St. Pete banker named vice chair of USF Board of Trustees

Stephanie Goforth, president of the West Florida Region for Northern Trust, has been elected vice chairman of the University of South Florida Board of Trustees.

Goforth is a USF alum who also serves as chair of the USF St. Petersburg Campus Advisory Board, a role she will retain. Her election as board vice chair ensures the St. Petersburg campus will have a strong voice on the full USF Board of Trustees, as the university moves forward with a consolidation plan that brings the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota campuses under a single accreditation.

Goforth succeeds Les Muma as vice chairman of the board of trustees. Muma, retired chairman and CEO of Fiserv Inc., decided to step down as vice chair but remain on the board, a news release said.

In a statement, Goforth thanked Muma for his ongoing commitment to the board and for the “transformative” impact Muma and his wife Pam have made on USF. The couple is among the largest donors to the university and the namesake for the Muma College of Business.

Goforth said she was honored to be selected by fellow trustees as vice chair.

“I’m very passionate about the University of South Florida and I look forward to this opportunity to help continue the university’s momentum and build on our recent achievements,” she said.

Goforth has been a valuable member of the board, said Jordan Zimmerman, board chairman, who called her an “outspoken advocate” for all of the university campuses and communities across the Tampa Bay region.

Goforth is based out of Northern Trust’s downtown St. Petersburg office, where she is responsible for managing all aspects of the region’s trust sales activities. With more than 24 years of trust, investment and banking experience, Goforth joined Northern Trust in 2005.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from USF.