My life after UCF

As we all look for our Nation to ‘turn the page’ after last week’s assault on our democracy, I also began a new chapter in my life last week as my time with the University of Central Florida (UCF) came to an end after more than twenty years of serving as their federal lobbyist here in Washington. This untimely end came as a result of extraordinary budgetary pressures faced by our new president in the wake of Covid-19. I have nothing but praise for what we have accomplished at UCF, especially under the leadership of former president John Hitt, Senior Vice President Dan Holsenbeck, and Vice President for Research M.J. Soileau, whom I had the privilege of being mentored by. The memories that I have with the students, faculty and administrators whom I had the privilege of serving throughout those many years are fond, indeed.

That is my formal announcement.

The truth is that I have been struggling for weeks with how to announce my departure. I lost my job, not due to performance, but due to a pandemic. So, my situation is not unlike millions of other workers who have been impacted over the past year. The irony is that I have served as an advocate for so many organizations throughout my career, yet it feels awkward for me to be an advocate for myself. I’ve had the honor of being appointed by four governors across three states from both political parties to various commissions over the past thirty years and have been chosen to lead several public and nonprofit organizations throughout my career, so I have much to be proud of, as well as much to offer, my next employer. As a father, though, I have failed to give my sons a ‘teachable moment’ because their father was too proud to ask for help and to admit that he needed it.

So, I am asking now.

I am in a number of executive searches and am hopeful that I will be successful in at least one of them, but if you have any suggestions for where you feel I could be an asset, then I would very much appreciate your suggestions. One of the great things about LinkedIn is that you can add recommendations and endorsements to your profile. I would encourage you to look at what my friends and colleagues have written about me over the years. I can tell you that over the past few weeks, I certainly have, and am so very grateful to all of them for reminding me that my accomplishments go beyond a title. The same can be said about what it means to be a great father.