Anne Kerr, president emerita of Florida Southern College, is being considered as interim leader of Polk State College.
Polk State gave notice Jan. 29 that the college’s District Board of Trustees would hold a special meeting Feb. 5 to consider the appointment of an interim president. That same day, the trustees of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville will meet to consider selecting Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti as UNF’s interim president.
Polk State released a revised meeting notice Feb. 2 listing Kerr as the candidate for interim president. Kerr retired in 2024 after 20 years as president at Florida Southern in Lakeland.
The Polk State trustees meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Room 267 of the Polk State College Center for Public Safety in Winter Haven.
University of North Florida President Moez Limayem has been named as the next president of the University of South Florida in Tampa. The Ledger asked the UNF communications office if Falconetti is being considered as a permanent successor to Limayem or only an interim leader.
UNF referred a reporter to Falconetti. Polk State’s communications office did not immediately respond Feb. 2 to an email asking whether Falconetti is a candidate for the permanent position at UNF.
Falconetti, a Jacksonville native, holds two degrees from the University of North Florida: a master’s degree and a doctorate in educational leadership, with specializations in instructional leadership, postsecondary education and adult learning.
Polk State College hired Falconetti, now 50, as its fifth president in 2017.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk State College will consider Anne Kerr as interim president
Reporting by Gary White, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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