Myers McRae Assists Northwest Florida State College with President Search
January 6, 2025 – Kenny Daugherty and Brianna Douglas of Macon, GA-based Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting recently assisted in the recruitment of Melvin Ponder as president of Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC). The announcement followed finalist interviews in November. “The board of trustees thanks all four finalist candidates for participating in our rigorous on-campus interview process,” said Lori Kelley, NWFSC board chair. “Each candidate brought unique life experience to the college, and we appreciate their time and interest in the position. I look forward to discussing an employment agreement with Ponder, who brings deep experience and passion for our community to this critical role. I am confident in his ability to lead our college into the next stage of its growth.”
Mr. Ponder has a diverse background in public service. He completed his term as an Okaloosa County commissioner in November and previously served as mayor of Destin, a Destin City Council member and a representative in the Florida House. Most recently, Mr. Ponder served as the association executive for the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and as president of Business Empowered. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to the CareerSource Florida board of directors in 2022 and reappointed him in 2023.
“I express my sincere thanks to the board of trustees for entrusting me with the honor of serving as the next president of Northwest Florida State College,” said Mr. Ponder. “This college has a rich legacy in our community, and I am excited to hit the ground running to build on the college’s reputation of serving its students, faculty, staff, and community. It will be a privilege to expand on the college’s work throughout Okaloosa and Walton Counties as we transform lives and meet the workforce demand in our service area.”
As part of Florida’s public system of 28 state and community colleges, Northwest Florida State College offers bachelor’s degree programs, associate degrees, and certificates. The college’s primary service district stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. With its main campus in Niceville, FL, the school enrolls just under 5,000 student.
Serving Colleges and Universities
Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting serves colleges, universities, independent schools, and other not-for-profit institutions. Nearly all of its search professionals have a minimum of 20 years of experience in higher education. The majority of the firm’s searches have been for presidents, chancellors, provosts, vice presidents, deans, and other senior academic and administrative leaders.
Related: Myers McRae Recruits Dean for the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina
Myers McRae recently placed the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at East Georgia State College, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Savannah State University, and the vice president for business and financial services and chief business officer for the University of West Georgia, among others.
Myers McRae Recruits 19th President for Kentucky State University
Following a national search, Macon, GA-based Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting has assisted in the recruitment of Koffi C. Akakpo as the 19th president of Kentucky State University (KSU), a historically black college and university. Kenny Daugherty, the search firm’s president, led the assignment. “Today is undoubtedly an exciting time in Kentucky State’s history, and we are confident that the foundation laid by this extensive presidential search process—involving input and deliberation from a wide range of constituents and stakeholders, including both internal and external campus community members—allowed us to choose the best leader for Kentucky State and its future,” said Tammi Dukes, Kentucky State University board of regents chair.
Mr. Daugherty is Myers McRae’s president. He has an extensive background in higher education administration, having served 28 years in public and independent institutions. Throughout his career in higher education, he had personnel responsibilities and served on numerous search committees for professional staff and administrators for the institution. Mr. Daugherty has conducted hundreds of searches for schools across the nation, including presidential searches for the University of Montana Western, Northwest Missouri State University, McDaniel College, Oakwood University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Pasco-Hernando State College, Pierpont Community and Technical College, Wichita Area Technical College, and the Georgia Independent College Association.
Ms. Douglas, consultant, brings more than a decade of higher education leadership experience to her role as an executive search consultant at Myers McRae. Over her career, she has held roles in advancement, business and finance, athletics, and student affairs. Ms. Douglas’ in-depth higher education knowledge coupled with Myers McRae’s four decades of executive search expertise creates the ideal balance to assist colleges and universities in recruiting candidates for their institutions.
Related: Myers McRae Recruits President for State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
