 |
Willis N. Holcombe | |
|---|---|
| Chancellor of the Florida College System | |
| In office 2007–Present | |
| Preceded by | J. David Armstrong,Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 18,1945 |
| Alma mater | Baldwin-Wallace College |
Willis "Will" N. Holcombe is an American academic. He became Chancellor of the Florida College System in October 2007 and previously served as President of Broward College from 1987 to 2004,and returned as interim President from November 2006 to July 2007.
Holcombe was born on April 18,1945. He graduated in 1963 from Defiance High School in Defiance,Ohio. He ran track and still owns the school record in the 200 meter dash,with a time of 21.2 set in 1963. [1]
He graduated in 1967 with a bachelor's degree from Baldwin-Wallace College,where he ran track and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He later earned a master's and doctorate in College Administration from the University of Florida. [2]
In addition,he was a former U.S. Marine Corps Captain before he was honorably discharged.
Holcombe began his teaching career at Ford Junior High School in Brook Park,Ohio. He later joined Florida's State College System,serving as an English professor at Santa Fe College and Broward College,where he eventually became president in 1987.
He has served as Interim Chancellor of the Florida Department of Education’s Division of Community Colleges. In addition he was Vice-Chancellor of the Miami Chamber of Commerce. Holcombe has more than 30 years of experience in educational leadership and collegiate administration.
He has also served as Vice President of Brevard Community College,provost and academic dean for Broward Community College's Central Campus and assistant to the President for Broward Community College.
Dr. Holcombe has numerous professional affiliations. He is a member of the Florida Collegiate Consortium for International/Intercultural Education,the Steering Committee of statewide Council of Community College Presidents,Florida Association of Community Colleges,Florida Association of Colleges and Universities,Florida Distance Learning Institute,College Consortium of International Studies,and the Community College of the Air Force. Dr. Holcombe's community activities include the United Way of Broward County,the Coordinating Council of Broward,Community Blood Centers of South Florida,the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce,and the Broward Alliance. [3]
Since 2003, [4] he has been serving on the Board of Directors of BankAtlantic, [5] on the compensation committee. [6]
He was inducted into the Baldwin-Wallace College Athletic Hall of Fame. [7]
Broward College would later name an ultra-high tech Higher Education Complex on its main downtown Fort Lauderdale as the "Willis Holcombe Center." [8]
Holcombe was a torchbearer for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He has also received the "Miami Herald Spirit of Excellence Charles Whited Award," "Leader of the Year Award" from Leadership Broward,"Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters" from Nova Southeastern University,the "Silver Medallion Award" from the National Conference of Community and Justice,and the "President's Award for Professional Excellence" from the Florida Association of Community Colleges. [3]
There is a transfer student scholarship in his name at Florida International University that is awarded to students who not only thrive in the classroom but outside as well through volunteer and community involvement. [9] It is available to graduates of Broward College covers the full cost of in-state tuition and registration fees. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 is required. [10]
Broward County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida,located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States,with over 1.94 million residents as of the 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Fort Lauderdale,which had a population of 182,760 as of 2020.
Fort Lauderdale is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida,30 miles (48 km) north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 as of the 2020 Census making it the tenth largest city in Florida. Along with Miami and Port St. Lucie,Fort Lauderdale is one of the three principal cities that comprise the Miami metropolitan area,which has a population of 6,166,488.
Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965,the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest university in Florida and the fifth-largest in the United States by enrollment. FIU is a constituent part of the State University System of Florida. In 2021,it was ranked #1 in the Florida Board of Governors performance funding,and had over $246 million in research expenditures.
Florida Atlantic University is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton,Florida,and satellite campuses in Dania Beach,Davie,Fort Lauderdale,Jupiter,and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-campus State University System of Florida and serves South Florida. Established as Florida's fifth public university in 1961,FAU has quickly grown to become one of the largest institutions in the state by enrollment. Florida Atlantic University is classified among "R2:Doctoral Universities –High research activity". Florida Atlantic offers more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs within its 10 colleges. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The Miami metropolitan area is the ninth largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the 34th largest metropolitan area in the world with a 2020 population of 6.138 million people.
The Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University,located in Miami,Florida in the United States. The law school is accredited by the American Bar Association,and is the only public law school in South Florida.
