Tallahassee, Fla. (AP) — A Republican former state lawmaker in northwest Florida who has never worked in academia is poised to become the latest in a string of conservative politicians taking the helm of public colleges and universities in the state.

The board of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville announced this week that Mel Ponder is its pick to be the school’s next president.

For years, Florida politicians have vied for top jobs at the state’s universities, touting their connections to lawmakers who could boost state funding for the campuses. The trend has accelerated under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has done more than any other governor in recent memory to reshape the state’s educational landscape to conform to his conservative ideals.

Ponder is a realtor, former state representative and current member of the Okaloosa County Commission. He touts strong community ties in a stretch of the state known for its white sand beaches, bustling tourist economy and vast military bases. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University and has never had a job in higher education, according to his resume.

In his time in the state Legislature, Ponder was vice chair of the higher education appropriations subcommittee and was named Legislator of the Year by the Association of Florida Colleges in 2018. He has also served as mayor of the city of Destin. His term on the Okaloosa County Commission ends Nov. 19, and the Northwest Florida State College Board is scheduled to finalize his appointment the same day.

Ponder beat three other finalists for the job, including a former community college president and a college administrator, both with doctoral degrees, as well as a retired Air Force brigadier general.

“I am confident in his ability to lead our College into the next stage of its growth,” college board Chair Lori Kelley said of Ponder, who she said “brings deep experience and passion for our community to this critical role."

Ponder’s lack of a terminal degree makes him an outlier among college presidents across the country. A 2023 survey by the American Council on Education found that just 0.6% of college presidents hold only a bachelor’s degree, while 83% have a doctorate.

Ponder and the college did not respond to emailed requests for comment from The Associated Press.

United Faculty of Florida, a union that represents college professors in the state, declined to comment specifically on Ponder’s appointment, but said that in general, effective college leadership requires “substantial educational experience”.