Latest news with #JeanetteNuñez
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Diaz, Nuñez, Johnson: How many DeSantis allies lead Florida universities and colleges?
Of all the changes Ron DeSantis has made during his time as governor of Florida, one of the most lasting may be his mark on education. For years, DeSantis has waged war on what he called false ideological practices, wokeness and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) practices in an effort to overhaul the state's school system to align with his priorities. Florida lawmakers, under his recommendations and in the name of protecting parents' rights, have passed multiple bills restricting gender identity and discussion of sexual orientation, banning LGBTQ+ and inclusion displays, banning transgender athletes from competing on women's public school teams, streamlining the process of challenging books in school libraries and classrooms, adding tough new requirements on teacher unions, weakening tenure protections, and excising DEI and "critical race theory" elements from curriculums. And one by one, positions in Florida's State University System (SUS) that in years past would be staffed by academics, researchers, or possibly business leaders with strong fundraising skills have been filled with Republican politicians, political allies and staff members from DeSantis' cabinet. On June 2, Jeanette Nuñez, formerly DeSantis' lieutenant governor, was named president of Florida International University. The week before, former state education commissioner Manny Diaz was elected interim president of University of West Florida. DeSantis recommended his deputy chief of staff Anastasios Kamoutsas to replace him. In cases where a direct DeSantis connection isn't involved, the governor's influence is still felt. Santa Ono was on track to become the next president of the University of Florida and had been approved by UF's Board of Trustees but was shot down by the Board of Governors, a 17-member board that oversees the public university system, over his handling of pro-Palestine encampments in Michigan in 2024 and his past support of DEI initiatives, which he has since walked back. Most of the 17 members were appointed during DeSantis' term. DeSantis and education: Florida governor Ron DeSantis is overhauling education policy in Florida On June 2, Jeanette Nuñez, formerly DeSantis' lieutenant governor and a state representative, was named president of Florida International University. Nuñez was one of three finalists for the position, but the other two said they would only continue to a public phase of the process if they were chosen as the lone candidate according to FIU Carlos Duart, who led the school's search committee. Critics said that DeSantis helped get her the job, something one of the trustees appeared to admit when he supported her. 'I believe she will be a very successful president, and to be honest, if we don't pick her as our president, I suspect that tomorrow we are going to find out who the governor's office's second pick is,' Dean Colson said. 'I really like our first pick, so why would I take that chance?' The appointment remains subject to approval by the SUS Board of Governors. Nuñez, an FIU grad who has served as interim president since February. is set to receive a five-year contract with a base salary of $925,000 and annual performance bonuses of up to $400,000. Manny Diaz, the former commissioner of the Florida Department of Education, was selected on May 27 to be the interim president for the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Diaz served in the House from 2012 to 2018 and in the Senate from 2018 until 2022 when DeSantis recommended him as education commissioner. Before entering politics, Diaz was a social studies teacher and baseball coach in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He became an assistant principal and later chief operating officer at Doral College. Diaz replaces UWF president Martha Saunders, who chose to step down after months of a contentious board of trustees meeting where newly appointed member Zach Smith grilled her about "diversity, equity and inclusion" issues he had identified when combing through UWF's social media. Smith had been appointed by DeSantis days earlier, one of several controversial DeSantis appointees to the board over the last few months. Diaz will become interim president July 14 and is expected to eventually become the official president. Over spirited objections and protests from the FAMU community of students, teachers and alumni, Marva Johnson was picked on May 16 to be president of Florida A&M University. Johnson is not a politician but has been heavily involved in Republican politics, even as key organizer for Florida's COVID-scuttled plans to host the Republican National Convention in 2020. She previously served as a political appointee in the administrations of Governors Rick Scott and DeSantis and was chair of the Florida State Board of Education for four years. She also served on DeSantis' transition team in 2018. Critics said she had no actual academic experience and feared she was put in place at the HBCU by DeSantis. There was widespread speculation that FAMU board Vice Chair Deveron Gibbons insisted on adding Johnson to what was initially a list of three final candidates committee members interviewed and voted on during closed sessions. Gibbons has denied this. 'I was not sent here to dismantle FAMU," Johnson said in a May 14 public forum. "I would love the opportunity to work with you and to grow FAMU.' James Uthmeier, DeSantis' former chief of staff who was tapped to become the state's attorney general, seemed to acknowledge the governor's role in her appointment. "Congratulations to Marva and @FAMU_1887 — what a terrific selection for the university community!" Uthmeier wrote on X. "And well done by team DeSantis and the SUS for driving this home! Great result for Florida's higher ed and next generation of leaders." Johnson's hiring must be approved by the SUS Board of Governors. FAMU's Board of Trustees are currently negotiating the $750,000 base salary she requested but are pushing a $650,000 base salary with a possible $86,000 bonus. On Feb. 10, Florida Atlantic University selected former House representative and Republican majority leader Adam Hasner over two finalists with academic administration backgrounds: FSU's College of Business Dean Michael Hartline and the University of Maine's Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Volin. His lack of experience in higher education was criticized by some students and faculty members, and there were protests concerning his time working for The Geo Group, a company that operates private prisons. 