Florida’s lieutenant governor gets a university post, handing DeSantis another key appointment

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This article was published 07/02/2025 (305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez has been named the interim president of Florida International University, a move that hands term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis the opportunity to elevate an ally to the powerful position ahead of the 2026 governor’s race.

Announcing the appointment Friday, FIU Board of Trustees Chair Roger Tovar said he was contacted directly by DeSantis’ office about tapping Nuñez and later had multiple conversations with her.

“I can think of no better advocate for FIU than a two-time alumni from South Florida who has the experience of having served in the Florida Legislature and her time as lieutenant governor,” Tovar said.

It’s the latest shakeup among the state’s top officeholders, as Florida Republicans score jobs in President Donald Trump’s administration and beyond — and another chance for DeSantis to cement his influence long after his time in the governor’s mansion runs out.

With the appointment to replace Nuñez, DeSantis could give an edge to a chosen successor, at a time when multiple Trump allies are rumored to be eyeing a run for governor.

Under DeSantis’ influence, the boards tasked with hiring presidents for the state’s public colleges and universities are increasingly choosing Republican politicians allied with his conservative agenda — a pattern that has alarmed many students and professors.

Selecting DeSantis’ second-in-command for a presidential post — which generally comes with a multi-year contract for a six-figure salary and a plush on-campus residence — is just the latest and clearest example of the governor’s impact on higher education.

Nuñez is slated to take over the interim job leading the public university in her hometown of Miami on Feb. 17 and is expected to win the permanent position, following a formal search process.

With more than 56,000 students, FIU is one of the country’s largest universities, serving a significant population of Hispanic, first-generation and low-income students.

Nuñez will succeed President Kenneth Jessell, who has spent his career as a finance professor and university administrator, and who is stepping down early ahead of his contract ending in November.

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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.