LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Polytechnic University’s Board of Trustees' search for a new leader is over as it selected the school’s new president.
Dr. G. Devin Stephenson, formerly president of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida, was selected by the board during a public meeting Monday. Stephenson was among five finalists selected by the school’s Presidential Search Committee after interviews with the board, forums with students and employees and tours around campus, a Florida Polytechnic news release said.
Before his presidency at Florida Northwestern, Stephenson served in multiple community college executive administration roles. Most of his time was spent as a board member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees, which awards accreditation to “degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states,” according to its website.
While at Florida Northwestern, Stephenson was credited with increasing the school’s foundation’s assets, acquiring $66 million worth of grants to the school and enhancing its allocation of money from the federal government, which has exceeded $40 million, the release said.
“His exceptional qualifications, unwavering dedication to education, and visionary leadership make him the perfect fit for our institution,” Florida Poly Board of Trustees member Cliff Otto said in a statement.
Stephenson will be the second president of Florida Polytechnic in its 12-year history once the Board of Governors confirms his contract in the coming months.