'I believe I have the right skills and the right experience to lead this university at this pivotal time in its history,' he told the trustees, who voted unanimously in his favor. DeSantis initially supported then-state representative and conservative firebrand Randy Fine for the job, but he was not included in the list of finalists. Two days after the list was released, the SUS chancellor halted the search over concerns about whether the search committee had broken government-transparency rules and the Board of Governors ultimately ordered the search to be done again. Fine pulls DeSantis endorsement: Ron DeSantis says FAU job played role in Randy Fine's defection to Donald Trump Mel Ponder was unanimously selected to be president of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville in November 2024. Previously he had been an Okaloosa County commissioner, mayor of Destin, a Destin City Council member and a representative in the Florida House. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Ponder to the CareerSource Florida board of directors in 2022 and reappointed him in 2023. In April 2024, the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota picked Tommy Gregory, a lawyer and Air Force veteran who chaired the state House Judiciary Committee, as its new president. Gregory was a Republican representative from Lakewood Ranch elected to the House in 2018 who said he served as an instructor and course director during this two decades in the Air Force. In January 2023, DeSantis appointed six new board of trustees at New College of Florida in Sarasota, which had a national reputation as a top public liberal arts college. The new board quickly fired sitting president Patricia Okker over her DEI policies and installed then-state commissioner of education and former Republican House representative and Florida Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran at an annual salary twice that of the former president. DeSantis frequently said he wanted New College to be more like a conservative, classical liberal arts college such as the Christian Hillsdale College in Michigan, and Cocoran and the board have worked toward that goal. Since taking power, they have abolished the school's DEI office, fired the school's dean for DEI initiatives and hired a former Republican Party operative to be admissions officer with a direction to actively try to recruit more student-athletes. In April 2024, the board approved a $200,000 bonus for Corcoran, which along with his salary and other benefits put him among the highest-paid presidents in the state university system. New College of Florida is the smallest Florida public university. New College book dump: This Florida college is trashing LGBTQ+, gender and diversity books. What we know In October 2022, Ben Sasse, the Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, was selected as the sole finalist to become president of the University of Florida, despite objections from students and the community. This was the first major university president selection since a new Florida law, SB 520, allowed universities to keep candidate searches secret and outside of the requirements of Florida's open meetings and public records laws. It also came after more than a year of back and forth between the DeSantis administration and UF, including university leaders possibly being pressured into fast-tracking the hiring of Joseph Ladapo, the governor's pick for surgeon general, and a lawsuit over the university's decision to prevent UF political science professors from giving expert testimony against the state's new elections law because it would go against the governor. Sasse was previously president of Midland University, a small, private Lutheran school in Fremont, Nebraska, for five years before being elected to the Senate and had been a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin. During his tenure he eliminated DEI employee positions at UF and announced the university would fund 19 new projects related to research, technology, AI and student life. UF received $130 million in new funding from the state. Sasse unexpectedly resigned in July 2024, saying he had been diagnosed with epilepsy and wanted to spend more time with his wife Melissa, who suffered an aneurysm and series of strokes in 2007, and his children. After he left office, stories emerged about his lavish spending on catering, staff and consulting contracts. The Independent Florida Alligator reported that he "more than tripled his office's spending, directing millions in university funds into secretive consulting contracts and high-paying positions for his GOP allies." He also hired multiple staffers he knew from his time as a senator, only one of which lived in Florida, which cost the university $633,000, 20 times the previous president's annual average of $28,000, the Alligator said. Sasse denied any inappropriate spending. These are hardly the first politicians to head universities and colleges, of course. Florida State University, for example, has had several politicians in charge, including the recently passed John Thrasher (Republican former senator and House speaker), the late T.K. Wetherell (Democrat representative and speaker) and the late Sandy D'Alemberte (Florida representative). University trustees say they need presidents who can raise funds, negotiate with state leaders, and deal with poltiical landmines. But the recent moves come as DeSantis has been intentionally trying to steer the ship of Florida education in a conservative direction. 'The majority of the politically driven appointments are linked to the far right," said Marybeth Gasman, a professor and associate dean for Research at Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education. "These shifts have led to the rise of presidents who are also seen as aligned with specific political agendas, and this can impact everything from academic freedom to campus culture.' Mary Lett, Pensacola News Journal; Alan Festo, Gainesville Sun; and Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat; contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis allies and staff fill top spots in Florida higher education
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida hasn't had a CFO in months. Who will DeSantis pick, and why does it matter?
