Myers McRae Places President at Broward College
February 26, 2025 – Kenny Daugherty and Brianna Douglas of Macon, GA-based Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting has helped to place Torey Alston as the next president of Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “This is a decision that my fellow trustees and I took very seriously,” said board chair Alexis Yarbrough. “We had two very strong candidates, but Mr. Alston’s legislative experience, coupled with his relationships in the community made him the obvious choice.”
“When you think of strong leadership in Broward, only a few names come to mind,” said Adrian Lukis, former chief of staff to governor Ron DeSantis. “After working with Torey directly on big state issues as Florida Department of Transportation chief of staff and watching him serve as CEO at GMX, I know he will be a great president for Broward College.”
“As someone who has had a front row seat to the creation of the Greater Miami Expressway Agency (GMX), Torey’s leadership since inception has been demonstrated through operational transparency, fiscal stability and relief for toll payers,” said chair of the senate finance and tax committee state senator Bryan Avila. “I know this will translate to Broward College. While he will be missed at GMX, I know he will do a phenomenal job as president of Broward College.”
“While on the Broward school board, Torey stood out as a leader who does his homework, he’s an effective communicator, he knew how to get a majority on big issues,” said state board of education member Daniel Foganholi. “I can’t think of a better pick that has always put students first. He has the credentials and broad community support. I’m clearly with Torey but the decision rests with the district board of trustees.”
Mr. Alston comes to the college with both executive education and governmental experience. Most recently, he worked as the executive director and CEO of the Greater Miami Expressway Agency, an independent state agency. Previously, he served on both the Broward County Commission and as chair of the school board of Broward County. Mr. Alston is a former trustee of Florida A&M University and served twice on the leadership team of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
“God is so good and I want to thank the Broward College district board of trustees for their vote of support and confidence as I transition to president of Broward College,” Mr. Alston said. “As the son of two parents who attended community college including my father who completed the police academy forty years ago from then Broward Community College, I know the value of the state college system first-hand.”
Related: Myers McRae Recruits President for State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Serving approximately 56,000 students annually, Broward College provides residents with certificate programs, two-year university-transfer degrees, two-year career degrees, and baccalaureate degrees in selected programs. The mission of the college is to provide high-quality educational programs and services that are affordable and accessible to a diverse community of learners.
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.
Myers McRae Assists Northwest Florida State College with President Search
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.
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 Dean for the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
