UWF Board of Trustees appointments take a hard shift to the right

On By Littum

game

When the University of West Florida Board of Trustees meets soon, it will be the first time in at least five years that all 13 seats are filled. However, this board will have fewer local faces and more right-wing trustees with conservative views.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced last week the appointment of five new UWF trustees – Paul Bailey, Gates Garcia, Adam Kissel, Scott Yenor and Chris Young. As governor, DeSantis appoints six trustees to the board.

The appointees, who must be confirmed by the Florida Senate, include two (Kissel and Yenor) affiliated with the Heritage Foundation and two (Yenor and Garcia) who are fellows with the Claremont Institute. An academic, Yenor’s research has also focused on dismantling the rule of social justice in American universities.

Speaking at the National Conservatism Conference in 2021, Yenor labeled “independent women” as “medicated, mixed-up and litigious” and denounced colleges and universities as “the citadels of our gynecocracy” — a form of government run by women.

“If we want a great nation, we should prepare young women to become mothers, and not find every reason why young women can delay motherhood until they are established in a career or sufficiently independent,” he said.

Later in his speech he said, “Every effort must be made not to recruit women into engineering, but rather to recruit and demand more of men to become engineers. Ditto for the medical profession and the law and all professions.”

Bailey, a Pensacola Christian College graduate, appears to be the only appointee with direct ties to the area. A Crestview attorney, he is also a registered instructor with the National Rifle Association.

DeSantis’ appointments followed three new appointments to the board by the Florida Board of Governors in December — Rebecca Matthews and Ashley Ross, both of Tallahassee, and Rachel Moya of Ponte Vedra.

The appointments mark a hard shift to the right for the university, which has been relatively free of allegations of liberal bias up to this point.

In one statement to National ReviewDeSantis’ office said the appointments would “break the status quo and help refocus the university on the core mission of education.”

“Under the leadership of Ron DeSantis, Florida committed to refocusing the state’s universities on their classic mission: to promote academic excellence and prepare students to become citizens of this republic,” the statement to National Review said.

UWF is the second public university where DeSantis has appointed conservative board members in recent years. In January 2023, the governor caused controversy when he appointed six conservatives to New College of Florida Board of Trustees.

And at the first meeting in March 2023, the newly installed board ousted New College President Patricia Okker in favor of former state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.

However, UWF President Marth D. Saunders has been a popular president among faculty, community members and the board.

UWF achieved some of its highest marks in the university’s history in a set of state achievements released in 2024.

Under the performance-based funding model, the board scores each of Florida’s 12 public universities on 10 goals designed to encourage university excellence and improvement. These metrics establish a minimum acceptable level of performance on topics such as graduation and retention rates.

UWF earned a score of 84 out of 100, two points higher than the previous year, and landed in the top three among all Florida State University System-metric participating institutions in three metrics.

The results of the performance-based funding measurements showed that UWF graduates earned a median salary of $53,000 in 2021-2022, which sets a new record for the university and is an increase of $4,200 since last year’s measurements. Metric 2 measures the median salary of graduates who earn bachelor’s degrees who are employed full-time one year after graduation. The median salary of UWF graduates is higher than almost all metric-participating SUS institutions, trailing only Florida Polytechnic University and the University of Florida.

“I am impressed by the different professional and educational experiences the new members have. As we chart new directions for the university, their insights will be helpful,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders.

The University of West Florida faculty is taking a cautious, albeit optimistic, approach to the new appointments.

“While we have historically had trustees with established and beneficial ties to UWF and the region, we reserve judgment over our new appointees. UWF has a long tradition of academic freedom and rigorous and open debate, as institutions of higher learning should,” said Chasidy Hobbs , president of the UWF chapter of the United Faculty of Florida union and an instructor and director of conservation “We look forward to showing our new trustees how we have been able to be so successful and continue to excel in our mission together.”

Jonathan Fink, professor and chief negotiator for the faculty union, noted that the university is booming.

“I think it is important to recognize that UWF is thriving at the moment. We have record enrollment, research output and performance for state polls. I have been fortunate enough to serve as chief negotiator for the faculty for the past 11 years, and during that time we have reached agreement on all collective bargaining agreements, which have then been ratified by the BOT and the faculty,” said Fink.

“New BOT members are appointed by the Governor and we hope to meet them soon so they can see in person the collaborative and successful relationships we have worked hard to build over many years and will strive to continue.”

Susan James, the UWF faculty senate representative, described the old board as being “small but mighty for a long time.”

“We had vacancies that were empty until now. We have had a mix of local, state and national members, most of whom have strong ties to UWF through community membership and/or as alumni, but while grounded in the community, UWF now has strong ties beyond the Southeast and the nation. she said.

“I attribute this to our exceptional leadership, dedicated and knowledgeable BOT, strong community partnerships, top-notch faculty and outstanding students.”

Despite what’s happening in Florida, the trend in university and college board appointments has been toward more diverse representation nationwide, according to the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.

AGB also noted that more diversity in board composition is essential for improved decision-making, representation and inclusion, autonomy and independence, and improved governance.

“Diverse boards are better positioned to maintain autonomy and independence from undue influence from donors, alumni, supporters of athletics programs, or politicians and policy makers,” AGB commented in a written statement. “By having a diverse range of voices and backgrounds, boards can withstand pressures that may come from homogenous groups or external entities and ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of the institution’s mission and goals.”

Who are the new UWF Trustees?

The UWF Board of Trustees is the 13-member governing body of the institution. The Governor of Florida appoints six members, while the Board appoints five. The Florida Senate must approve all appointees. The chairman of the faculty senate has a seat, and the chairman of the Students’ Union as the last member.

New UWF Board Appointees by DeSantis:

Paul Bailey, an attorney with the Welton Law Firm, is an adjunct professor at Pensacola Christian College and a registered instructor with the National Rifle Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree in pre-law from Pensacola Christian College and his juris doctorate from Regent University.

Gates Garcia is president and CEO of Pinehill Capital Partners. He serves on The Catholic University of America Busch School of Business Board of Visitors and was the recipient of the 2024 Richard and Jacqueline Lincoln Fellow for The Claremont Institute. Garcia earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies from The Catholic University of America and an MBA from the University of Florida.

Adam Kissel is a Visiting Fellow on Higher Education Reform for The Heritage Foundation, a Senior Fellow for the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, and a Visiting Scholar for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He also served as Deputy Secretary for Higher Education at the U.S. Department of Education. He also serves as Chair of the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board and is a member of the Civics, History, & America’s Future Advisory Council for America250. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Scott Yenor is Chair of The Ambrose School Board, Professor of Political Science at Boise State University, an Honored Visiting Graduate Faculty at Ashland University, and a Washington Fellow at the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life. He previously served as a Visiting Fellow at American Political Thought for The Heritage Foundation and a Fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Yenor earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a doctorate in political science from Loyola University.

Chris Young, founder and senior partner at Perry & Young Law Firm, is the chief operating officer of Adcock Bros, Inc. and owner and president of Adcock Transport and Adcock Direct. He has served the Chipola Appreciation Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters and ARC of the Bay.

He serves on the Ascension Bay Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors and is active in local charities and community groups. He earned an associate degree from Chipola College and a juris doctorate from Louisiana State University.

The Board of Directors appoints:

Rebecca Matthews is vice president of Automated Health Systems. She previously served as CEO of the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation and Chief of Staff for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. She is president of the Florida Education Foundation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida State University.

Rachel Moya served as president of a non-profit scholarship organization and recently served over six years on the Beaufort County Board of Education. In 2018, she was elected to the Beaufort County Board of Education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in intelligence studies with a focus in operations from American Military University, and a doctorate in public policy and administration from Walden University. In 2022, she completed a certificate in education finance from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

Ashley Ross, president of Ross Consulting, has served as a top advisor to numerous Senate presidents, candidates for statewide office and members of legislative leadership. She has also managed marketing and public affairs strategies for corporate and association entities. She earned her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Florida State University. In 2021, DeSantis appointed her to serve on the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board.