For nearly three months, Florida has been without a Chief Financial Officer. "Without a CFO in place, who in the hell is doing the business of the people?" asked former CFO Jimmy Patronis in a recent podcast. Patronis left the post on April 1 to replace former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz as Northwest Florida's member of Congress. Susan Miller, who was chief of staff under Patronis, is currently in charge of the Department of Financial Services, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has not officially named her CFO, even on an interim basis. The last press release from the department was in May, according to its website. The vacancy in a high-level cabinet position is unusual — the CFO is third in the line of succession for governor, after the lieutenant governor and attorney general. Especially since Florida also currently has no lieutenant governor: Former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez left that role in February to be interim president of Florida International University, one of several DeSantis allies in leadership positions in Florida's higher education. (She's since been confirmed as president permanently.) At the first Florida Cabinet meeting since Patronis' absence, every new regulation or rule change was approved unanimously by DeSantis, Attorney General (and former DeSantis chief of staff) James Uthmeier, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. DeSantis had said he would appoint a temporary CFO by mid-May, after the scheduled end of the regular legislative session. But the session was extended due to a stalemate over budget talks between the House and Senate. A final budget was approved on June 17 and now awaits DeSantis' review. Now, a CFO choice could be forthcoming. When a choice is made, it may bring more Republican drama. DeSantis is said to favor a staunch loyalist for the position: Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill. At the same time, Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, last year announced his intent to run for the open seat in 2026. He's endorsed by President Donald Trump. It could make for an awkward GOP primary since Ingoglia is expected to also file to run for the seat for a full term. And Ingoglia, if appointed to serve the rest of Patronis' term, technically would have the advantage of being the incumbent. Here's what to know, and why it's important: The Department of Financial Services is powerful, in charge of paying state vendors and overseeing insurance, financial regulators and fire investigations. It was created in 2002 after the Florida Cabinet was overhauled in 1998 by combining the former offices of comptroller, treasurer, insurance commissioner, and fire marshal. "My department serves consumers and taxpayers through its work in 13 different divisions and additional initiatives I set forth," Patronis once wrote for the DFS website. "A world of information and assistance is provided by the department on issues ranging from insurance education and assistance, fire prevention and safety, and even unclaimed cash and property. "I have also established additional priorities to assist Floridians including fighting fraud, consumer protection and fiscal transparency." The DFS is made of the following divisions, each one with a direct impact on Floridians: Accounting and Auditing Consumer Services Criminal Investigations Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services Insurance Agent and Agency Services Office of Financial Regulation Office of Insurance Regulation Rehabilitation and Liquidation Risk Management Treasury State Fire Marshal Unclaimed Property Workers' Compensation State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, is a long-time Trump ally who has support from Patronis and some influential Trump backers. DeSantis will be making the interim appointment, however, and the two men have had a contentious relationship. 'I don't know where the Governor's going to go with the CFO seat, although I'm pushing hard and I'd like to have it now because I think it'd be better for Florida,' Gruters told reporters in December. He announced his bid for the CFO position in June 2024. Gruters, 47, is a Tampa native with a bachelors' degree from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of South Florida. Previously a CPA for Robinson, Gruters & Roberts PA CPA LLC in Venice, he worked for multiple campaigns and became the chair of the Sarasota Republican Party. Gruters was an early Trump supporter and one of the few GOP leaders who got behind him in 2012. He became Florida co-chair of Trump's 2016 campaign. He won election as a House member in 2016 and moved to the Florida Senate two years later. He was reelected to the Senate in 2022. In 2019 he was elected chair of the Republican Party of Florida and reelected in 2021. In 2023, Trump appointed Gruters to manage the Patriot Legal Defense Fund, his tax-exempt legal defense expense fund. Trump announced in April he was appointing Gruters to vice chair of the White House Homeland Security Council. Gruters and DeSantis clashed back