William B. (Bill) Deas, Secretary,
and his wife, Marilyn, returned to Alachua County in 1995 when he took the reins of the family cattle and timber operations, Deas Land and Cattle LLC. Having extensive agricultural background, Deas practiced agricultural law for ten years and was President of the Livestock Marketing Association Insurance Agency. He has also owned and traded commodities from his seat on the Board of Trade in Kansas City, Missouri and owned interests in feed lots in Texas and Kansas. A member of the Alachua County Farm Bureau Board since 2001, he has held office since 2002.