University of North Florida trustees have picked the longtime head of a Central Florida state college to serve as interim president while they seek a permanent replacement for Moez Limayem.
Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti is scheduled to start at UNF Feb. 16 but will need confirmation by the state university system’s Board of Governors for “continued service,” UNF said in a Feb. 5 release.
Falconetti won’t apply to become UNF’s permanent president, the release said.
“The University of North Florida is on an upward trajectory, and Angela Garcia Falconetti will continue building on that momentum during the transition process,” UNF trustees Chair Steve Moore said in written remarks.
“As a UNF graduate who grew up in Jacksonville, Angela knows the University, has strong ties to business and civic leaders and will ensure continued focus on ensuring student success, investing in research and innovation, accelerating the success of faculty and staff and expanding and strengthening community partnerships,” Moore said.
Falconetti has been president since 2017 of Polk State in Winter Haven, a part of the state’s 28-school Florida College System, which includes Florida State College at Jacksonville.
A Jacksonville native, she earned a bachelor’s degree at New York University then a master’s and a doctorate in educational leadership at UNF.
In the release about her selection, Falconetti said that “UNF has shaped my life in profound ways that tie me directly to our mission. I am grateful to the Board of Trustees and look forward to the work ahead alongside our students, faculty and staff.”
Falconetti’s administration at Polk State faced scrutiny of its use of scholarship money following comments from a leader of a foundation that benefits the college, but an independent review finalized in January found no wrongdoing.
The UNF president’s job opened up after Limayem was tapped to be president of the larger University of South Florida in Tampa, a move the university system governors approved in December.
Falconetti is the second interim president named to a Jacksonville university in this academic year. In October, Jacksonville University trustees picked Lisa Sutherland to lead their school temporarily after longtime President Tim Cost announced plans to become JU’s chancellor beginning July 1.
This story was updated to clarify the source of comments that prompted a review involving Polk State College scholarship funds.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: UNF names interim president: Who is Angela Garcia Falconetti?
Reporting by Steve Patterson, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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