From almost the moment Pensacola State College stopped receiving applications for its next president, I began hearing rumors from sources with Tallahassee connections that Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly would get the job.
- Secretary Kelly was one of the three speakers yesterday at Gov. Ron DeSantis’s press conference at the Port of Pensacola. DeSantis and Kelly handed Mayor D.C. Reeves an oversized check for $9 million to support site development, utilities, and facility construction for Birdon America’s 400,000-square-foot manufacturing building at the port. Birdon’s has committed to creating roughly 2,000 jobs.
Several Pensacola State College Trustees were in the audience, including Board Chair Zack Smith, who heads the search committee to replace longtime President Dr. Ed Meadows, who announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31, in April.
What Did Kelly Say?
Secretary Kelly framed the grant announcement as a workforce commitment. “If you’re gonna create 2000 jobs, you’ve got to have the support of the University of West Florida, Pensacola State College, and so many people involved in this.”
- He announced that the state has received a $40 million Apprenticeship Performance Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to support companies and apprenticeship sponsors statewide. He said the grant’s focus is the defense industrial base, and specifically shipbuilding.
Mayor Reeves gave Kelly a shout-out:
- “Secretary Kelly, thank you for making today happen. Your partnership in support of our city is certainly something I’ll never forget. As you’ve heard me say, between yourself and Senator Broxton, I genuinely, personally can’t think of two people that have been more impactful to this administration and to the success of the ground we stand on right now than the two of you.”
Who is Alex Kelly?
Since June 2023, Kelly has led Florida Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity), the state agency responsible for community, economic, and workforce development. Gov. DeSantis appointed Mayor Reeves to the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors, which falls under Kelly.
Path to the role: Kelly served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. DeSantis starting in April 2021, and before that was Chief of Staff to then-Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. Earlier in his career, he was vice president for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a school-choice advocacy group founded by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
He has held roles in both the Florida House and Senate, including staff director for the House Redistricting Committee and chief analyst for the House’s Select Policy Council on Strategic & Economic Planning. He also served as Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and as Legislative Affairs Director at the Department of Corrections and the Department of Elder Affairs.
Education: Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from York University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Florida.
Kelly meets the minimum qualifications to be president of the state college.
- A bachelor’s degree, master’s, Ph.D., “or equivalent work experience”
- Executive leadership experience in higher-ed or business, or equivalent experience in the military or state/federal government
- Experience with state education policy
- Experience with state budgetary processes
Reality Check: At the DeSantis press conference, I asked Trustee Zack Smith how the presidential search was going. He smiled and said it was a work-in-progress.