Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday backed one of his top aides to become state education commissioner as Manny Diaz Jr. prepares to leave the commissioner's job to take over as interim president of the University of West Florida.
DeSantis recommended the appointment of Deputy Chief of Staff Anastasios Kamoutsas to succeed Diaz. The State Board of Education is scheduled Wednesday to consider appointing a commissioner, and it was unclear Tuesday whether other candidates might be considered.
"Stasi Kamoutsas has delivered on important issues like parental rights, school choice and fighting back against radical ideologies in education," DeSantis said in a prepared statement. "I am confident that he will continue to serve our state well as the next commissioner of education, and I thank Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. for his dedicated and productive service."
If Kamoutsas is approved, it would continue DeSantis' efforts to put his imprint on the state education system. Diaz, a former Republican lawmaker from Hialeah, was appointed commissioner in 2022 after receiving DeSantis' recommendation.
Diaz's predecessor, Richard Corcoran, also was a DeSantis ally. Corcoran, a former state House speaker, is now president of New College of Florida.
DeSantis' office said in a news release Tuesday that Kamoutsas served as general counsel and chief of staff at the Florida Department of Education before becoming deputy chief of staff to DeSantis. In the governor's office, he has overseen policy issues involving education, law enforcement and emergency management, the news release said.
"I'm honored to have the trust and support of Governor Ron DeSantis to be Florida's commissioner of education," Kamoutsas said in a statement included in the news release. "Under my tenure, the Florida Department of Education will remain committed to student safety and success, empowering parents and supporting teachers."
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Diaz is expected to become interim president of the University of West Florida on July 14, though his appointment remains subject to approval by the state university system's Board of Governors.
The UWF trustees last week tapped Diaz to succeed Martha Saunders, who announced she was stepping down after serving as the university's president since 2017.
If appointed commissioner, Kamoutsas would be one in a series of DeSantis allies who have received high-ranking education positions. In addition to Corcoran at New College and Diaz picked to lead UWF, former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez was approved Monday by the Florida International University Board of Trustees to become the university's president. She has served as interim president since February.
As another example, the Pasco-Hernando State College Board of Trustees last month chose Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Eric Hall to serve as the college's interim president. DeSantis appointed Hall to the juvenile-justice post in 2021, after he previously served as a senior chancellor at the Department of Education.
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