I would like to thank the community for the warm welcome I’ve received as State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota’s seventh President. It is an honor and privilege to continue serving the region. Two of my sons attended SCF’s Collegiate School and earned their associate’s degree from SCF. As a father and now as President, I’ve witnessed the tremendous impact of SCF and our faculty and staff firsthand.

SCF’s future is bright, thanks to the numerous contributions of our community, faculty and staff and the excellence of our students. Under the leadership of SCF President Emerita Dr. Probstfeld, the college was responsive to the community and her strategic planning prepared us for the long term. 

This fall, we’re serving nearly 8,000 credit-seeking students, most being first time in college and pursuing an associate in arts degree with plans to transfer to a university. We also proudly welcomed a record 187 associate in science in nursing students, a testament to the ongoing partnership we have with our community healthcare providers, foundations, and supporters.

Over the next year, SCF will continue expanding our community outreach, engagement and collaboration efforts. We know that the sooner and more we engage and collaborate, the more successful our students are. We will expand our calls for our associate in science, a.k.a. workforce degree program advisory committees. Subject matter expert participation guides the programming and helps establish key peer and networking opportunities for our students. And we’re also exploring new programming in growing fields, including cyber security. 

We will also continue developing our SCF Parrish campus now that we have received an additional $18 million from the Florida Legislature. I would like to express my gratitude to Sen. Jim Boyd for his leadership, sponsorship of SCF’s appropriations request and his ongoing support. Our legislative priorities this year include seeking the remaining $9 million to complete Phase I of SCF Parrish and requesting additional recurring funding to serve our student body. Such funding supports SCF’s implementation of high-demand workforce programs and services, expansion of student-centered programs and services that have demonstrated recruitment, retention and graduation rate success, and the recruitment and retention of high-quality faculty and staff.

SCF has embraced creating a workforce and student-centric college by engaging the members of our region to grow our academic programs, student services, lifelong learning and workforce development offerings. 

As the new President of SCF, I am deeply committed to SCF’s tradition of innovation and dedication to serving and supporting our community. At SCF, we meet our students, partners, and community where they are. We’re everyone’s college.

Tommy Gregory is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.  

August is Civility Month, an important reminder for us to treat others with kindness, empathy and respect. In this time of divisiveness across the globe, the significance of unifying together to show respect and dignity for all resonates deeply with me. Fostering a more productive, inclusive community and understanding each other, even when we disagree, are cornerstones of a culture of respect we all want. The 2024 Summer Olympics, a unique example of civility with a history of over 2,000 years, serves as a powerful symbol of this concept. 

This year’s Summer Olympics motto was “Games Wide Open,” representing the goal of delivering more responsible, inclusive, equal and extraordinary games. The three values of the Olympics are excellence, respect and friendship. The games represent an international sense of goodwill, bringing together athletes from all over the globe to promote sport, culture and education to build a better world. When I think of the Olympics, I think of civility. 

According to ChatGPT, civility refers to “the behavior that shows respect, politeness, and consideration for others.” As President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation, I see civil discourse as the thread that ties together a thriving community with opportunities for all. Civility celebrates diversity, softens the tone of public discord and provides grace in a fast-paced society where news churns faster than our minds can absorb. Our Foundation has been committed to civility for well over a decade, with efforts like the Civility Squad, a cast of animated characters created to promote civil discourse and civic participation in the region that was transitioned to the Sarasota County School District in 2019.

Gulf Coast's 2023 Regional Scan, composed of input from community members, identified three focus areas for our philanthropic efforts – Affordable Housing, Water Quality & Access to Green Space, and Mental Health. We cannot make a meaningful impact on these three priorities without a strong foundation of civility. Through the Regional Scan interviews, focus groups and surveys, we heard a constant theme from the community: public discourse has grown too polarized and combative. We all want a safe, sustainable, thriving and respectful region. Positivity multiplies positivity. Acting with civility can inspire others to be kinder and more communicative in conversations.

Three members of the Gulf Coast team, Kelly Borgia, Hollie Mowry and Sasha Pyatte, are currently participating in the Council on Foundation’s Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort. The cohort helps participants gain the skills to build constructive dialogue and understanding across all types of differences. The program offers research-based strategies for bridging differences with colleagues, peers, and grantees. Our team of three joins 62 other participants from across the globe in this journey that envisions philanthropy playing an essential part in cultivating a diverse, inclusive democracy where everyone belongs.

The three values of the Olympics—excellence, respect and friendship—give me hope for improved civil discourse. By nurturing and sustaining a culture of civility, we can all make the world a brighter place.

Phillip P. Lanham is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.  

Photo courtesy Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

Transparency has been a challenge this past year for many local governments. We have written about specific examples of government documents not being provided to the public ahead of time or not allowing public comment on commissioner proposals from the dais. Today, we are writing about what we will call “after-the-fact transparency.” This phenomenon is permeating local governments.

There are laws in the State of Florida regarding transparency requiring a certain level of openness and notifications. This is considered the bare minimum in the state of Florida. Complying with these requirements keeps government legal, but it doesn’t necessarily meet the spirit of true transparency in policy decision-making. 

A local government can supplement these state requirements with their own policies which can be overseen by the local elected body. These can be adopted within the elected body’s rules of procedure. Additionally, where special circumstances are identified that would make a heightened level of transparency and participation fair, the elected bodies can direct their administrators to further increase transparency above their general policy and state law. 

Recently, we have seen local government shy away from transparency in decision making. This is likely to decrease any negative public feedback on initiatives from administration and commissioners. Local governments have purposely not been notifying stakeholders and affected parties and not including them in the policy decision-making process.

Instead, you hear lots of reasons why not to inform the public, reasons like the item was posted on the government website, or this decision has been a long process. No matter that most people don’t check government websites on a regular basis nor watch or monitor government meetings. Taxpayers expect government, and especially their local elected officials, will be responsible and inform them that a local elected body’s decision will be made that directly impacts their future. Instead, they get the minimum, or, even worse, after-the-fact notification that usually occurs after an election, not before.

After-the-fact notification allows the elected official a cover of sorts; they get to say that they told the public — albeit after the fact — when they have no voice in the decision-making process and the public cannot hold their elected official accountable. They do this even though they could have sent those same notices prior to decision-making.

These are clear choices these elected officials are making not to inform the public and to exclude them from decision-making. These officials are demonstrating disdain for the public process and those who are affected by their decisions the most. The Argus Foundation strongly urges local elected bodies to examine their processes and ensure that transparency is heightened before policy decisions are made, not after. 

Christine Robinson is Executive Director of The Argus Foundation. 

Image courtesy Pixabay.