UPDATE: One more senior leader was also escorted off Pensacola State College’s campus: Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Erin Spicer.
Pensacola State College has escorted former Mayor Grover Robinson off its campus, presumably terminating him as the college’s associate vice president of government and community relations, a job he has held since April 2023. PSC staff shared that he was carrying his belongings in a box, escorted by police.
- Robinson was hired by PSC President Dr. C. Edward Meadows, who announced earlier this year that he would retire effective Dec. 31, 2026. PSC District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Sept. 21 to appoint J. Alex Kelly as the College’s seventh president.
This is the first step in some sort of leadership purge at Pensacola State College. Robinson did nothing to earn this disrespect.
Deep Pensacola Roots
Robinson is a seventh-generation Pensacola native with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Birmingham-Southern College. His father, Grover C. Robinson III, served in the Florida House from 1982 to 1986 and founded the commercial real estate firm Grover Robinson & Associates in 1975. His parents died in a helicopter crash in New Zealand on March 28, 2000.
- He joined the family firm in 1997 and became a broker and president after his father’s death in 2000. Robinson served as the District 4 commissioner on the Escambia County Commission from 2006 to 2018. He then served as Pensacola’s 63rd mayor from Nov. 27, 2018, to Nov. 22, 2022. He announced in March 2021 that he would not seek re-election. D.C. Reeves succeeded him.
Deep PSC Ties
Robinson spent 20 years on the PSC Foundation Board of Governors, including two years as president. His parents established the college’s Robinson Honors Program in 2000.
- This past August, Pensacola State College named the Jill and Grover C. Robinson, IV Student Leadership & Activities Office officially named in their honor and in celebration of a recent gift to the Pensacola State College Foundation that will support a new student needs fund utilized by the Pirates CARE Student Resource Center.
I have known IV for many years , as well as his parents and grandfather! Grover has more than paid his dues and has earned the respect and appreciation of the Pensacola , Escambia County and as a lobbyist , he was credible and reliable voice for PSC in Tally! Not a good start for the newest politician named college president by Ron Dishonest!
Giant Graybiel commented “Kelly has shot his credibility before he’s even fully moved into his office by moving Grover Robinson out of his office. His reception here will be ice cold.” I couldn’t agree more. Mayor Robinson has always worked with Pensacola’s best intentions – City & County – as well as for its citizens. Kelly certainly started off with one of the stupidest moves he could make. He’ll have to work beyond hard to earn Pensacola’s respect after this.
Shameful treatment of Grover Robinson, a longtime stalwart community servant. Let’s see how long Mr. Kelly’s tenure will last, especially with that kind of behavior. .
Fragile little Napoleans that use law enforcement threaten, harass and intimidate others. Like the Commissioner of Education–a shallow little person, devoid of human warmth or empathy. Neither can be called a man, cowards, both of you.
I went to high school with Grover, and I can say he’s not the exemplar of workplace violence. There was no justification for this behavior toward him. Only a narcissistic sociopath on an ego trip would do this. Bottom line: he did this to make sure the administration and faculty at PSC knows who the boss is.
The message to our young people we are training at PSC is that it is ok to disrespect our community leaders.
I’ve worked with Grover and his family for many years.
This is not a good look for who we say we are in Pensacola!
Thought I was reading the Babylon Bee!
Disrespectful to Grover and to PSC. Disgraceful to the police department that had to spend time on this (was it ECSO or PPD or a private security?). Who approved this use of public funds and time during a major storm relief effort?
Disgraceful and infuriating.
Absolutely ridiculous.
William, I will correct the post. Thank you.
Anita Kovacs was not escorted off the PSC campus today, nor has her tenure ended.
This is ludicrous. Absolutely the worst treatment of a colleague ever. Grover has been a life long advocate for Pensacola, Escambia County and Pensacola State.
I understand that a new “regime” might want to make changes, but there is no reason for the disrespect of being escorted off campus. Did local law enforcement escort him? If so, I am even more disturbed that our local law enforcement would participate in this spectacle.
Article says police.
Alex Kelly apparently told PSC staff that one of his first jobs was to listen and learn. He obviously hasn’t listened because there’s no one in Pensacola that would suggest that PSC’s multigenerational champion and public servant be escorted off the campus by police. Hopefully, Kelly eventually does learn something , mainly what an outrageous and boneheaded maneuver this was.. Kelly has shot his credibility before he’s even fully moved into his office by moving Grover Robinson out of his office. His reception here will be ice cold.
Apparently, this is President Alex Kelly’s first day.
A ridiculous and unnecessary stunt, whatever the supposed reason. Grover has more than earned the right to be treated better than that. Dr. Meadows and PSC owe the entire community an explanation, although I know better than to hold my breath.
Without evidence of a crime, or cause, this is more than a misstep by a new administration, it is demanding of a clear and transparent explanation. Mr. Kelly may have assumed that he is somehow president and owner of PSC. He just showed up with no public education except as a spokesperson
I am shocked at this news. Grover has a long history of serving our community. That is not a dignified way to treat people. He deserves better!
Grover Robinson has dedicated decades of his life to serving this community, and he and the other officials reportedly escorted from campus deserve dignity and respect. Whatever the circumstances, why was this necessary? Surely there was a more dignified way to handle this. We deserve transparency, accountability, and an explanation for what appears to be an unnecessarily humiliating display.
Grover Robinson has been a tireless advocate for Pensacola, Escambia County, and Pensacola State College. The new PSC leadership should be ashamed.
This is very disturbing. Grover does not deserve this treatment for all
He did for our community
Do you know why he was terminated? Have they named a replacement?