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he Pensacola State College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Sept. 21 to appoint J. Alex Kelly as the College’s seventh president, selecting Florida’s Secretary of Commerce to lead PSC into its next chapter.
The vote came during Kelly’s two-day visit to Pensacola State, where he is meeting with students, faculty, staff and community members in meetings and open forums through Sept. 22.
Kelly brings extensive leadership experience spanning education, economic and workforce development, public policy and state government. He currently serves as Secretary of the Florida Department of Commerce, where he leads the state agency responsible for economic development, workforce and community development programs.
That experience closely aligns with Pensacola State College’s role in creating opportunities for students, meeting regional workforce needs and supporting communities across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
“Alex understands, as well as anyone in Florida, how education and economic opportunity are connected,” said District Board of Trustees Chair Zack Smith. “Throughout this process, we have seen a leader who listens, understands what employers and communities need and recognizes the extraordinary role Pensacola State plays in creating opportunity for our students and our region. The Board is confident he is the right person to lead PSC into its next chapter.”
“I am honored by the Board’s confidence and grateful for the warm welcome I have received from the Pensacola State community,” Kelly said. “I have spent my career working to connect people with opportunity, and few institutions do that more directly than colleges like Pensacola State. Our students will be the workforce, entrepreneurs and leaders who shape Northwest Florida’s future. I look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff, employers and community partners to create even more opportunities for them to succeed.”
“Alex has proven time and again that he is a pragmatic builder, an effective consensus-maker, and a true champion for our state’s future who intimately understands the vital bridge between higher education, targeted workforce pipelines and thriving local communities,” said Jennifer Conoley, president and CEO of Florida’s Great Northwest, the regional economic development organization for Northwest Florida’s 13-county Panhandle region, including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. “Pensacola State College is exceptionally fortunate to secure an action-oriented, visionary leader of his caliber as its next president, and I offer him my absolute and enthusiastic support.”
Before becoming Secretary of Commerce in 2023, Kelly served as deputy chief of staff in the Governor’s Office, a position he held beginning in 2021, and as chief of staff to then-Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.
In addition to other key leadership roles, he previously served as vice president for the Foundation for Excellence in Education and as chief of staff for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
Earlier in his career, Kelly held several positions in the Florida Legislature, including chief analyst for the House Select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning.
Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from York College of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Florida.
The appointment concludes a national search led by search advisor Kenny Daugherty and Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting. The search attracted 107 qualified applicants from across the country. The Presidential Search Committee selected nine candidates for interviews and brought four highly qualified applicants to Pensacola for a second round of in-person interviews before recommending Kelly as the finalist Aug. 29.
Kelly will succeed President C. Edward Meadows, who has led Pensacola State College since 2008 and oversaw its transition from Pensacola Junior College to Pensacola State College.
Kelly is expected to begin his tenure as president on Oct. 19.