{"id":382242,"date":"2026-08-27T03:38:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T03:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/382242\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T03:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T03:38:10","slug":"like-4-other-florida-universities-unf-gets-to-pick-from-a-list-of-one-for-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/382242\/","title":{"rendered":"Like 4 Other Florida Universities, UNF Gets to Pick from a List of One for President"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\"University<\/p>\n

<\/a>University of North Florida students move through the campus in Jacksonville on Oct. 30, 2025. (Jay Waagmeester\/Florida Phoenix)<\/p>\n

One finalist has emerged for the University of North Florida presidency, following a trend of state institutions relying on an \u201cexceptional circumstances\u201d carveout to state policy that otherwise requires three or more finalists.<\/p>\n

The university received 152 applications, search committee chair and trustee Jack Boyle said, calling it a \u201cclear reflection of UNF\u2019s momentum and growing national reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Shannon, now president of University of North Georgia, is the finalist, subject to approval by UNF trustees and the Florida Board of Governors.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Shannon is a strong leader with an impressive background in higher education and military service,\u201d Boyle said. \u201cHe is passionate about student success, community engagement and the future of UNF.\u201d<\/p>\n

Board of Governors policy requires a presidential search committee \u201cto submit more than two qualified applicants\u201d to the board of trustees \u201cother than in exceptional circumstances.\u201d Additionally, trustees must be notified about the reason why fewer than three candidates are being presented to them.<\/p>\n

According to Boyle, in an email sent Tuesday to trustees and forwarded to the Phoenix Wednesday, the search committee selected four finalists and only one was willing to be publicly announced as such. Boyle said the committee returned to the candidate pool but an additional candidate declined to be publicly named, leaving only Shannon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the outcome is a sole finalist, I want to emphasize that this result followed a broad, competitive and deliberative search. The committee considered a deep applicant pool, evaluated semifinalists through a rigorous interview process and took additional steps to determine whether other candidates were willing and able to continue into the next phase,\u201d Boyle wrote to trustees.<\/p>\n

The news release announcing Shannon says the institution \u201creviewed candidates in accordance with\u201d Board of Governors rules and state statute.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I understand the hesitancy of some to move forward in the absence of a guarantee, it shows that Dr. Shannon has demonstrated a high level of respect for the public nature of our presidencies in Florida, and a healthy respect for our process,\u201d Board of Governors Chair Alan Levine said in an email response to Boyle, also forwarded to the Phoenix.<\/p>\n

Among other institutions to name a sole finalist:<\/p>\n

University of West Florida in naming former Education Commissioner\u00a0Manny Diaz Jr.<\/a>
\nFlorida International University in naming former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nu\u00f1ez.
\nUniversity of South Florida in naming former UNF President\u00a0Moez Limayem<\/a>.
\nUniversity of Florida in naming former U.S. Sen.\u00a0Ben Sasse<\/a>, former University of Michigan President\u00a0Santa Ono<\/a>, and former University of Alabama President\u00a0Stuart Bell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Florida university applicants for president were previously subject to the state\u2019s \u201csunshine\u201d laws, meaning their names were not exempt from public disclosure. In 2022, lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved keeping applicants\u2019 names private until the final stages.<\/p>\n

The fear voiced at that time, and as was the\u00a0case at least in FIU\u2019s search<\/a>, was that finalists not named president don\u2019t want their current employer to know they are seeking a new job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI congratulate you on attracting such a high-quality candidate, and I find that he is both qualified to serve as President of the University of North Florida, and that he would be an exceptional addition to our cadre of 11 of America\u2019s best university presidents!\u201d Levine wrote.<\/p>\n

About Shannon<\/p>\n

Shannon has served at UNG\u00a0since 2023. His background is in aerospace, nuclear, and radiological engineering.<\/p>\n

He earned his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1995 and 1999 and a doctoral degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2009.<\/p>\n

\u201cJessica and I are excited for the opportunity to spend time with the UNF community, to listen and learn, and to better understand its aspirations for the future,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is tremendous momentum here, and I am inspired by what UNF can become and the impact it can continue to make for its students and this region,\u201d Shannon said in a news release.<\/p>\n

He spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and later was a faculty member and executive at Georgia Tech.<\/p>\n

The UNF news release highlights a period of growing enrollment and retention at UNG under Shannon\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

UNG, a public institution, calls itself \u201cThe Military College of Georgia.\u201d<\/p>\n

The presidency opened when Limayem left the Jacksonville university to return to University of South Florida as president, where he once served as a dean. The search committee was established in March and a listening session happened in April.<\/p>\n

Former Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti has been serving as interim UNF president.<\/p>\n

UNF trustees will interview Shannon and vote on his presidency in mid-September.<\/p>\n

\u2013Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix<\/p>\n

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