Leadership at USF. With a passion for service and interest to leadership, she is excited to enter the field of education as a teacher and hope to reach a place where she can make a larger impact on the youth in our community within educational policy. She has a black belt in Tang Soo Do and taught martial arts for several years as an Instructional Assistant. Interestingly enough, this served as her original motivation for a career in teaching and life in education. Throughout her years at PHSC, she became heavily involved in Student Life and Leadership as a student ambassador and student assistant. She has even held a leadership position as the Vice President of our Rotaract Club at West Campus. In the 2023-2024 academic year, she was a recipient of the Dr. Felisha R. Barker Leadership Award and received two PHSC Foundation Scholarships. With this experience, she has not only been able to grow her passions for service and leadership, but it has helped her work towards her current position as a member of the Board of Directors for the Marjorie's Hope Foundation.