New University of West Florida board trustee Scott Yenor believes in national conservatism and sees independent women as “a fundamental threat to strong, fruitful families” and our national prosperity and stability. Those beliefs put him out of step with Pensacola, Escambia County and most of the United States.
- Yenor teaches political science, not sociology, psychology or any of the behavioral sciences.
- DeSantis appointed Yenor to the UWF Board of Trustees for political reasons, not for the good of our university and community.
- He’s not a fan of “Sex in the City.”
In a 2021 speech at the National Conservatism Conference in Orlando, the Boise State professor particularly focused on what he termed “the independent woman” in modern society, suggesting that this career focus comes at the expense of family life:
“Our independent women seek their purpose in life in mid-level bureaucratic jobs like human resource management, environmental protection, and marketing. They’re more medicated, meddlesome and quarrelsome than women need to be without connections to eternity delivered through their family.”
WHO IS SCOTT YENOR?
The official profile released by the governor’s office and the University of West Florida:
“Yenor is the chairperson of The Ambrose School Board, a professor of political science at Boise State University, an honored visiting graduate Faculty at Ashland University, and a Washington Fellow at The Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life. His research focuses on feminism, sexual liberation, and on dismantling the rule of social justice in America’s universities. He previously served as a visiting fellow on American Political Thought for The Heritage Foundation and a Fellow for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Yenor earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and his doctorate degree in political science from Loyola University.”
MORE INFO: Yenor’s remarks at NCC did draw protests and calls for his termination at Boise State, where he has taught since 2000. Wikipedia states: “He is a member of the men-only Christian nationalist organization Society for American Civic Renewal and works for the Claremont Institute‘s Center for the American Way of Life. He wrote the 2011 book Family Politics: The Idea of Marriage in Modern Political Thought and the 2020 book The Recovery of Family Life: Exposing the Limits of Modern Ideologies.”
- In January 2023, while on a university sabbatical, Yenor spoke at Eagle High School at the invitation of a conservative group. Dozens of students jeered Yenor and walked out on his speech, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Yenor is a fellow with the Center for the American Way of Life of the Claremont Institute. In February 2023, Claremont hired Yenor as Florida’s first senior director of state coalitions. Idaho media reported the job was based in Tallahassee to stop “woke policies” at the state level, but Yenor stayed on the Boise State faculty.
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis tweeted, “Thrilled to welcome @scottyenor from the Claremont Institute to his new home in Tallahassee.”
However, Yenor, a Boise State faculty member since 2000, has not left the university. University spokesman Mike Sharp said, “Professor Scott Yenor is on sabbatical from Boise State University and remains a faculty member.”
In 2024, he was also revealed as the anonymous creator of Action Idaho, a far-right website that published controversial content. He received funding from Claremont Institute chairman Thomas Klingenstein.
THE PENSACOLA PROBLEM
- In government, Escambia County Clerk Pam Childers, County Commissioner Ashley Hofberger, Pensacola City Council members Allison Patton, Jennifer Brahier, and Teniadé Broughton. The school board has Carissa Bergosh, and ECUA has Vicky Campbell.
- In marketing: Mona Amodeo (idgroup), Veronique Zayas (Hatchmark Studio), Michelle Ortiz-Miguez (Zarzaur Law), Leslie Perrino (Bullock Associates), Lisa Lyter (Red Iron), Whitney Fike (International Paper), Caron Sjoberg (Ideaworks), Kelsi Gulig (LifeView Group)…just to name a few.
We have IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay, which is filled with successful women who have careers and families.
The Inweekly Power List has had several women as #1: Judy Bense, Rishy Studer, Bentina Terry, Sue Straughn and Martha Saunders.
- As UWF trustees, Yenor may not approve that the University of West Florida’s current president, Dr. Martha Saunders, and her immediate predecessor, Dr. Judy Bense, are women.
Annually, UWF hosts the popular Women in Leadership Conference.
Here are just the 2022 Speakers at the conference:
- Kim Aderholdt, VP of Greater Pensacola Operations, Navy Federal Credit Union
- Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia, President, Chippewa Valley Technical College
- Melanie Bevan, Chief of Police, Bradenton Police Department
- Vivianne Bohorques, Former COO, The Children’s Trust
- Dr. Stacy Chambers, Superintendent, Florida State University Schools
- Shantel Davis, VP and Group Manager – Southeast Region, The Greenbrier Companies
- Robin Wright DeLaVergne, Senior VP External Affairs, Tampa General Hospital
- Jacki Dezelski, President/CEO, Manatee Chamber of Commerce
- April Donahue, Executive Director, Collier County Medical Society
- Tara Duhy, Land Use & Real Estate Law Practice Group Chair, Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A.
- Barbara Fonte, VP of Managed Care and Population Health, Jackson Health Systems
- Dr. Deborah German, VP, Health Affairs and Dean, UCF College of Medicine
- Noelle Goulart, Sr. Corporate Director of Marketing, Orlando Health
- Gwen Graham, Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs, U.S. Department of Education
- Maria Hane, Interim Museum Director of the Museum of Arts & Sciences, Daytona Beach, FL
- Jillian Hasner, President and CEO, Take Stock in Children
- Laura Hussey, Morning Anchor, WEAR Channel 3 News
- Dr. Anna Lebesch, Senior VP for Strategy and Talent Development, JAXUSA Partnership
- Kimberly Madison, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Strategic Property Partners LLC
- Karen Mayfield, Senior Wealth Advisor, Truist Bank
- Luna Phillips, Shareholder, Gunster
- Valerie Read, Director, Universal Orlando Foundation and Community Relations
- Juliet M. Roulhac, Regional Director of External Affairs, Florida Power & Light Company
- Kerry-Ann Royes, President & CEO, YWCA South Florida
- Dawn Rudolph,President, Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola
- Tiffany Moore Russell, Orange County Clerk of Courts
- Amy Ruth, Senior VP, Human Services Group and Chief Human Resource Officer, GuideWell and Florida Blue
- Mayela Rojas Sanchez, Co-Founder/Executive VP of Media Vista Group
- Bemetra Simmons, President and CEO, Tampa Bay Partnership
- Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor, CEO, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County
- Kristie Tobias, Change Management and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant, national speaker and author
- Jeanette Yaeger, VP, Greatness Inc. & 180 Communications
MORE BACKGROUND
Pay Attention: 2nd Anniversary of New College Experiment
UWF has excelled in meeting Florida’s performance metrics
Daily Outtakes: PNJ misses significance of UWF Board picks
More changes with UWF Board of Trustees