Trustee Zach Smith and the Heritage Foundation

When Zach Smith appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education to be approved as Pensacola State College trustee, he was asked about his association with the Heritage Foundation.

• Smith is a Senior Legal Fellow and Manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program at The Heritage Foundation. Gov. DeSantis has now appointed to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees.

When Senator Carlos Smith asked him about Project 2025, Zach Smith offered a three-point clarification:

“First, I think it’s important to understand what Project 2025 is and what it is not. Project 2025 obviously is a set of policy proposals. It was drafted before any nominee for president was selected by either party. And I think you can see in Project 2025 itself, centered at times, not even all of the signatories agree on the appropriate policy outcome. And so sometimes there are different proposals presented in Project 2025 itself.”

He then emphasized his commitment to his role as a trustee:

“Now, I think it’s important to clarify, and the second point I would make is that in my role as a trustee for Pensacola State College, I would be speaking only for myself, my duty as a trustee. My fiduciary duty is to serve what is in the best interest of the students, faculty and staff of Pensacola State in our area. And that is certainly the lens through which I would view my duty as a trustee of Pensacola State.”

Smith concluded by emphasizing his commitment to equal treatment:

“The third and brief point I would make because I did have an opportunity to watch some of the previous hearing of the committee, is I think my commitment to making sure that everyone is treated equally regardless of their race, regardless of their gender, regardless of any other characteristic, is something I’m very proud I’ve written about extensively in the past. And that would be my continuing commitment as a member of Pensacola State’s Board of Trustees.”

• Smith will not go before the Florida Senate for approval until 2026. He will serve as a full voting member while he awaits the hearings.

PROJECT 2025

Project 2025, also known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, is a sweeping policy initiative spearheaded by The Heritage Foundation. Launched in anticipation of a Republican victory in the 2024 presidential election, Project 2025 provides a comprehensive blueprint for restructuring the federal government and implementing a broad conservative agenda.

• Of the 53 executive orders and actions Trump issued in his first week back in office, more than two-thirds directly aligned with Project 2025 proposals.

Trump has appointed numerous Project 2025 contributors and authors to key administration roles, including Russell Vought (Office of Management and Budget), John Ratcliffe (CIA), Peter Navarro (White House advisor), and others in agencies such as the FCC, DHS, and ICE. These appointments ensure the project’s philosophy is embedded throughout the executive branch.