Florida International University (FIU) is a leading public research university recognized for academic excellence, innovation, and impact. FIU is ranked among the Top 50 public universities and Top 100 overall national universities by U.S. News & World Report. The Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly Magazine rank FIU as the top university in Florida. As a Preeminent State Research University, FIU is one of only four institutions to achieve this prestigious designation, a testament to its exceptional performance in student success, research, and national prominence. Further solidifying its position as a national powerhouse, FIU holds the highest Carnegie Classification—R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity—placing it among the top tier of research institutions in the nation. FIU has consistently been ranked among the top three universities over the past four years in Florida’s performance-based funding model, earning the No. 1 spot three times.
FIU’s influence extends far beyond the classroom. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions and a global hub for innovation, research, and real-world solutions, FIU is tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges across environment and environmental resilience, health, and technology and innovation. With this momentum, FIU is poised to attract a world-class leader as its next President—someone who will build upon its extraordinary trajectory and propel the institution to even greater heights. The future of FIU is brighter than ever, and its impact will continue to shape the landscape of higher education and beyond.
In accordance with Florida Board of Governors Regulation 1.002, I, as Chair of the FIU Board of Trustees (the “Board of Trustees”), and in consultation with the Chair of the Board of Governors, have appointed the members to the Presidential Search Committee (the “Committee”). The Committee has been appointed to serve in an advisory role to the FIU Board of Trustees and is comprised of 15 members including representatives of the Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, faculty, students, alumni, and the community. Two of the Committee’s members are the Chair of the Board of Governors’ designees, which consist of a member of the Board of Governors and a committee member at-large. The Committee members are:
Carlos A. Duart
Committee Chair
Vice Chair, FIU Board of Trustees
President, CDR Enterprises Inc.
Marc D. Sarnoff
Committee Vice Chair
FIU Board of Trustees
Partner, Miami office, Shutts & Bowen
Noël C. Barengo
FIU Board of Trustees
Chair, FIU Faculty Senate
Associate Professor, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Francesca Casanova
FIU Board of Trustees
President, Student Government Association
Eric Eikenberg
Chief Executive Officer, The Everglades Foundation
Gerald C. Grant, Jr.
Vice Chair, FIU Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors
President, G Financial Group
Francis A. Hondal
FIU Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors
Formerly President, Loyalty and Engagement for Mastercard
Natasha Lowell
Senior Vice President and Senior Wealth Strategist, Grove Bank & Trust
Albert R. Maury
President and CEO, Leon Medical Centers
Carlos A. Migoya
Chief Executive Officer, Jackson Health System
Jose Oliva
Florida Board of Governors
Chairman of the Board, Oliva Cigar Co. and owner, Oliva International Foods
Yaffa Popack
FIU Board of Trustees
Co-founder and Chair, YMP Real Estate Management
Claudia Puig
FIU Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors
Formerly President and General Manager of Univision Communications/Television/Radio/Digital
Alexander Rubido
JD candidate, FIU College of Law
Selcuk Uluagac
Eminent Scholar Chaired Professor, FIU Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Science
FIU is formally retaining the services of R. William Funk and Associates, an executive search firm/consultant to assist it in this process. Selection of the next President of FIU is, as we all know, a highly important matter for the University. Together with the FIU Board of Trustees, I extend our gratitude to the members of the Committee for accepting this critical assignment.
Consistent with Florida law and Florida Board of Governors Regulation 1.002, I would like to charge the Committee as follows:
1. Scope of Search: The Committee is tasked with conducting a presidential search process that is transparent, effective, and consistent with state law and with the priorities of the Board of Governors and FIU. The Committee is charged with conducting a nationwide search and recommending to the Board of Trustees an individual who is highly qualified to lead FIU as its next president and to base its recommendations upon position criteria adopted by the Board of Trustees with input from the campus community, as well as the Board of Trustees’ established employment policies. Throughout this process, the Committee shall comply with Florida’s Sunshine laws and confidentiality requirements in accordance with Florida Statutes, including chapters 119 and 286 and the confidentiality requirement in section 1004.098, in addition to Regulations of the Board of Governors and applicable FIU regulations.
