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Osceola County state lawmaker poised to become Florida college president

Fred Hawkins to join South Florida State College

Rep. Fred Hawkins, R-St. