New president named at Northwest Florida State Faculty

The Northwest Florida State Faculty District Board of Trustees chosen Okaloosa County commissioner Melvin Ponder to function the faculty’s subsequent president,in line with an announcement Tuesday.

Ponder, a former state consultant, has no expertise in greater schooling. He was considered one of 4 finalists. The board plans to finalize an employment settlement with Ponder for approval at a Nov. 19 board assembly, when his time period as commissioner ends.

Ponder beforehand served as mayor of town of Destin, as a Destin metropolis councilman and as a Republican member of the Florida Home of Representatives. Whereas serving as a state consultant, he was vice chair of the upper schooling appropriations subcommittee and was named Florida Faculty System Council of Presidents Legislator of the 12 months.

Ponder holds a bachelor’s diploma in finance from Florida State College. He presently serves because the affiliation govt for the Emerald Coast Affiliation of Realtors and founder and president of Enterprise Empowered, a ministry to assist enterprise leaders “advance the Kingdom of God of their office and neighborhood via Godly rules.”

Florida governor Ron DeSantis additionally appointed Ponder to the CareerSource Florida Board of Administrators, a state workforce coverage and funding board, in 2022 and reappointed him in 2023.

Lori Kelley, chair of the District Board of Trustees at Northwest Florida State, stated within the announcement that Ponder “brings deep expertise and fervour for our neighborhood to this crucial function.”

“I’m assured in his capacity to steer our faculty into the subsequent stage of its development,” Kelley stated.