Last night, a passionate crowd gathered at a town hall meeting to discuss concerns about recent appointments to the University of West Florida’s Board of Trustees. The event, organized by Save UWF, brought together community leaders, business executives, former trustees, and students to address what many see as a politically motivated takeover of UWF’s leadership.
The Warning Signs
As part of the panel, I tried to outline how our coverage began to unfold on January 6 when the governor’s office announced five new appointees to the UWF Board of Trustees. None were local names, and qualified local applicants had been passed over. This followed three similar appointments from the state Board of Governors in December.
- “The last time this happened was in January of 2023, New College of Florida, five new board members came in, and the first board meeting president’s fired. Then they hired the former education commissioner, paying him three times per salary.”
When I began investigating, sources shared: “UWF can be the new college. What they did at New College, they want to do here.” The pattern was clear: this could be a template used nationally, starting with smaller schools before moving to larger institutions.
The New Board’s Concerning Direction: The new appointees voted as a bloc, 8-5, to elect Scott Yenor as chair. Yenor, as Domani Turner-Ward (a UWF graduate student) pointed out, stated at the 2021 National Conservatism Conference: “We need to de-emphasize our colleges and universities that’s essential to making progress on family matters.”
- Turner-Ward expressed deep concern about Yenor’s views: “Scott Yenor, as we all know, is surrounded by controversy related to his objectively misogynistic, racist and antisemitic use discussed both in public presentations and on social media. DeSantis defended his choice to appoint Yenor a few weeks ago saying he has been a champion for the types of reform in universities that we need.”
Another concerning appointee is Adam Kissel, who chairs the Academic Affairs Committee. Kissel specializes in “watering down accreditation,” which would expand federal student aid, credit transfers, and credential recognition to private, religious colleges and universities that don’t qualify under the more rigorous current accreditation system. Translation: Create a college voucher-type system that injects federal dollars – without restrictions – into private and for-profit institutions.
- I said: “What’s the end game?” They want the university to have their type of indoctrination. They want to get rid of the programs that politically they don’t like.”
UWF’s Value to the Community
Speakers highlighted UWF’s significant impact on Northwest Florida:
Jerry Maygarden, former Pensacola mayor, noted that “53% of all teachers in Escambia and Santa Rosa County graduated from UWF.”
Belle Bear described her family’s deep connection to the university: “When Lewis passed away, it was never a question of whether we would continue supporting the University of West Florida. It was just a matter of how. We believed in Martha, her leadership team, and the future of the University of West Florida.”
- She added: “This isn’t just a university. It is a place where dreams take shape, futures are built, and leaders are made. Lewis saw that, and I see that. My children, my grandchildren also see that. And I know all of you do, too.”
Quint Studer emphasized UWF as a “talent incubator,” sharing that “most everyone we hire in our companies comes from UWF.” He cited research showing that communities thrive when they have a local university.
Dr. Lusharon Wiley added that “56% of the students at UWF come from local communities,” and they graduate “with the highest pay of any state university.”
Suzanne Lewis, former UWF Board of Trustees chair, detailed how the university has excelled under President Martha Saunders’ leadership. UWF ranks sixth among Florida’s state universities, just below much larger institutions like FSU and UCF.
- Lewis emphasized: “We have raised our success rate on that every year. Every year. And we’re hoping to break through this year and be over 50% of the students graduate because it saves them money. They’re not spending more money on tuition, and they’re going out and into the workforce.”
- She also highlighted UWF’s top performance in graduate earnings: “There are also wages earned one year after graduating. We excel on that. We are number one in the state. I’m going to repeat that… And we’ve seen that translate into the amount of talent that rolls out on graduation days.”
Turner-Ward added that UWF “has been named a top 10 public regional university by US News World Report, earned the highest ranking ever in the best vets college list, and was named a 2023 Great college to work for.”
She described the impact of the new appointments on students: “Our university’s community proudly includes many, many individuals who do not fit this description (Yenor’s view of a college principally for white, Christian males)…Many of our students would be excluded and left behind. As a student, I have seen my peers reeling from these events; female students feel less safe and less welcome. Many students from all demographics are angry and confused. I have even spoken with several prospective students who have canceled their enrollment.”
Call to Action
Former State Rep. Debbie Ritchie closed the meeting by urging attendees to take concrete action:
- Contact key officials, particularly State Senator Don Gaetz, who chairs the Ethics and Elections Committee responsible for confirming the appointees
- Write personal, handwritten notes expressing why UWF matters to you
- Attend the next Board of Trustees meeting on March 20 at 9:00 AM
- Sign the petition at saveuwf.com
- Ritchie emphasized, “We want you to communicate to the people of influence who can make a decision about the future of not only our university but also our community.”
Bottom Line: The Town Hall made it clear: what’s happening at UWF isn’t just about education—it’s about the economic, cultural, and social future of Northwest Florida.
- As John Lewis said: “Speak up, speak out. Get in the way. Get in trouble. Necessary trouble and help redeem the soul of America.”
To learn more, visit saveuwf.com.