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Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Manny Díaz Jr. tapped as University of West Florida interim president
Amid Gov. Ron DeSantis' efforts to reshape the state's higher-education system, the University of West Florida Board of Trustees on Tuesday selected state Education Commissioner Manny Díaz Jr. to serve as the school's interim president. Díaz, a close ally of DeSantis, will succeed outgoing President Martha Saunders, who announced on May 14 that she would step down. The selection of Díaz, a Hialeah Republican who served in the House and Senate before being appointed commissioner in 2022, drew harsh criticism from community leaders, students and faculty members in the runup to Tuesday's 8-2 vote by the trustees. Jerry Maygarden, a former state representative who has been involved with the university for more than five decades, was among the people who urged the board to consider other options for a successor to Saunders. Maygarden noted that rumors of Diaz's potential selection circulated 'for more than a year' and predicted that the appointment of the politically connected commissioner on an interim basis would have a negative impact on a search for a new president if Diaz decides to seek the job on a permanent basis. 'If you name him the interim president, you will shut down the applicant pool,' Maygarden warned. 'Top-drawer candidates will not want to sacrifice their current positions for a political process that appears to be, as one Tallahassee insider said, a done deal,' he added. Tallahassee State College President Jim Murdaugh and Northwest Florida State College President Mel Ponder, a former state representative, supported Díaz. Díaz, who served as education chairman in the Senate, 'had legislative successes in policy and appropriations' and 'knows the halls of the Capitol extremely well, which I think would really serve the university well, from that regard,' Ponder said. Murdaugh called Díaz a 'thought leader' who has established himself as a 'highly effective' leader in education. Díaz has a bachelor's degree from St. Thomas University, a master's degree from Nova Southeastern University and has completed a Harvard Graduate School of Education program for principals, according to a news release issued by UWF after the trustees met. Díaz began his career as a social-studies teacher and coached baseball in Miami-Dade County public schools. He also served as an assistant principal from 2007 to 2013, when he went to work as chief operating officer of Doral College, which is affiliated with charter-school operator Academica. Speaking to the board after Tuesday's vote, Díaz addressed concerns that he lacked the qualifications to serve as president of the university, which has roughly 14,000 students. 'While I have a vast experience in the K-12 world, obviously, I also have been involved in higher ed, not just as a policymaker in the Legislature and as a member of the (state university system's) Board of Governors, but as an administrator in my, quote unquote, day job,' Díaz said, adding that he's 'had a lot of conversations' with people in the region. Díaz also said he's 'enjoyed very good relationships' with members of the Northwest Florida legislative delegation. 'I understand that this institution has a very unique place in this community. It has an identity of this community, not only as an economic engine, but also as a guardian of the historic trust,' he said. 'But it is a robust military community, and I think that is going to continue to be important.' Controversy has swirled around the University of West Florida for months. DeSantis and the university system's Board of Governors appointed a slate of trustees — including Boise State University political science professor Scott Yenor — to the school in December and January. Yenor was quickly elected chairman of the board but drew opposition, in part, because of issues such as a 2021 comment calling working women 'more medicated, meddlesome and quarrelsome than women need to be.' Yenor stepped down from the board in April. Alonzie Scott, a trustee who was appointed to the board in 2018 and reappointed by DeSantis in 2019, on Tuesday questioned not only Díaz's qualifications but also the process resulting in his nomination. As speculation swelled about Díaz, the university did not identify him as a potential interim president until the agenda for Tuesday's meeting was posted on Monday. 'I don't know of any place in any job that I've ever had in my entire career where you select one person and you … give them to a board and make that be the only choice,' said Scott, who opposed Díaz's selection. Scott also said the board appeared to have 'circumvented' procedures 'to create a facade of a meeting' so Díaz could be tapped as interim president. 'I can't prove that any of us have violated the Sunshine (Law) guidelines, but I can tell you … it appears that those decisions were made before this board even had a chance to discuss,' Scott said. 'That is a travesty in terms of how we operate. It's a slap in the face of what we consider a process of getting things done and it's certainly a disservice to the community of Northwest Florida, Escambia County and all the other counties that the school draws students from.' Scott repeatedly pressed board Chairwoman Rebecca Matthews, who also chairs the Florida Education Foundation, to reveal who she spoke to about Díaz's appointment before Tuesday. Matthews' nonprofit is a direct-support organization for the state Department of Education, which Díaz oversees. Matthews said she spoke with state university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and 'many folks.' 'Folks in the administration. Folks in the community,' Matthews said, bristling at Scott's questions. 'I don't know that I have to run through that list with you today.' Before the vote on Díaz, Matthews praised his record. 'Commissioner Díaz is high energy. He's a tireless leader, an advocate with endless ideas to brainstorm. His vision, his foresight, his strong ability to implement has been proven time and time again,' she said. Trustees Ashley Ross, who was appointed to the board by DeSantis in January, and Rachel Moya, who was appointed by the Board of Governors in December, also strongly recommended Díaz. But questions remained about the impact of Diaz's selection on a presidential search. Dick Baker, a trustee who also has been affiliated with UWF for more than five decades, suggested Díaz would not be willing to leave his position as education commissioner — with the support of the governor — for a temporary job as president. 'I don't think a (presidential) search when the interim president is also a candidate will attract any great candidates … so I hope we don't spend much money or do a relatively meaningless search,' Baker, who endorsed Díaz as interim president, said.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UWF President Martha Saunders 'made the Pensacola community a better place to live'
