Pay raise for Kamoutsas in move from commissioner to president

Anastasios Kamoutsas will get a pay raise with his new job, with a base salary raise of $40,000 and chance to earn up to $70,000 in bonuses.

Kamoutsas started as Polk State’s president Monday, stepping away from his role as state education commissioner. 

The contract between the school and Kamoutsas pays up to $2.45 million over five years, not including retirement contributions.

The base salary is $375,000, according to a copy of the contract obtained via a public record request. For the first two years, Kamoutsas is eligible for a $50,000 performance bonus each year for meeting established goals and an additional $20,000 for exceeding the goals. For years three, four, and five, the performance bonus rises to $75,000 per year while keeping the $20,000 on the table for exceeding goals. 

The performance goals are established by Kamoutsas and the Polk State Board of Trustees.

Kamoutsas will be paid an annual $30,000 automobile allowance.

Comparatively, a 2024-2025 list of executive salaries at Florida colleges shows presidential salaries across the state ranging from $209,723 at North Florida College up to $486,830 at Miami Dade College. 

According to that list of executive salaries, the former Polk State College President, Angela Falconetti, drew a base salary of $310,247.

As education commissioner, Kamoutsas was paid a salary of $330,469.

Background

Polk State trustees approved Kamoutsas unanimously for the position last month after he was named sole finalist. 

Education Commissioner Kamoutsas approved as Polk State College president

Kamoutsas served as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis from 2023 to 2025, when he became commissioner. Before that, he held several roles in the Florida Department of Education during a time when Florida grabbed nationwide headlines for its education policies, including Kamoutsas’ involvement penalizing schools that imposed mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Months after Kamoutsas was named education commissioner, Rachel Kamoutsas, his wife, was appointed by DeSantis to serve as a judge on Florida’s Sixth District Court of Appeal in Lakeland.

Former Polk State President Falconetti left to fill the interim presidency created by Moez Limayem at the University of North Florida.