I hope Dr. Joyner becomes Flagler College's Gorbachev.
Let the Perestroika begin.
Posted December 1, 2016 12:01 am - Updated December 1, 2016 07:14 am
By EMELIA HITCHNER emelia.hitchner@staugustine.com
Change in leadership plan in place as Joyner is named next Flagler president
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Joe Joyner might be the new face of leadership at Flagler College, but he’s certainly no stranger to the education realm.
The college’s board of trustees on Tuesday annointed Joyner — currently the superintendent of the St. Johns County School District — as the next president-to-be upon William Abare’s retirement in June. His name and that of one other were the finalists for the post from more than 170 national applicants.
“There were a lot of applicants with college president experience, so I certainly wasn’t expecting this,” Joyner said. “I already feel at home here, even after such a short period of time.”
Joyner will retire from his superintendent position after 13 years of service by the end of January. Under his tenure, the district has been at the top of the state for eight consecutive years and is one of only three A-rated school districts this year, along with Okaloosa and Sarasota counties.
He admitted it will be a change of pace, swapping the enormity of the school district’s 38,000 elementary, middle and high school students for a quaint 2,500 college students.
“But I love the idea of such a small college because you can get to know the students so much better,” he said.
Joyner will replace long-standing Abare, who will retire at the end of the 2016-2017 academic school year with 45 years of experience at Flagler, 15 of which he spent as president. Since the beginning of Abare’s presidency in 2001, Flagler has grown its student body and nearly doubled its number of full-time faculty members. Alumni increased from 6,000 to 16,000 and the college’s endowment and operating reserve funds, which serve as quasi-endowment, grew from $22 million to nearly $80 million.
Although he won’t officially begin his new role until the end of June, Joyner said he will begin building relationships around the college as he prepares to take the helm. He said his passion and energy for education did not end with his mandatory retirement from the school district and he’s eager to share those traits with Flagler.
For now, it’s all about observing.
“My first priority is to look, listen and learn,” Joyner said.
He added that he’s focused on providing a smooth transition for up-and-coming superintendent, Tim Forson, and that he will miss the close-knit community of district staff.
“I enjoyed every minute of my almost 14 years there. I will miss it dearly,” Joyner said. “But the good news is that I’m not moving away.”
As a former board of trustees member for the college, he feels confident the college’s strategic plan is similar to that of the school district. He said he feels well-prepared to fill the position, but he’s also open-minded about learning and gaining experience.
“I’m confident that I’m a quick learner and I will hit the ground running,” he said.
The details of Joyner’s contract with Flagler have not yet been discussed.
Comments
Blue Blood
http://www.flagler.edu/about-flagler/presidents-welcome/president/trustees.html
Transparency about as clear as a foggy London morning! Coincidentally, the school district's lawyer is the chairman of the Flagler College board of trustees? Conflict of interest, do your own research and decide. Here's the punch line, the newly appointed president is surprised - LOL.
45 minutes ago
Graham Martin
Are you saying that the man who ran the top rated school district in the state is somehow not qualified for his new position?
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