The principle, 'Leave things better than you found them,' perfectly describes Martha Saunders's tenure as president of the University of West Florida. Saunders, who has been UWF's leader since 2017 and is the longest-serving president in the State University System, announced Monday, she was stepping down from the post. During her time as president, she championed the creation of more than 20 new academic programs, including offerings in cybersecurity, mechanical engineering and an Intelligent Systems and Robotics Ph.D. program in collaboration with the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. To those who know and work with Saunders, she is so much more. 'Dr. Saunders was an exceptionally fine administrator and equally fine academic. We both studied communication as a vocation, and she was exceptionally fine teacher,' recalled Jerry Maygarden, a former Pensacola mayor, city council member and member of the Florida House of Representatives. 'We team taught a course last term, sharing the teaching load. She paid attention to detail and had a keen interest in the students. She is going to be tremendously missed by faculty, staff and students, I hope she will return to the faculty going forward but that remains to be seen.' University of West Florida: President Martha Saunders resigns Maygarden also noted the university's enrollment growth under Saunders's leadership. Defying national trends, UWF achieved record enrollment every year since 2021 − a 14% increase over the past five years. 'We're nearing 15,000 students, that's larger than the University of Notre Dame in Indiana,' Maygarden said. 'We're in the Panhandle − an area not associated with a large population − surrounded by the state of Alabama and the Gulf of America, and still experienced steady growth with her as the leader.' Alonzie Scott, who serves on the UWF Board of Trustees, said Saunders will likely be remembered as one of the university's best presidents. 'I came on board almost seven years ago, and we've seen enrollment increase every year, not one year, but every year of Dr. Saunders's presidency,' he said, echoing Maygarden. 'We've also launched the engineering program, and our campus housing is in the 90th percentile for student occupancy – nationwide.' Scott also spoke about the growth of the university's intercollegiate athletic programs, which are among the best in Division II. 'She's also hired exceptional faculty and staff members, who are focused on helping students get jobs when they graduate or become entrepreneurs,' Scott said, adding Saunders' replacement will have some big shoes to fill. Some other UWF achievements under Saunders tutelage include: UWF becoming a top-performing public university in the Florida Board of Governors performance-based funding metrics Spearheaded the establishment of UWF's Center for Cybersecurity Oversaw the development of Florida's first bachelor's in cybersecurity degree program designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity by the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security The launching of a civil engineering program this fall Construction of the Darrell Gooden Center, the Lab Sciences Annex and the Sandy Sansing Sports Medicine Center Ranking in the top 15 public regional institutions in the South by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges for five consecutive years Multiple national military-friendly institution designations Grown UWF's investment pool by 50%, providing financial stability and opportunities for future growth Under Saunders's leadership, UWF also has met or exceeded every performance standard set by the state, said Sen. Don Gaetz. 'UWF graduates have the best chance to obtain employment over any other higher education institution in the state. All of that is because of Martha Saunders' commitment and capability. She leaves the University of West Florida in triumph,' Gaetz said. Scott agreed. 'Whoever comes in behind Dr. Saunders, if they are not looking to raise the performance standards we have today or if any of these metrics drop, the community needs to hold them accountable because that person is not doing the job they're supposed to be doing in the position,' said Scott, the first Black senior executive in the 79-year history of the Office of Naval Research. Sandy Sansing, a UWF alum and supporter, said Saunders did a phenomenal job representing and leading UWF. 'From the students, faculty and alumni, everyone I know totally loved and respected her for the job she did. I am so pleased for the wonderful way she improved every metrics that the state mandated and led UWF to the top,' Sansing said. Elizabeth Turner-Ward, a UWF alum and current graduate student, said Saunders fostered a community focused on excellence. 'It's a community where students from all walks of life felt welcomed into. It has been a community that pushed everyone to be their best together,' said Turner-Ward. 'The types of programs Dr. Saunders pushed with high-impact practices and undergraduate research have made a significant impact on students' careers and lives. I am grateful I've gotten to attend the university under her leadership, and I greatly admire her. She will be missed by the student body.' Turner-Ward said Saunders has shown great dignity during recent challenging situations. Saunders' commitment to students' success extended beyond UWF. Pensacola State College President Ed Meadows praised Saunders for assisting with the college's Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Cybersecurity. 'Before Martha become the UWF president, she was the vice president of academic affairs and she helped clear the path for us to receive approval for our bachelor's degree in cybersecurity,' Meadows recalled, adding the two also worked together on several articulation agreements including the PSC2UWF Student Partnership Program. 'I have always enjoyed Martha's humor and wit, particularly in meetings with her and Pensacola Christian College president when we talked about how to be better partners in our community. Those meeting were always held with the goal of providing what is best for students, and I have always appreciated her for that.' Saunders made the Pensacola community a better place to live, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said. 'Dr. Saunders didn't just keep momentum at the UWF, she made an aspirational vision – higher performance, bigger enrollment and unprecedented success – a reality,' he said. 'Her legacy will always be defined by success, strength and the fact that she ushered UWF to unprecedented heights.' Suzanne Lewis, a former UWF trustee who serve on the board for 14 years, said Saunders' brought innovative programs to the university such as giving undergraduate students access to research studies and internships. 'Giving students the opportunity to participate in internships in their fields of study improved their chances of being hired after graduation,' said Lewis, who added Saunders' communication skills made her relatable to UWF students, faculty, staff and community members. 'She was always responsive to the community. I think the community, as a whole, will show Martha their gratitude for all the things she has done,' Lewis said. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: University of West Florida President Martha Saunders resigns
