Board Fires Florida Keys President

The College of the Florida Keys dismissed President Jonathan Gueverra last week in a surprise move by the Board of Trustees that may have violated state sunshine laws, Keys Weekly reported.

Local media reported that the board voted 6 to 0, with one member absent, to terminate Gueverra’s contract, effective immediately. Board members said that Gueverra, who had been president since 2012, had lost the confidence of the board and accused him of insubordination.

Gueverra has up to 15 days to request an administrative hearing to challenge his termination. 

The board meeting was called with only 72 hours’ notice and included a vague agenda item referring only to his contract. That lack of detail may violate state sunshine laws, according to Keys Weekly. The board also restricted public comment until the end of the meeting, after Gueverra had been fired.

The seven-member governing body is composed mostly of new appointees, with six of the trustees named this year by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Gueverra has clashed with the board in recent months over the renewal of his contract, which was originally set to expire this year. But he signed a new deal in 2025 under the prior board, extending his contract until 2028. Though midcontract renewals are common in higher education, the new board majority took exception to the extension inked last year.

Trustee Alexandria Suarez, one of the president’s chief critics, also called out Gueverra’s alleged inability to secure state appropriations, with board members noting that DeSantis has twice vetoed funding in the budget for the college to upgrade its air-conditioning system. 

“This board asked Dr. G about the very premature renewal of his contract, but we did not get an effective response. He effectively refused to address the concerns of this board,” Suarez said last week. “I think there’s a misunderstanding here. He thinks he’s in charge of the board.”

The College of the Florida Keys did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Higher Ed.