Florida education commissioner is sole finalist for Polk State job
Anastasios 'Stasi' Kamoutsas, Florida’s education commissioner, is the sole finalist to become Polk State College’s sixth president, recommended by the search committee after a closed, secretive process. The Polk State District Board of Trustees will vote on the appointment on June 3, with Kamoutsas visiting campus to meet stakeholders beforehand, despite his lack of prior academic leadership experience.
Anastasios 'Stasi' Kamoutsas, Florida’s education commissioner, has been named the sole finalist to lead Polk State College as its sixth president. The search committee, chaired by trustee Steve Lester, unanimously recommended Kamoutsas after a closed process that included more than 100 applicants nationwide. The Polk State District Board of Trustees will vote on the appointment during their June 3 meeting in Winter Haven. Kamoutsas, a native of Miami, currently serves as deputy chief of staff to Governor Ron DeSantis, overseeing education, law enforcement, and emergency management. His professional background includes roles as assistant state attorney in Miami-Dade County and positions within the Florida Department of Education, but his official biography lists no prior experience in academic leadership. He holds a law degree from Regent University School of Law but lacks a doctoral degree, a requirement previously mandated by Polk State that was later removed by trustees. The search committee included Board of Trustees members, Faculty Senate President Anthony Cornett, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, and former state legislators Denise Grimsley and Kelli Stargel. Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting led the national recruitment process, which concluded with Kamoutsas as the only finalist. Florida law required all search committee meetings to be closed to the public, with members signing secrecy agreements. Kamoutsas will visit Polk State on June 3 to participate in meetings and forums with students, faculty, staff, and community members ahead of the trustees’ vote. His appointment, if approved, would continue a trend under Governor DeSantis of appointing political figures to leadership roles at Florida universities. Former Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti departed in February to become interim president at the University of North Florida, while Anne Kerr, president emerita of Florida Southern College, currently serves as Polk State’s interim leader.
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