Daily Outtakes: Our suggestions for UWF Board of Trustees -

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Gov. Ron DeSantis may have to replace as many as three appointees to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees:

Boise State professor Scott Yenor, who resigned last week,
West Virginia resident and Heritage Foundation employee Adam Kissel, who has been rejected by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education but still faces the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee, chaired by Sen. Don Gaet, and
Tampa podcaster Gates Garcia, who failed to do a simple Google search on Yenor before voting to make him board chairman. Garcia made it through the Higher Education committee with a warning, but still faces Gaetz’s committee.

The governor has a chance to live up to the original intent of the individual Board of Trustees, which was to put locals and alumni in charge of approving policy and hiring the university president.

Here are our suggestions for DeSantis’ consideration to replace Yenor, Kissel and Gates – no particular order:

Judy Bense: UWF President Emeritus—She played a significant role in establishing UWF’s anthropology program and the Florida Public Archaeology Network. Bense is known for her contributions to public archaeology, including projects in downtown Pensacola and the preservation of local colonial history.

David Bear: CEO of The Lewis Bear Company. He serves as chairman of the board for Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., a nonprofit focused on diversifying Northwest Florida’s economy. The UWF College of Business is named for his father.

Quint Studer: Businessman and philanthropist known for founding the Studer Group, a healthcare consulting firm, and co-owns the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He is also involved in community development and philanthropy through initiatives like the Studer Community Foundation.

JT Young: Vice President and General Manager for Florida Power & Light Northwest Florida. He has extensive experience in energy management, having previously served as President and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) and held leadership roles at Gulf Power Company.

Darrel Goodin: Pensacola native who studied accounting at UWF. He is a major donor to UWF, contributing $9 million toward building a new football stadium named after him. Gooden has supported UWF’s football program since its inception in 2016.

Ashton Hayward: First mayor elected under Pensacola’s “strong mayor” form of government. After leaving office, Hayward became president of the Andrews Research & Education Foundation (AREF), where he works to advance sports medicine and orthopedic research in collaboration with Dr. James Andrews

Allison Hill: CEO of LifeView Group (formerly Lakeview Center), overseeing a $230 million human services organization based in downtown Pensacola. A UWF graduate with degrees in accounting, Hill has received numerous awards for her leadership and ethics in business.

Robin Reshard: Historian, storyteller, and director of the Kukua Institute in Pensacola. She organizes workshops on genealogy and storytelling, focusing on African American history and family research. Reshard is recognized for her efforts to preserve local history and promote community engagement

John Hosman: Partner at FS Advisors Inc., where he specializes in wealth and risk management for Native American tribes. A graduate of UWF and former student body president, he has been actively involved in civic organizations and was the first president of the Pensacola Young Professionals.

Ashley Harris: Executive Director of Strategic Outreach and Provider Development at Baptist Health Care in Pensacola. She is a graduate from UWF. Her late husband Brice worked at UWF and was critical to our area’s recovery from the BP oil spill. Harris was a founding member of PYP.

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Daily Outtakes: Our suggestions for UWF Board of Trustees

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