* So Richard Corcoran, career politician and charter school fan, will not be the next Florida State president. Good. FSU already has a reputation for hiring non-academics and John Thrasher’s successor should not be culled from a Who’s Who of Tallahassee insiders. The short list is now down to three finalists, all with serious academic credentials: the executive vice chancellor of UNC Chapel Hill, the vice provost of research at Harvard, and the vice president for research at Tulane.
While the model for higher ed presidents has understandably evolved, it need not be synonymous with political operatives and professional gladhanders. Personality, people skills, creative thinking, networks, fundraising aptitude and business acumen are not the sole province of politicians.
*Miami-Dade County has announced that it will create a first-of-its-kind position: chief heat officer—to “coordinate our efforts to protect people from heat and save lives.”
* The Sunshine State is second in the nation in electric vehicle sales. According to the Florida Energy Office, the number of EVs on the state’s roads is expected to double in the next decade.