The University of West Florida Board of Trustees meets at 9 a.m. While we did receive the contract proposal for Interim President Manny Diaz Jr, Board chair Rebecca Matthews still has not updated the agenda to let the public know how she and Board of Governors Chair Brian Lamb have evaluated outgoing president, Dr. Martha Saunders, performance for the 2024-25 school year. Matthews has also not released what she will recommend for Saunders’ performance bonus.
Performance Incentive Computation
Amount: Up to 20% of base salary – Maximum potential incentive: $107,255
Who Determines It: The Board of Trustees
Process:
- The Board of Trustees sets the “performance incentive criteria”
- The Board evaluates whether those criteria have been achieved
- If achieved, the incentive “may be granted” (it’s discretionary, not automatic)
Based on: “Annual achievement of performance incentive criteria set by the Board of Trustees.”
The performance criteria span student success, academic programming, employee retention, community engagement, infrastructure development, operational excellence, and fostering civil discourse. See Performance Criteria 2024-25.
According to her presidential evaluation report, Saunders achieved “COMPLETE” status on 23 of 28 goals across UWF’s seven strategic directions. Five goals remain “ON TRACK” for completion by June 2025, while the governor vetoed two, including a water quality research center and lab school feasibility study. Only one goal—hosting a Board of Governors meeting—was deferred when the board chose a different location.
Notable achievements include reaching 100% housing capacity, adding five full scholarships, launching the public phase of a $90 million capital campaign, and completing major infrastructure projects like the Sandy Sansing Sports Medicine Center. Saunders also exceeded enrollment targets and achieved a record 87.9% academic progress rate.
The Board of Trustees does not have all of the members that established the criteria. Matthews, Ashley Ross and Rachel Moya were appointed in November by the Board of Governors. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Adam Kissel, Zack Smith, Chris Young and Paul Bailey in January. The new trustees control the board.
Full Board Meeting
Thursday, June 12, 2025
UWF Conference Center 9 a.m. CT
Zoom Webinar | Passcode: 912862
I can only hope that the Trustees look at the actual goals established by the prior Board of Trustees and not some made up personal desires of the current controlling Trustees. Mrs. Saunders had the credentials and skill sets to make UWF a better place. She will be missed.