Senate committee unanimously reports favorably on multiple university trustee confirmations

The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard testimony from nominees to boards of trustees for multiple state institutions and proceeded to a block confirmation vote covering tabs 1–10, reporting the appointees favorably.

Nominees who spoke in person or by phone included Nestor Plana (nominee for the Florida International University board), Clarence Steven Moore (reappointment to the University of North Florida board), Mark Filburn (reappointment to the University of Central Florida board), Alan Flores (reappointment to the UCF board), Rick Piccolo (nominee to the University of South Florida board), Nancy Watkins Hemingway (appointment to the USF board), and Ismari Monreal (reappointment to the Miami Dade College board, who later testified by phone). Each nominee described professional ties to the institution, prior board or civic service, and priorities they would pursue if confirmed.

Highlights from nominees’ testimony: • Nestor Plana said his career in health care and work running a large Medicaid program would inform his support for research and retaining health professionals in South Florida. • Clarence "Steve" Moore emphasized student retention, internships and community engagement as priorities for the University of North Florida. • Mark Filburn, an attorney and housing developer, supported expanding UCF’s engineering programs and workforce pipelines. • Alan Flores described prior UCF service and said he would focus on moving UCF into the top 25 public engineering colleges and growing research funding. • Rick Piccolo cited prior USF board service, airport leadership and the university’s recent research milestone (about $750 million) and AAU membership. • Nancy Watkins Hemingway, a certified public accountant, said she would bring governance and audit experience to USF’s Audit and Governance committees. • Ismari Monreal cited workforce alignment, Miami Dade College’s AI initiatives and a $1,000,000 commitment from the South Florida Health Foundation for minority-nursing scholarships; she described Miami Dade’s NCLEX pass rate as “very high” but declined to give a specific figure.

A public commenter, Michelle Drucker, spoke in the record about her daughter, a transgender graduate of UCF’s engineering college who chose to continue studies outside Florida, saying trustees should be mindful that 'talent comes in places that you might not expect' and warning of a 'chilling effect' on campus climate.

Senator Bracy Davis moved to confirm all conferees heard to date; after recording no requests to separate any nominee the committee took a block roll call. Senators Bracy Davis, Claudio, Leake, Vice Chair Bradley and Chair Harrell recorded 'Yes' and Chair Harrell announced the confirmations listed in tabs 4–10 will be reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

What happens next: The committee’s favorable report places the nominees’ confirmations into the Senate record and advances them toward final confirmation under Senate rules, subject to any further procedures required by the Senate.