Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Zack Smith, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees.
The appointment comes after backlash over recent appointees and two resignations.
Smith is a “lifelong resident of Pensacola,” according to a press release from the Governor’s office. He was appointed to the Pensacola State College board in February and will serve on both boards, said PSC President Dr. Ed Meadows.
“As a lifelong resident of NWFL and a longtime adjunct at UWF, I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve my community and the school on the UWF Board of Trustees,” said Smith on X.
Smith is a commissioner on the First Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, which oversees judicial appointments from Escambia to Walton County.
“Areas with which he has a thorough understanding,” the press release stated.
Before joining The Heritage Foundation, Smith was Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. He earned his bachelor's, master’s, and juris doctor from the University of Florida.
“Today, Smith’s expertise continues to shape legal and policy discussions, grounded in the strong foundation he built in his hometown and at the University of West Florida,” the release said.
Smith is the second Heritage Foundation appointee to the UWF board. Heritage Foundation Visiting Fellow Adam Kissel was appointed in late December 2024, but has not been confirmed by the Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee or the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee. They later rejected his appointment last month.
Comments from Kissel about privatizing public universities and his critique of the GI Bill were questioned by Florida senators and the Northwest Florida community.
Scott Yenor, who resigned from the board last month, received most of the backlash for his public statements about women, Jewish people, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Locals, UWF alumni, lawmakers, and advocates with the Save UWF organization criticized some of Gov. DeSantis’ picks not for their positions alone, but for the lack of local ties to the area.
On X, Smith said his priorities as a trustee for Pensacola State College and UWF would be access to affordable education, expanding partnerships with the military, the success rate of programs, and making sure practices of colleges match with their policies.
1/ There's been a lot of interest over what my priorities will be as a Trustee at either @PensacolaState or @UWF.
— Zack Smith (@tzsmith) May 7, 2025
At the end of the day, it's about prioritizing what's best for students and for our community.
CC: @weartv @pnj @WPNNPensacola @NR1620 @WKRG @mynbc15
Smith also mentioned that he “appreciated hearing the recent commitments both schools have made to making sure students, faculty, and staff are free to express their views on a variety of subjects.”
Smith’s appointment comes after the governor told UWF to “buckle up” for change. Earlier this week, the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a state agency created by the DeSantis administration, demanded that UWF return $800,000 in federal funding for a STEM teacher training.
