The governors and trustees of Florida public higher education: mostly lawyers, real estate investors.
Florida University System Boards of Governors, Trustees composition:
Which must beg the question—why are so many real estate developers, private equity firm principals, health and ed tech investors, health system executives, and politicians surrounding themselves with so many lawyers?
And what business(es) do they have in education?
The state system boards that approve major contracts and purchasing decisions for equipment and technology, steer campus construction projects, and oversee investment of billions in endowment dollars, have substantial business interests and their hands awfully close to the cookie jar.
“The [Florida State University System] Board of Governors is comprised of seventeen members, fourteen of whom are appointed by the Florida Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate for a term of seven years. The remaining members include the Chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, the Commissioner of Education (appointed by the State Board of Education, whose members are appointed by the governor), and the Chair of the Florida Student Association.”
Florida State University System Board of Governors
Community volunteer.
President/CEO/executive director, property insurance corporation.
Educator/administrator; entrepreneur (education; centers, tech); state bureaucrat/politician.
Executive, gasoline distribution.
School teacher/administrator.
Executive, private commercial real estate investment/development company; fund director, residential home acquisition/management.
Co-chairman/CEO, private university.
Founder/director, private equity/asset management/venture capital firm; commercial real estate; federal bureaucrat/legal counsel.
Director, corporate banking (specialized industries).
President/CEO, health systems.
Chairman/CEO, commercial insurance company.
Founder/CEO, capital investment firm (hospitality, logistics, real estate).
Cigar manufacture founder/executive; foods importer.
Politician; former lawyer/military.
Chairman/president/CEO, utilities (electric).
Faculty representative.
Student representative.
[Florida State University System Boards] of Trustees consist of six citizen members appointed by the Governor and five citizen members appointed by the Board of Governors . The Chair of the Faculty Senate and the President of the Student Body are also voting members.
Boards of Trustees at each Florida State University System university are appointed by the governor directly, or by the 17 member board, of whom 14 members are directly selected by the governor, and one member is selected by a member chosen by a separate board whose members are appointed by the governor.
One man controls higher education in Florida.
The University of Florida
Chairman, residential builder/developer
Founder/executive, commercial construction
Partner/attorney, (personal injury, professional malpractice)
Real estate executive
President/CEO/chairman, real estate development
Founder/CEO, “manages interests in education, media production, internet services, real estate franchising, publishing, banks, information technology”
Attorney/partner, real estate development
Attorney/partner (private equity/mergers and acquisitions)
Executive/strategy, hospital corporations
Partner/attorney, real estate development (resorts and amenities)
Founder/CEO, residential real estate development
Faculty representative
Student representative
Florida State University
Founder/principal, real estate private equity firm
Founder/owner/executive, gas station/convenience store empire
Community volunteer
Attorney/partner, (corporate real estate)
President/CEO, real estate development/management company
Founder/Executive, insurance brokerage; prev. auditor/consultant
Finance executive/adjunct
Lobbyist
Community volunteer
Finance executive (global wealth management)
Founder/partner, private equity firm (enterprise IT)
Faculty representative
Student representative
The University of Central Florida
CEO, professional athletics; real estate development executive.
CEO, sports media; founder/executive, medical devises
Shareholder/management, accounting, finance strategy/consulting
President/CEO, restaurant group
Founder/CEO, construction industry
Partner, venture capital firm; founder, ed tech company (corrections)
President, construction company; attorney.
Founder/CEO, IT/cloud computing services; founder/CEO, consultant, restaurant/hotel group
Founder, CEO, pest management services
Founder/executive, commercial construction
President, biotech consulting
Faculty representative
Student representative
The University of South Florida
Founder/executive, venture capital firm (tech, finance, business-government)
Executive/attorney, real estate development (corporate, real estate, finance)
CFO, utilities (energy)
Former executive, agribusiness conglomerate
President/CEO, drinkware company
President/CEO, trucking/transportation firm
CFO/VP, environment services/agriculture industry
Founder/CEO, venture capital firm (health tech/IT)
CEO, airport
VP, utilities (energy)
Faculty representative
Student representative
Florida International University
Founder/CEO, civil engineering/medicine/disaster response/finance firm(s).
