1. Donald L. Koch: a Brief
Biography of Governor
Reubin Askew
By Donald L. Koch

2. The president of Koch Asset Management, Donald L.
Koch has dedicated his career to the financial industry
with a particular focus on community-based financial
institutions. Along with performing as an economics
professor at several colleges, Koch also acted as an
economic advisor to former Florida governor Reubin
Askew.

3. Born in 1928, Reubin Askew served as the 37th
Governor of Florida. Following high school education,
Askew enlisted in the United States Army as a
paratrooper and was discharged as a sergeant.
Subsequently, he held the rank of second lieutenant in
the United States Air Force. Moreover, he graduated
from Florida State University and from the University of
Florida Law School.

4. Following his retirement from the US Air Force, Askew
entered public service. After two years as the assistant
county solicitor for Escambia County, he was elected to
the Florida House of Representatives. He spent four
years in this position before earning a seat with the
Florida Senate. Elected governor in 1970, Reubin
Askew obtained recognition as the first governor to win
two successive four-year terms.

5. As governor, Askew made numerous contributions to
the state, including reducing consumer taxes; doubling
homestead exemptions; and enacting the “Sunshine
Amendment,” which mandated that public officials
reveal their income sources. In recognition of Reubin
Askew's accomplishments, the Florida Department of
State honored him as a “Great Floridian” in 1998.
Additionally, Florida State University named its School
of Public Administration and Policy after him, and the
University of Florida Institute on Politics and Society
also bears his name.