Pressure mounts as the University of West Florida Board of Trustees prepares to confirm Manny Diaz Jr. as its next president on Thursday, Jan. 8.
- Outgoing Board of Trustees member Alonzie Scott III issued a farewell message calling for courage and wisdom, while an anonymous letter from a concerned Argonaut raised alarming questions about the selection process and Diaz’s qualifications. Read Scott Letter.
Eight Years of Service Comes to a Close
Scott, who served on the UWF Board for eight years, thanked trustees for making his “final months as a UWF Board member both engaging, memorable, and meaningful” in a letter sent to the board and Interim President Diaz.
“I hope President Diaz can transcend political divisions and tribalism and excel in his role, achieving meaningful results that will earn praise and reflect the legacy of the last two UWF Presidents and community leaders,” Scott wrote, acknowledging the university’s “promising trajectory,” while stressing the need for leadership that shows “courage, self-discipline, wisdom, and commitment to justice.”
Anonymous Argo Speaks Out
A separate letter from “Concerned Argonaut,” written “on behalf of myself and many UWF employees that are too afraid to speak out about this issue for fear of retribution,” raised three concerns about Diaz’s selection. Read Concerned Argo Letter.
- The letter claims that Search Committee Chair Zack Smith violated Board of Governors regulation 1.002 by presenting only one candidate out of 84 applicants, “using a loophole in the law that was not meant to allow this.”
Financial Mismanagement Allegations
“Under Diaz’s leadership, the Florida Department of Education mismanaged hundreds of millions of dollars of state funds that were meant to support the school voucher program,” the anonymous letter states, adding that “Senator Gaetz has introduced a bill to try to fix the issue and save public schools.”
The letter also notes Diaz’s personal bankruptcy filing, comparing it to judicial disqualification standards: “Any judge applying for a position is immediately disqualified if they have ever filed for bankruptcy. This is despite the fact they do not have the health of a university, with a roughly $180 million dollar budget, under their responsibility.”
Conflict of Interest Questions
The anonymous writer expressed concern about Diaz’s “deep connections to the Florida charter school industry (including Academica which oversees Doral College where Diaz previously worked AND Somerset Academy that will be running the UWF charter school).”
- “The fact that Diaz’s first project was to bring a charter school to UWF, is disturbing and should be investigated for a conflict of interest, or worse,” the letter states.
A Failed Search?
Questioning why only one candidate was presented from 84 applicants, the letter argues: “If 84 candidates apply for a position and only one is worthy of consideration, that is considered a failed search and needs to be rerun.”
- The letter concludes with a stark appeal: “We strongly urge you to fulfill your fiduciary responsibility to UWF and consider more qualified and less risky candidates for our President. We deserve better.”
Scott’s letter echoed concerns about building trust: “Given the divisive political climate affecting education in our Northwest Florida community and beyond, I hope the Board and President Diaz will dedicate their time, energy, and efforts to excel.”