The State Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously voted to appoint Dr. Henry Mack to serve as Florida’s next Commissioner of Education.
Mack was recommended recently by Governor Ron DeSantis to serve as Florida’s next Commissioner of Education.
He replaces Anastasios Kamoutsas, recently named president of Polk State College, and interim commissioner Paul Burns, a senior chancellor at DOE. Mack will be paid approximately $330,000 a year.
Mack was a candidate for Florida Gulf Coast University president in 2023 but lost the nomination by one vote. Dr. Aysegul Timur was selected for the post.
Mack currently serves as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor. In this role, he oversees the Department’s Employment and Training Administration. He previously served as Senior Chancellor at the Florida Department of Education, leading the Divisions of Florida Colleges, Career and Adult Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, Blind Services, the Florida Department of Education's Office of Workforce Education and Economic Alignment, and the Commission for Independent Education. Mack has also served as a Provost, a Vice President and as a Chief Innovation Officer.
As Commissioner, Mack will lead the Florida Department of Education in advancing the state's nationally recognized education initiatives, supporting students, families, and educators, and continuing Florida's commitment to academic excellence, parental rights, workforce education, and expanding opportunities for student success.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected to serve as Florida's next Commissioner of Education,” Mack said. “I am grateful to Governor DeSantis and the State Board of Education for their confidence in me, and I look forward to working alongside educators, parents, school leaders, and communities across Florida to build on our state's success. Together, we will continue maintaining high academic standards, supporting teachers, and putting students first in every decision we make.”
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.
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