Gayle Harrell — The speaker addressed Chair Harrell while transitioning to the next nominee.
Gayle Harrell — Chair Harrell thanked the USF nominee and highlighted the nursing center and cybersecurity program.
Gayle Harrell — Chair Harold is called during the roll; this appears to refer to Chair Gayle Harrell.
Yvonne Fernandez — Identified as a witness from AARP in support of the bill.
Monica Rodriguez — Named as supporting the bill, though not visible/present in the room.
Michelle Decker — Appearance card missed; she was speaking in favor of Senate Bill 176 on behalf of the Florida Parent Teacher Association.
Nestor Plana — Nestor Plana is introduced as a nominee for the Florida International University Board of Trustees, is sworn in, and then speaks about his gratitude for the nomination. He briefly shares his Miami upbringing, education in Miami-Dade County, and long career in health care, including work in hospital systems, managed care, and Medicaid administration. He emphasizes FIU’s community impact and expresses support for continued research, especially in diabetes and oncology, as well as efforts to keep medical professionals in South Florida. He says serving on the board would be an honor, praises FIU’s leadership and controlled tuition/fees, and closes by thanking the committee and offering to answer questions. A senator then praises him as the kind of trustee universities want in leadership.
Clarence Stephen Moore — Clarence Stephen Moore is introduced as a reappointment to the University of North Florida Board of Trustees and then speaks about his long personal connection to UNF and Jacksonville, including his wife’s attendance there, his family’s life in the area, and his own undergraduate and master’s degrees from UNF. He notes that he also taught at UNF and has served on the board for the past three years. Moore emphasizes the importance of UNF as a worthwhile investment, highlighting increased community and taxpayer support, the value of certificate programs, and his belief that college should always be worth it for students. He concludes by saying he wants students to leave UNF feeling that it was a great experience. Senators then briefly acknowledge his prior service, thank him for serving again, and make light remarks about the time commitment of board service.
Mr. Plana — Referenced as someone who should be told about the time required for board service.
Ismarie Monreal — Introduced as a reappointment to the Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade College, but she is not present on Zoom.
Mark Philburn — Mark Philburn is introduced as a reappointment to the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees and then thanks the chair and committee for the opportunity to appear, beginning his testimony and offering background on his career.
Rick Piccolo — Rick Piccolo was introduced as a new appointee to the University of South Florida Board of Trustees and was sworn in. He then expressed honor at being nominated for the USF trustee role and noted that he had just completed a term serving on USF governance in a governor-appointed trustee capacity.
Rick Piccolo — Rick Piccolo is referenced in the course of a discussion about USF’s research portfolio, including a note that it has reached $750 million, and he is mentioned again shortly afterward in relation to an earlier comparison made by the speaker.
Nancy Watkins — Nancy Watkins was introduced, acknowledged as present, and sworn in as a new appointee to the USF Board of Trustees. She then provided background on her career as a Florida CPA, her firm Robert Watkins & Company, her Florida roots, volunteer work, and her experience with governance training and higher education governance.
Alan Flores — Alan Flores testifies about his deep personal and professional connection to UCF, noting his graduation, prior appointments to the Board of Trustees, and his appreciation for the opportunity to serve again. He outlines his goals as a trustee: helping UCF become a top 25 public research university, strengthening research funding and the endowment, improving performance metrics and accountability, and supporting the university’s role in Central Florida’s economy, engineering workforce, and broader regional development. The exchange also includes brief praise from others for his dedication to UCF and its engineering and workforce pipeline.
Mari Monreal — Called to testify but appears not to be present or responsive.
Mary Monreal — Mary Monreal, appearing by phone and sworn in, introduced herself as a candidate for the Miami Dade College Board of Trustees and emphasized her long connection to the college as an alumna, parent of a graduate, and higher-education professional. She described Miami Dade College’s scale, its strong accreditation work, and its broad impact across South Florida communities. Monreal stressed the board’s responsibility to protect college resources and keep them focused on student learning and teaching, while ensuring students receive the same outstanding education she did. She also discussed workforce development, noting the college’s alignment of degrees and certificates with Florida’s growing industries and its leadership in AI. She highlighted nursing education, including her daughter’s experience and a South Florida Health Foundation commitment of $1 million for minority nurse scholarships. She concluded by inviting questions and then responded cautiously to a question about NCLEX performance, saying the college’s score is very high.
Michelle Drucker — Michelle Drucker appears to provide information about the UCF Board of Trustees and speaks in support of UCF. She shares that her daughter attended the University of Central Florida, including the Engineering College, and went on to pursue a PhD in computer science with a focus on AI for transportation. She uses her daughter's experience to underscore the value of UCF, its academic programs, and the importance of recognizing and supporting student talent and safety.
Alexis Calatayud — Likely the intended correction for the garbled roll-call name.
Alexis Calatayud — Alexis Calatayud is mentioned during the bill’s roll call and later participates in the discussion by asking questions and offering supportive remarks, including comments about Mr. Plana and his potential to help lead universities across the state.
Alexis Calatayud — Senator Alexis Calatayud offers supportive remarks and then asks the witness about his NCLEX score, pressing for the result and indicating the committee’s expectation that it meet at least the national average.
Alexis Calatayud — The transcript mishears Senator Calatayud as 'Senator Claudiud' during the roll call.
Thomas J. "Tom" Leek — Called during roll call and marked present.
Thomas J. "Tom" Leek — Confirmed present during roll call.
Thomas J. "Tom" Leek — Called in the roll vote on CS for SB 176 and voted yes.
Thomas J. "Tom" Leek — Called during the roll call on the bill.
Thomas J. "Tom" Leek — Offered supportive remarks about Alan Flores and said he looked forward to supporting him.
Thomas J. "Tom" Leek — Senator Leak is called during the roll on confirmations; this appears to refer to Senator Tom Leek.
Jennifer Bradley — Called during roll call as Vice Chair.
Jennifer Bradley — Referenced during roll call.
Jennifer Bradley — Called in the roll vote as Vice Chair.
Jennifer Bradley — Thanked for sponsoring the diabetes research bill and for advancing the University of Florida diabetes research center.
Jennifer Bradley — Called during the roll call on the bill.
Jennifer Bradley — Senator Jennifer Bradley thanks the witness and emphasizes that serving on a university board is a significant time commitment, noting that doing the job well takes substantial effort and thanking the witness for his service.
Jennifer Bradley — Vice Chair Jennifer Bradley is called during the roll and then moves to adjourn the meeting.
Tracie Davis — Noted as excused from the meeting.
Tracie Davis — Called in the roll vote on CS for SB 176.
Tracie Davis — Called in the roll vote on CS for SB 176.
Tracie Davis — Called during the roll call on the bill.
Tracie Davis — The speaker references the committee context while continuing testimony; no direct speech by this member in this section.
Tracie Davis — Senator Tracie Davis is referenced in a procedural sequence where the transcript misrecognizes her name as 'Bracey Davis.' In the first mention, she is attributed the motion to confirm all conferees to date, and in the second, she is again misnamed during the roll call/response process with a brief 'Yes.' This is a single continuous procedural moment involving the same member.
Danny Burgess — Senator Danny Burgess was mentioned multiple times during the meeting in procedural contexts: he was called during roll call, noted as excused from the meeting, and later called again during the roll vote on CS for SB 176 and during the bill's roll call.
Danny Burgess — Senator Burgess is called during the roll on confirmations.