The University of West Florida (UWF) Presidential Search Committee has named only one finalist for President of the Pensacola campus and that’s the current Interim President Manny Diaz Jr. Diaz has been the temporary President since July. Members of the UWF Search Committee sought stakeholder input and developed a profile for the position. They also engaged in marketing for the position and identified screening the most qualified candidates before making the final recommendation to the Board of Trustees. There were more than 80 applicants for the post. “The Presidential Search Committee worked diligently to recommend the best candidate to serve as UWF’s next president,” said Zack Smith, Chair of the UWF Presidential Search Committee. “After reviewing all of the applicants and conducting in-person interviews, it became clear that Interim President Diaz’s experiences of working in higher education, shaping education policy in the Florida Legislature, and serving on the State University System of Florida Board of Governors while also serving as Florida’s Education Commissioner have uniquely prepared him to be UWF’s next president.” Former UWF President Martha Saunders resigned in May after tensions mounted between her and Florida’s Board of Governors. She was the fifth president of the Panhandle school. But Gov. Ron DeSantis had indicated he wanted to revamp the UWF research and student activities. It led to the decision by Saunders to announce her abrupt departure as her contract wasn’t set to expire until Dec. 31. A UWF news release said the qualifications of Diaz make him a top fit for the school’s top slot. “He is a lifelong educator, whose career spans roles as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and chief operating officer of Doral College, followed by service as Florida’s Commissioner of Education and a member of the Board of Governors. Prior to his appointment as Commissioner, he served in the Florida House and Senate, where he became a leading voice on education policy and sponsored numerous initiatives supporting students, families and teachers,” the news release said.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/767022-uwf-presidential-search-committee-recommends-interim-president-manny-diaz-jr-for-permanent-post/
UWF Presidential Search Committee recommends Interim President Manny Diaz Jr. for permanent post
