President, Education ​/ Teaching

PRESIDENT

POLK STATE COLLEGE

Polk State College, in Central Florida, seeks a dynamic and experienced leader to serve as President. The President serves as the institution’s chief executive officer and corporate secretary to the board of trustees, providing visionary, mission-driven leadership. The President guides strategic planning and institutional effectiveness while fostering a culture of student success, access, and academic excellence.

Polk State College is Polk County’s largest serving institution of higher education and workforce development, providing access to affordable associate and baccalaureate degrees, career certificates and workforce training programs.

Established in 1964, Polk State College spans seven locations serving more than 14,000 degree-seeking students and 9,000 individuals in short-term workforce training programs annually. In addition to its main campuses in Winter Haven and Lakeland, and centers in Bartow, Lake Wales, and Winter Haven, Polk State College is currently constructing its eighth location in Haines City-Davenport.

An institution of the Florida College System, Polk State College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and completed its decennial reaffirmation in 2021 with no findings, placing the College in an approximated 5% of higher education institutions in the southern region. Polk State College also boasts the highest continuing education and job placement rate out of the 28 Florida College System institutions for its associate in science graduates.

With 80 academic programs that span Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Business, Education, Health Sciences and Nursing, Public Safety and Liberal Arts, Polk State College offers a variety of paths for students to obtain the education and training they need for high-wage, in-demand careers within the region. Polk State College partners closely with industry leaders and employers to ensure instruction is aligned with local needs.

In addition to leading continuing education and job placement rates, Polk State College programs boast 100% licensure pass rates in areas including Corrections, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Law Enforcement, Nursing, Paramedic, Physical Therapist Assistant and Respiratory Care.

Polk State College is a recipient of $820,000 in Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) funding to enhance and expand its Nursing Program, as well as a $2.8 million Florida Job Growth Grant to launch a Welding Program and expand its Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Machining Program. In 2025, for the first time in Polk State College history, the institution was the primary recipient of a National Science Foundation grant totaling $494,795 to fund the Activating STEM Skills and Efficacy for Transfer (ASSET) Project, which will enrich STEM curriculum and create more hands‑on learning opportunities.

Polk State College also invests in quality services to support students on their academic journeys. With an advisor‑to‑student ratio of 1:365 and initiatives including the First‑Year Experience and success coaching to assist first time‑in‑college students with onboarding and navigating their first year of college, retention rates continue to increase. Students are also supported by generous donors through the Polk State College Foundation, which awards approximately $1.2 million in scholarships each year.

The College also operates three charter high schools. Polk State’s many advantages include small class sizes; hands‑on learning; dedicated faculty; day and night classes; online options; affordable tuition; excellent financial aid; and vibrant student life, including fine arts opportunities, clubs, and intercollegiate athletics.

Polk State College is a quality higher education institution that provides Polk County and beyond with access to affordable associate and baccalaureate degree programs, career certificates, and workforce employment programs that are delivered to students through various modalities and innovative technologies.

Polk State College is…