when Gruters was the state GOP chair over Gruters' pay and his organization of a fundraiser for the party. It didn't help when Gruters sided with Trump during DeSantis' campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, and later criticized the governor for spending taxpayer funds to attack an amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana; Gruters supported the amendment. Gruters is married to Sydney Gruters and they have three children. Sydney Gruters was appointed by Trump in his first term to serve as the state director for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After that she worked as district director for U.S. Rep. Greg Steube before being hired as executive director of the New College Foundation during DeSantis' experiment in revamping the liberal arts college along more conservative lines. State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, is a Queens, New York, native who moved to Florida in 1996 to start a mortgage company and homebuilding company. He became politically active, his bio says, when property taxes skyrocketed, founding "Government Gone Wild" and producing seminars and videos over governmental wastefulness. The 54-year-old was elected chair of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee in 2009, and then was elected vice-chair of the Republican Party of Florida in 2011. In 2014, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives and was later chosen chair of the Republican Party of Florida. He was reelected as state chair in 2017. Ingoglia ran for the Florida Senate in 2022 with DeSantis' endorsement and won. As a close ally of DeSantis, described as the governor's "conservative pitbull in the Florida Senate,' Ingoglia has criticized legislative leaders during a rift with the governor over immigration laws. He's sponsored bills in line with DeSantis' agenda, including lowering property taxes and imposing term limits on local officials. Ingoglia has been an official campaign spokesperson for both Trump and DeSantis. This story includes previous reporting by Gray Rohrer of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Chief Financial Officer pick may come down to loyalties
CBS News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Three more DeSantis allies to take the helm of public universities in Florida
The state board that oversees Florida's public universities has confirmed three more allies of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to become university presidents. It's a move supporters say will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape, and one that critics see as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for academic leadership in the state. The elevation of two Republican former lawmakers and a lobbyist comes after the state Board of Governors rejected the nomination of a longtime academic to lead the University of Florida, amid conservative backlash against his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs that board members viewed as unacceptable liberal ideology. With the appointments approved Wednesday, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that will help bolster DeSantis' legacy in higher education that could long outlast his time in office. Leading a Florida university generally comes with a multi-year contract for a salary of at least six figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called "a spoil system for a select few." DeSantis' former lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nuñez. was confirmed as the president of Florida International University in Miami. Meanwhile, telecommunications lobbyist Marva Johnson was tapped to lead Florida A&M University, the state's only public historically Black university. Johnson was previously a DeSantis appointee on the state board of education. Manny Diaz, a former state lawmaker and state education commissioner under DeSantis, was picked to lead the University of West Florida in Pensacola on an interim basis, mirroring the appointment of Nuñez, who was first named interim president before getting the permanent job at FIU. Johnson's appointment, in particular, has alarmed FAMU students and alumni, who begged the board not to confirm her on Wednesday, arguing that she failed to meet the job's minimum requirements and that her requested salary far exceeds her predecessor's. Johnson's appointment has stoked longstanding fears that the HBCU could be merged with Florida State University, the predominantly white institution across the railroad tracks. "I can't decide if her appointment is politically motivated, gross negligence on the part of the board, or just you guys wanting to get rid of FAMU altogether," alumnus Angelo Pettis told the Board of Governors. Board members defended Johnson, her credentials as a telecoms executive and her service on various state boards. Johnson addressed the concerns of FAMU students and supporters, saying she's "ready to lead with boldness" and committed to working alongside them. "I remain deeply committed to ensuring that the legacy of the university is not lost," Johnson said.
