Rudman resigns from Pensacola college board; UWF trustee questions continue

Senators have made clear their hesitation to confirm some gubernatorial appointments this session, particularly for higher education institutions in Pensacola. 

Tuesday, the Ethics and Election Committee rejected one University of West Florida trustee, Adam Kissel, and questioned five others who appeared before the committee before being approved, while advancing another 120+ appointees for various boards across the state in one vote with no discussion or public appearances. 

Two other UWF trustees resigned from that board after intense public pushback. 

Also in Pensacola, former state Rep. Joel Rudman resigned Tuesday morning from his governor-appointed spot on the Pensacola State College board of trustees. 

Sen. Don Gaetz, chair of the committee, invited Rudman to appear Tuesday but was informed by Rudman the day of the meeting that he was resigning, despite previously saying he would be there.

Senators on the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education voted unfavorably on Rudman’s appointment last week. 

Rudman previously indicated he had a list of lawmakers who he said were violating drug laws and would release the names depending on how senators behaved in his confirmation hearings, according to Gaetz. Rudman posted from Barcelona on X over the weekend. 

Gaetz said he asked Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers to be prepared to take evidence and names from Rudman during the Tuesday morning meeting, “but Dr. Rudman has not favored us with his appearance.”

DeSantis’ controversial nominees

Much of the pushback stems around DeSantis’ stated desire to steer UWF in a more conservative direction. The eight appointees to the board by DeSantis and the Board of Governors in the span of a month helped elect Idaho professor Scott Yenor to chair the board.

Senators have also complained about appointees who live outside of Florida — including Yenor in Idaho and Kissel in West Virginia.

Yenor faced backlash for advocating for fewer women in higher education and said that if only men won the Nobel Prize, “that’s not a failure. It’s kind of a cause for celebration,” The Associated Press reported.

Yenor resigned earlier this month, as has Gates Garcia, a private equity CEO from Tampa, while Sen. Gayle Harrell told the remaining trustees that the Senate would “be carefully watching the board of trustees at the University of West Florida.”

Senators had told Garcia he should come to the next committee hearing prepared to further defend his vote to make Yenor chair of the board. That chance never came. 

DeSantis said last week that UWF would see “big changes,” after boasting about the political overhaul of New College of Florida. 

UWF trustees Paul Bailey, Rebecca Matthews, Rachel Moya, Ashley Ross, and Chris Young were approved Tuesday and their nominations will head to the Senate floor, while Kissel’s will not.  

DeSantis has until 30 days after the legislative session to reappoint Kissel before he would have to vacate his seat. If reappointed, he must be confirmed next session. If not confirmed next session, he would have to leave the board.

During the committee meeting, senators asked UWF trustees whether they were concerned about “woke” administrators or teachings on campus — Sen. Tina Polsky, for example, asked whether UWF is “an indoctrination camp with marxist professors,” as DeSantis has alleged.

Ross called UWF “a tremendous diamond in the rough,” but also said, “I’m not here to ever disagree with the governor.” 

Bailey, Matthews, Moya, and Young said they saw no need for major changes in regards to administrative or political problems.

“He has said he wants to take it over like he did New College, so the people who are on the board have to be willing to do that or have had conversations to be chosen to say, ‘I am willing to do that kind of takeover and change the whole atmosphere of a school,’” Polsky said, referring to the governor, asking Ross if he was part of the “overhaul.”

“My understanding of what I’m here to do today is to answer the questions that you have about my ability to serve as a university trustee,” Ross responded without directly answering the question.

Kissel faced questions in Higher Education Appropriations committee last month about his published writings expressing a desire to privatize public universities and grievances with the GI bill.