Real estate attorney
Corporate law
Information technology
Fintech investor
Executive, telecommunications
Corporate attorney
Founder/attorney, real estate acquisition/management
Corporate attorney
Physician
Executive, enterprise IT
Faculty representative
Student representative
New College of Florida
Attorney, corporate finance
Attorney/partner (corporate law); political consultant/lobbyist.
Professor, journal editor (religious philosophy and society), author/public personality (external institution)
Professor; president, policy center; journal editor (external institution)
Attorney/law firm shareholder; bureaucrat (law)
President/owner/dentist, dental group
Professor (Government), journal editor, author (external institution)
Co-owner/VP/optometrist, eyecare center
Telecommunications founder/executive
Policy think tank fellow, advisor; media producer/personality
Professor (Constitutional Government), Dean; campus/center director (external institution)
Faculty representative
Student representative
Florida Polytechnic University
SVP/consultant, architecture/tech infrastructure
Commercial/civil attorney; former attorney general
Corporate attorney
CEO, real estate developer (smart houses)
CEO, logistics
Attorney (defense contractor)
Professor, mechanical engineering
Policy think tank fellow, author, public figure.
Lead, Apple DEI team
Defense engineer
Faculty representative
Student representative
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical (FAMU)
Founder/CEO, market research, brand strategy consulting, training
Founder/president, commercial real estate
Attorney/corporate business
Career law enforcement officer
Consultant, lobbyist, activist
Sales/marketing (CPGs)
Personal injury attorney
Procurement (science industry)
Franchisee, fast food restaurant
Education policy consultant
Co-founder/business development; management consulting
Faculty representative
Student representative
The University of North Florida
Partner/attorney (labor)
Healthcare system CEO
President, merchandising/e-commerce firm (sports)
Criminal prosecutor
President/CEO, real estate services
Healthcare executive
Mental health counselor/practice owner; former director, government affairs; former marketing VP
Founder/CEO, venture capitalist (health systems, real estate development)
CEO/director, public utilities
President, real estate development company (multi-family homes)
VP/executive, banking (IT/cyber security)
Faculty representative
Student representative
The University of West Florida
Law firm owner/shareholder (general-litigation, real estate, family, business, defense, family/estate, gun trusts)
Former real estate developer/banking
Executive/founder: Manufacturing technology (defense); data management; medtech
Foundation fellow, policy (higher education reform)
VP, enterprise medtech systems; administrator, public/private insurance agency (
CEO/management consultant
Principal, consulting/political messaging
Director, military research
Fellow/program manager, policy foundation (constitutional law); attorney
Founder/partner, law firm (trail attorney); executive, wholesale automotive, shipping executive
Faculty representative
Student representative
Florida Atlantic University
Real estate attorney
Founder/partner, accounting/financial services
Health tech executive
Military chief-of-staff; aviation/defense engineering principal
Tech/health tech executive; luxury real estate developer
Banking executive
Executive, enterprise software sales
Executive, private prison, mental health, detention center management; lobbyist
Executive (private equity/healthcare/financial services/government/real estate; state government)
Small business owner (interior design)
CEO/EVP, medical consulting, products, services, staffing
Faculty representative
Student representative
Florida Gulf Coast University
President, hardware store chain
Hedge fund manager.
Health system executive.
Executive, private equity/investment consulting.
CEO, venture capital firm.
Financial consulting; corporate, tech.
Healthcare system executive; investment firm director.
Corporate law.
Bank founder/executive.
Occupation not provided.
Executive, medical equipment manufacture; real estate invest/development.
Faculty representative
Student representative