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Three more DeSantis allies to take the helm of public universities in Florida
The state board that oversees Florida's public universities has confirmed three more allies of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to become university presidents. It's a move supporters say will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape, and one that critics see as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for academic leadership in the state. The elevation of two Republican former lawmakers and a lobbyist comes after the state Board of Governors rejected the nomination of a longtime academic to lead the University of Florida, amid conservative backlash against his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs that board members viewed as unacceptable liberal ideology. With the appointments approved Wednesday, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that will help bolster DeSantis' legacy in higher education that could long outlast his time in office. Leading a Florida universities generally come with a multiyear contract for a salary of at least six-figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called 'a spoil system for a select few.' DeSantis' former lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nuñez. was confirmed as the president of Florida International University in Miami. Meanwhile, telecommunications lobbyist Marva Johnson was tapped to lead Florida A&M University, the state's only public historically Black university. Johnson was previously a DeSantis appointee on the state board of education. Manny Diaz, a former state lawmaker and state education commissioner under DeSantis, was picked to lead the University of West Florida in Pensacola on an interim basis, mirroring the appointment of Nuñez, who was first named interim president before getting the permanent job at FIU. Johnson's appointment, in particular, has alarmed FAMU students and alumni, who begged the board not to confirm her on Wednesday, arguing that she failed to meet the job's minimum requirements and that her requested salary far exceeds her predecessor's. Johnson's appointment has stoked longstanding fears that the HBCU could be merged with Florida State University, the predominantly white institution across the railroad tracks. 'I can't decide if her appointment is politically motivated, gross negligence on the part of the board, or just you guys wanting to get rid of FAMU altogether,' alumnus Angelo Pettis told the Board of governors. Board members defended Johnson, her credentials as a telecoms executive and her service on various state boards. Johnson addressed the concerns of FAMU students and supporters, saying she's "ready to lead with boldness" and committed to working alongside them. 'I remain deeply committed to ensuring that the legacy of the university is not lost,' Johnson said. ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Associated Press
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Three more DeSantis allies to take the helm of public universities in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The state board that oversees Florida's public universities has confirmed three more allies of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to become university presidents. It's a move supporters say will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape, and one that critics see as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for academic leadership in the state. The elevation of two Republican former lawmakers and a lobbyist comes after the state Board of Governors rejected the nomination of a longtime academic to lead the University of Florida, amid conservative backlash against his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs that board members viewed as unacceptable liberal ideology. With the appointments approved Wednesday, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that will help bolster DeSantis' legacy in higher education that could long outlast his time in office. Leading a Florida universities generally come with a multiyear contract for a salary of at least six-figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called 'a spoil system for a select few.' DeSantis' former lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nuñez. was confirmed as the president of Florida International University in Miami. Meanwhile, telecommunications lobbyist Marva Johnson was tapped to lead Florida A&M University, the state's only public historically Black university. Johnson was previously a DeSantis appointee on the state board of education. Manny Diaz, a former state lawmaker and state education commissioner under DeSantis, was picked to lead the University of West Florida in Pensacola on an interim basis, mirroring the appointment of Nuñez, who was first named interim president before getting the permanent job at FIU. Johnson's appointment, in particular, has alarmed FAMU students and alumni, who begged the board not to confirm her on Wednesday, arguing that she failed to meet the job's minimum requirements and that her requested salary far exceeds her predecessor's. Johnson's appointment has stoked longstanding fears that the HBCU could be merged with Florida State University, the predominantly white institution across the railroad tracks. 'I can't decide if her appointment is politically motivated, gross negligence on the part of the board, or just you guys wanting to get rid of FAMU altogether,' alumnus Angelo Pettis told the Board of governors. Board members defended Johnson, her credentials as a telecoms executive and her service on various state boards. Johnson addressed the concerns of FAMU students and supporters, saying she's 'ready to lead with boldness' and committed to working alongside them. 'I remain deeply committed to ensuring that the legacy of the university is not lost,' Johnson said. ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