2. Responsibilities: Consistent with Board of Governors Regulation 1.002, the Committee, assisted by the executive search firm, shall be responsible for:
- oversight of a webpage on the institution’s website that includes a link to the home page for meetings related to the search and information on the means of providing stakeholder input, which shall be maintained for purposes of transparency;
- establishing a calendar of public events for the process as they are planned that takes into account the need to align the timing of the selection process with the estimated timeline specified by the Board of Trustees to the extent feasible, and meeting dates of the Board of Trustees, and of the Board of Governors for purposes of the confirmation process;
- developing recommended position criteria that are consistent with the institution’s mission, strategic plan and aspirational goals, which shall be approved by the Board of Trustees;
- approving a marketing plan, that will be submitted to the Board of Trustees;
- identifying individuals who may apply, be nominated, or recruited, taking into consideration their experience, qualifications and leadership capabilities under the position criteria to produce a pool of qualified applicants;
- vetting applicants by, at a minimum, ensuring that:
- the committee reviews, as soon as possible but no later than seven (7) days prior to the interview of any applicant, available public records and online resources in order to narrow the pool of qualified applicants who will be invited to participate in interviews with the search committee;
- any issues of concern identified in the public records or online resources are shared with and addressed by the committee and applicant, prior to the applicant being advanced to the Board of Trustees;
- the references of candidates to be referred to the Board of Trustees are thoroughly checked and reviewed by the Committee prior to advancing applicants to the Board of Trustees;
- any information solicited from applicants in the vetting process is necessary to conduct a background check, or is germane to the position description.
- determining, under the position criteria, the applicants to be interviewed by the search committee, which may be accomplished, for example, by categorizing applicants from highly qualified to unqualified and conducting a ranking or series of rankings of the applicants to determine where there is consensus. Any ranking process must be completed by search committee members, during a meeting, on the record and where contemporaneous discussion of such rankings can take place;
- conducting those first applicant interviews, based on the format and parameters set forth by the Committee. If the interviews are in-person, at least one Board of Trustees Committee member must attend the interviews in person. The committee will utilize the same preliminary questions for each applicant and is authorized to include additional applicant-specific questions related to the applicant’s submitted materials or background vetting findings obtained through public records or online resources;
- recommending an unranked list of final applicants who are qualified under the position criteria to further the institution’s mission, goals and priorities for on-campus meetings or forums with faculty, students, and other stakeholders and for consideration and on-campus interviews by the Board of Trustees, subject to the prior review and approval by the Chair of the Board of Governors. The search Committee is required to submit more than two qualified applicants, selected by a majority vote of the search Committee, to the Board of Trustees for consideration, other than in exceptional circumstances making fulfillment of this requirement infeasible, in which case the Committee must discuss why fewer than three applicants are being recommended and whether additional applications should be considered. If more than two candidates are not coming forward, the Board of Trustees must be notified of the reason and may decline to act;
- informing all members of the Committee if any applicant withdraws from consideration prior to the Board of Trustees’ consideration of finalists; and
- notifying the search Committee chair and the Chancellor if, at any time during the search Committee process, a member identifies concerns or issues related to the process or the search committee’s compliance with law or Board of Governors regulations. The Chancellor, in consultation with the Chair of the Board of Governors and Board of Governors’ General Counsel, will issue guidance on the appropriate course of action.
3. Estimated Timeline: The timeline for the presidential search process began this month (February 2025) with organizational meetings, including consultations with the search firm, legal, statutory and confidentiality overview, development of a marketing plan, and development of the website for the search which will facilitate the means for providing stakeholder input. The first meeting of the Committee is anticipated for Monday, March 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM to be held at the FIU, Modesto A. Maidique Campus. Subsequently, the Board of Trustees will schedule a meeting to review the marketing plan and approve the presidential position criteria and the range of compensation. By early May 2025, the Committee should submit its recommended unranked list of qualified applicants to the Board of Trustees, consistent with the requirements of Board of Governors Regulation 1.002.
The Committee’s role is extremely important to the future of this institution, and the Board of Trustees sincerely thanks each member of the Committee for their willingness to engage in this process.