Dear FIU family,
In an important step on our path to selecting FIU’s seventh president, I am pleased to announce the members of the FIU Presidential Search Committee.
These individuals, who were appointed in accordance with Florida Board of Governors regulations, represent the Florida Board of Governors, FIU Board of Trustees, FIU Foundation Board of Directors, faculty, students, alumni, and members from the community.
With varying professional backgrounds and community involvement - and a sincere commitment to the success of FIU - these members will provide the knowledge and dedication needed to conduct this search for FIU’s seventh president. I am grateful to each of them for their dedication to this process and for giving of their time to assist our university during this time of transition.
The FIU Presidential Search 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, FIU 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, 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.; 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 Sciences
FIU Board of Trustees Vice Chair Carlos A. Duart will serve as chair of the Presidential Search Committee. Mr. Duart is a two-time FIU alumnus, earning a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in taxation. He is the founder and CEO of CDR Enterprises Inc. and its subsidiaries CDR Health Care, Inc., CDR Maguire, Inc. and CDR Financial Services, Inc.
Trustee Marc D. Sarnoff will serve as the vice chair of the Presidential Search Committee. Mr. Sarnoff is a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen, where he practices land use and government relations law and is a member of the Land Use Practice Group.
The search committee will be assisted by the Dallas-based search firm R. William Funk and Associates to identify, recruit and vet candidates. The committee is holding its first meeting at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 17, 2025 and will be available on webcast.fiu.edu.
Updates and information about the presidential search process can be found on the FIU presidential search website. This website will be updated routinely. Please visit the website and share your input.
The FIU Board of Trustees is committed to a thorough, diligent, and collaborative search process and will continue to provide the university community with frequent updates and opportunities to work together.
I believe the FIU presidency is one of the great jobs in higher education. I can assure you that our next leader will be a true champion of student success and research excellence.
Thank you,
Roger Tovar
Chair, FIU Board of Trustees