Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez expected to be named interim FIU president
MIAMI - Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez is expected to resign to become the interim president of Florida International University, five sources have told CBS News Miami.
A "special meeting," has been called for Friday morning by the chairman of the FIU Board of Trustees to discuss "Presidential Search and Selection," according to the agenda. The current FIU President, Kenneth Jessell, still has a contract through the end of the year, but sources tell CBS News the trustees will name Nunez the interim president effective immediately.
"It is imminent," one source said told CBS News.
"She is available now," another source added.
The precise timing of when Nunez will resign is not clear, but the expectation is that she will move quickly to take charge of the university.
"She will not be there for session," noted another source, referring to the start of the legislative session in March.
Several sources say she has already reached out to some key officials within FIU regarding her transition.
Neither Nunez nor the Governor's Office responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson for FIU said they had no information other than the notice for Friday's special meeting.
Because FIU is a public institution, the Board of Trustees are required to conduct a formal search and cannot simply name Nunez to the post of university president. However, nothing prevents the trustees from naming Nunez "interim" president and then beginning a search with the expectation that when it was over the "interim" tag would be removed.
The move to FIU comes with a significant salary bump for the lieutenant governor, who currently makes $135,515 a year.
Jessell's base salary is $650,000 with another $175,000 in bonuses. Nunez would likely negotiate an annual salary and bonuses well beyond $1 million. The job also comes with its own house on campus.
Nunez's resignation would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint a replacement. Several names have been floated, including former House Speaker Jose Oliva. But a source familiar with the discussions tells CBS News there is no urgency in selecting a new lieutenant governor and that DeSantis would likely keep it open for a while.
"He does not feel the need to fill it right away," a source said.
By keeping the position open he can dangle it as a carrot to extract support from those interested in the job. He can also use the selection to signal who he will support to become the next Governor when voters make their choice in November 2026.
Supporters of Nunez say her selection as university president makes sense.
"We are a state institution that relies on considerable funding from the state," one source noted. "She can certainly help us with that."
If the Board of Trustees were to rebuff Nunez, they would only risk angering DeSantis and the Legislature or what one person described as "poking the bear."
Advocates for Nunez note she has a long history with FIU. She earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from FIU and has been an adjunct professor and advisor to the university.
Supporters believe she will also greatly improve their fundraising abilities.
It is also well known that Nunez spends little time in Tallahassee as lieutenant governor, preferring instead to remain in Miami with her husband and three children.
The move also follows DeSantis's efforts to politicize the state's colleges and universities, pushing to install political allies into the presidencies of state schools, including Richard Corcoran as the President of New College of Florida.
As for the current president, Jessell is expected to go on a sabbatical during the remaining ten months of his contract and then return to the university as a tenured professor.
"Jessell is highly respected, and no one wants to do anything to hurt him," a source said.
Jessell did not return calls seeking his comment.
