On Friday, August 1, University of West Florida Board Chair Rebecca Matthews held a meeting with attorneys from a firm with close ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis and a presidential search firm. The Zoom meeting took place less than 48 hours after Interim President Manny Diaz fired UWF General Counsel Susan Woolf, who had asked for a Board of Trustees vote on the matter of hiring outside counsel.
Background
Chair Matthews requested that outside counsel be retained to advise the presidential search committee. In response, Woolf provided the names of two attorneys from different law firms, both of whom she described as “well-qualified for this work.”
- Both recommended attorneys have extensive experience advising universities and colleges, have previously guided institutions through presidential searches, and are well-versed in Sunshine Law and public records requirements that govern such processes at public universities.
However, Chair Matthews identified a different attorney and firm that she prefers to hire, despite Woolf’s advice against this selection. The General Counsel expressed concerns about this attorney’s qualifications and experience level compared to those of her recommended candidates.
Woolf took the position that:
- “The Board of Trustees, of course, has the authority to disagree with my advice and to retain the outside counsel of its choice.” But she added, “No individual trustee has the authority to make that decision for the Board.”