Broward College is a public college in Fort Lauderdale,Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. It was established in 1959 as part of a move to broaden Florida's two-year colleges. In 2008 it adopted its current name,reflecting that it is one of the schools designated a "state college",meaning it can offer four-year bachelor's degrees.
Fort Lauderdale High School is a high school located in Fort Lauderdale,Florida that serves students in grades 9 through 12. The school is a part of the Broward County Public Schools district. Founded in 1899 as a school for whites,the high school is the oldest continuously functioning high school in Broward County,Florida,and the oldest in South Florida.
Charles Edward Young,nicknamed Chuck Young,is an American retired university administrator and professor. A native of California,Young led the University of California,Los Angeles (UCLA) for 29 years as chancellor and the University of Florida for more than four years as president. He now lives in Sonoma,California.
The Florida International University College of Engineering and Computing,located in Miami,Florida in the United States is one of the university's 26 schools and colleges and was originally established in 1973 as the School of Technology. The College of Engineering and Computing offers bachelor's,master's and doctorate degrees within the college's 8 separate schools,departments and institutes. The college offers online and distance learning courses and programs through the Office of Distance Education. This office was previously known as FIU FEEDS,a statewide distance learning initiative adopted by the college in 1985.
Broward Health,formally the North Broward Hospital District,is one of the 10 largest public health systems in the U.S. Located in Broward County,Florida,Broward Health has the county's first certified stroke center and liver transplant program. Broward Health currently operates more than 30 healthcare facilities,including Broward Health Medical Center,Broward Health North,Broward Health Imperial Point,Broward Health Coral Springs,Salah Foundation Broward Health Children's Hospital,and Broward Health Weston.
Mark B. Rosenberg is a professor and former university administrator who served as the president of Florida International University from August 2009 until January 2022 and former Chancellor of the State University System of Florida. He is member of the Council on Foreign Relations think tank and has testified before the United States Congress numerous times. He also served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Rosenberg earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with Omicron Delta Kappa honors in 1971 from Miami University in Ohio. He earned his Master of Arts in political science in 1971 and a Ph.D. in political science with a graduate certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies in 1976 from the University of Pittsburgh.
Jason Steele is an American politician who was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1980 to 1982. His district included portions of Brevard County. He was born in Fort Lauderdale,Florida.
J. David Armstrong Jr. is an American academic,and the sixth president of Broward College,a community college with 63,000 students across 11 campuses and centers in South Florida. Armstrong has more than 33 years of experience as a state and national leader in higher education and economic development,and served as President of Broward College for 11 years.
Roger Blaine Porter is an American professor currently serving as the IBM Professor of Business and Government at Harvard University. He was the master of Dunster House,one of the twelve undergraduate houses or colleges at Harvard. He is also a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington,D.C. He is on the board of directors of Zions Bancorporation,a large bank holding company headquartered in Salt Lake City,Utah.
George Stephen LeMieux is an American former politician who was a United States Senator from Florida from 2009 to 2011. He is chairman of the Florida-based law firm of Gunster Yoakley &Stewart and was chief of staff to Governor Charlie Crist. He was the Deputy Florida Attorney General and is credited with spearheading Crist's successful campaign for governor. On August 28,2009,Crist announced he would appoint LeMieux as U.S. Senator to replace Mel Martínez,who weeks earlier had announced he would resign as soon as Crist announced his successor. On April 5,2011,LeMieux formally announced that he would run against incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson in 2012,but dropped out of the race in June 2012.
Daniel L. Ritchie is the Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Denver,a former CEO of major communication corporations,and a Harvard alumnus. He hails from China Grove,North Carolina and has moved around the country from coast to coast before eventually settling in Denver,Colorado.
Gary Michael Farmer Jr. is an American attorney and Democratic politician from Florida. He has served as a member of the Florida Senate since 2016,representing parts of eastern Broward County. He was the Senate's minority leader from 2020 to 2021.
Gregory Adam Haile is an American lawyer and higher education administrator who serves as the seventh president of Broward College,part of the Florida College System. He was selected by the Broward College Board of Trustees on May 9,2018,. and was formally installed as president on March 29,2019.
