Governing Board

Zack Smith, Chair, is a Senior Legal Fellow and Manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program in the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation. He previously served for several years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Florida. Prior to that, he spent two years as an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which he joined after clerking for the Hon. Emmett R. Cox on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Smith received his undergraduate, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Florida. During law school, Smith served as the Editor in Chief of the Florida Law Review and served on the executive boards of several student organizations, including the UF Chapter of the Federalist Society.

Todd Leonard, Vice-Chair, serves as Athletic Director at West Florida High School, where he oversees athletic programs, compliance, budgeting, and student-athlete development. He is a veteran of the United States Army, having served as a Scout Platoon Leader, and brings to the Pensacola State College Board of Trustees a leadership background shaped by military service, professional sales, education, and community involvement. Mr. Leonard’s professional education experience includes serving as Head Football Coach at Pensacola High School and as a History and AP Government teacher, where he worked closely with students to support academic achievement, character formation, and leadership development. He was the 2016 Pensacola High School Teacher of the Year.  He is the founder and long-time leader of The Micah Mandate, a Pensacola-based civic organization dedicated to leadership formation, service to community, and strengthening families and local institutions. Mr. Leonard resides in Pensacola with his family, where one of his sons currently attends PSC.

Richard Holzknecht, Trustee Member, is a Commercial and Residential Sales Agent for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. He is a veteran of the United States Navy, serving as a Naval Aviator and was the recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal. Active in his community, Holzknecht is a member of the LifeWise Academy of Escambia-Pensacola Board of Directors and the Restoring the Heart Ministries Board. He earned his bachelor’s degree in oceanography from the United States Naval Academy, his master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California, and his master’s degree in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Audrey McDonald, Trustee Member, is a Pensacola-based educator and strategy leader with experience in healthcare performance improvement and culture-building. She is a homeschool educator focusing on classical curriculum. McDonald serves as a Strategic Advisor to the CEO at the Healthcare Experience Foundation and has held roles including Chief Strategy Officer, Client Outcomes Partner at HealthStream, and Performance and Research Coach at the Baptist Leadership Group. She is a published contributor to The Imperative of Culture study. Through her work, she is known for blending analytical, research-driven approaches with practical coaching to strengthen accountability and outcomes. McDonald earned her bachelor’s degree in economics and international affairs from Florida State University. She was appointed to the Pensacola State College District Board of Trustees in 2026.