Photo courtesy Florida House of Representatives: State Rep. Tommy Gregory.

The State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota announced it selected state Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch, as its next president. He will succeed retiring President Carol Probstfeld on beginning July 1.

“I want to build upon the success already happening at SCF,” Gregory told SRQ. “They have been led tremendously and successfully led by Carol Probstfeld for the last 12 years under er leadership and the board’s. SCF has provided tremendous education for the community. My priority remains low-cost, high-quality education for students and adults in the community.”

Gregory’s own background doesn’t include working for a college, or university. But the three-term lawmaker stressed he does have background in education, noting he served as general counsel for the Air Mobility Warfare Center and he acted as an instructor in seven courses over several years. He holds a bachelor’s in economics from the Air Force Academy and a law degree from the University of Texas.

The Republican, who now chairs the Florida House Judiciary Committee, will not seek a fourth term in the Florida Legislature. That has political consequences. Gregory was unopposed, but his move to the college means an opening in an east Manatee County state House seat in District 72. Gregory said he is still exploring whether he needs to resign his House seat before the end of the term, but regardless, there’s not enough time for a Special Election to fill the seat so his successor will be chosen in the general election cycle.

As far as the college, Gregory stressed he plans to rely on the existing faculty and staff in moving the school forward. Asked if there’s any college administrators he would model his leadership on, he listed those already working at the community college.

“What I’m certainly going to do is take advantage of and lean on the role models already at SCF,” he said. Probstfeldt will still be around until he official retirement at the end of June, he said. Provost Todd Fritch will also be available to show him the internal intricacies of the SCF system. As a state lawmaker, he already has a relationship with many administrators from collaborating on the schools needs at the state level.

He also expects SCF to continue partnerships and to further working relationships with other Sarasota-Manatee area schools, including Ringling College of Art and Design and New College. He notes strong partnerships with the Sarasota campus for the University of South Florida, as well as a collegiate school program connected to Florida Gulf Coast University.

Gregory is the latest of several state lawmakers to end up with a leadership position in higher academia. Former state Rep. Fred Hawkins, R-St. Cloud, left the Legislature last year to lead South Florida State College. And locally, former Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran was selected by New College’s new board of trustees to head that Sarasota-based state university.

But Gregory said he didn’t feel like he had any inside track for the job.

“I was nervous right up until I received the announcement,” he said. “The interview was appropriately difficult and challenging.”

Photo courtesy Florida House of Representatives: State Rep. Tommy Gregory.