Dr. Henry Mack , a former candidate for Florida Gulf Coast University president has been recommended
to serve as Florida’s next Commissioner of Education.
Mack, who's name was advanced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, lost the FGCU nomination by one vote of the university’s board of trustee’s in 2023.
Dr. Aysegul Timur, FGCU's Vice President and Vice Provost for Strategy and Program Innovation, was selected for the post. Timur joined Florida Gulf Coast University four years ago and will be the first female selected and the fifth president of the 25-year-old university.
In 2019, Mack was selected by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve as senior vice chancellor for the state department of education. He was directly responsible for the state of Florida’s workforce education strategy, budget, operations, policy and finance, grants and administration, and, together with the Governor’s Office, was responsible for all higher education and workforce education legislative and policy priorities.
He also served as a vice president for Workforce Education and Innovation at Broward College and oversaw the college’s career and technical education programs, the development of new baccalaureate degrees, and the college’s business incubator and accelerator.
Mack earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy and theology from the Catholic University of America and his doctorate in education administration and the philosophy of education from the University of Miami.
In his current federal role as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor, he has advanced policies that integrate education and labor systems to expand Registered Apprenticeships, accelerate credential attainment, root out waste and fraud in the nation’s unemployment insurance system, and align training with high-demand industry needs.
“I am confident Dr. Mack will build on Florida’s record of success in education,” DeSantis said. “He shares our commitment to parental rights, school choice, eliminating radical ideologies from the classroom, and preparing every student for success in the workforce and in life.”
“It is a profound honor to be recommended by Governor DeSantis to serve as Florida’s Commissioner of Education,” Mack said. “For more than two decades I had the privilege of teaching in Florida, helping students think critically about education, policy, and the good life. As Chancellor, I worked to align our entire K-20 system with workforce needs, and at the U.S. Department of Labor I have continued breaking down the artificial walls between education and employment so that every Floridian — and every American — has clear pathways to high-wage careers. I am ready to bring that integrated vision home to serve Florida’s students, parents, and teachers and strengthen our workforce and economy.”
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