Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has announced its four finalists in the search for a new president, to replace Dr. Timothy Beard who is retiring in January 2024.
A presidential search committee made up of business leaders, community representatives and faculty and staff members from PHSC have selected these finalists to succeed Beard and to become the college’s fifth president.
The finalists are: Gilbert L. Evans Jr., J.D., Ph.D; Eric Hall, Ed.D; Jesse D. Pisors, Ed.D; and, Saul Reyes, Ed.D.
The finalists will be introduced during a town hall at the PHSC Instructional Performing Arts Center in Wesley Chapel on Sept. 6, according to a news release from the state college. (More details will come soon regarding the town hall meeting.)
The candidates will tour PHSC’s five campuses on Sept. 7, providing a chance for them to meet faculty and staff members.
The PHSC District Board of Trustees will make the final selection, expected later in September.
The search committee selected the finalists from among 50 of the most qualified candidates provided by Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting firm, the release said.
“This search committee has meticulously reviewed all applicants and we are confident PHSC’s District Board of Trustees’ final selection is amongst these distinguished candidates,” John Mitten, PHSC trustee and chair of the PHSC Presidential Search Committee, said in the release.
The college’s news release also provided information about each of the finalists. Here’s a condensed synopsis:
Gilbert L. Evans Jr., J.D., Ph.D.: Evans is a native of Central Florida. He received his Associate in Arts degree from St. Johns River Community College. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in English and educational leadership from Florida State University, and a Ph.D. and J.D. from the University of Florida.
While at the University of Florida, Evans’ Ph.D. dissertation, “Job Satisfaction and Organizational Climate as Perceived by Community College Presidents,” was nominated Dissertation of the Year.
He graduated law school with distinction.
His work also has been published in several professional and educational journals.
He has been at St. Johns River State College for 26 years, serving in various capacities. He currently is vice president for legal affairs/general counsel for the college.
He also served as an attorney at Lowndes, Drosick, Doster, Kantor, and Reed in Orlando, Florida, where he specialized in bankruptcy, family law, and probate. He is a member of the Florida Bar and is a Florida Certified Family Law mediator.
He is married to Detra Nicole Evans, and they have two children, Derrick and D’Asia.
Eric Hall, Ed.D: Hall was raised in Pasco County, and has more than two decades experience serving in executive leadership, with extensive expertise in the fields of education, public safety and public policy.
Currently, he is secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, a position he assumed through a November 2021 appointment by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Previously, he served as the state’s first senior chancellor at the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), where he oversaw multiple divisions, including the Florida College System.
Before joining FDOE, he was deputy state superintendent at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, where he led multiple divisions and initiatives within North Carolina’s education system.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary science education, a master’s degree in educational leadership, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of South Florida.
He serves on several boards and councils including the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet, CareerSource Florida Board of Directors, and Special Olympics Florida, among others.
He is the son of two public school teachers. He and his wife, who is a school social worker, have two children.
Jesse Pisors, Ed.D.: Pisors is a seasoned leader in the field of higher education. His 25-year career includes serving as vice president at Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) and at the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV).
His leadership at TAMUSA showcases his dedication to inclusivity, where more than 75% of the student body is Hispanic and 60% are first-generation students.
During his tenure at UHV, initiatives included restructuring the Office of University Advancement and executing a $13 million campaign, surpassing its goal by 12%.
His work in the University of Houston System’s $1 billion campaign, indicates his involvement on a larger scale.
Pisors holds a Doctor of Education from Texas Tech University, where his dissertation focused on fundraising challenges and expectations facing university presidents.
Fluent in Spanish, he spent three years leading a private K-12 school in Mexico earlier in his career.
He has provided conference presentations and articles to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), presenting at conferences, sharing his insights on various aspects of educational advancement and serving on conference committees.
Pisors also has served on the board for a number of organizations, including Rotary, United Way, the American Heart Association, and the YMCA.
Saul Reyes, Ed.D: Reyes has served as vice president for enrollment management and student affairs of the College of Central Florida since January 2015.
The college, which serves Marion, Citrus and Levy counties consistently has been recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation.
Reyes’s 35-plus years of higher education experience includes 14 ½ years in the Florida College System.
He previously served at Polk State College, as dean of student services and center manager for the JD Alexander Center. Before that, he worked at the University of South Florida.
He’s had extensive involvement in leading student-centered programs and services to promote enrollment, retention, completion, transfer, and employment.
He holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from the University of South Florida and a master’s in counseling from West Virginia University.
He has participated in numerous educational leadership programs.
He serves as board chairman for the Marion County Cultural Alliance and is on the national board for the Higher Education Research and Development Institute.
Reyes, born to Cuban immigrants, is a first-generation American and first in his family to graduate from college.
Reyes and his wife, Sharon, have been married since 1986. They have sons, daughters-in-law and four grandsons.
Published August 23, 2023
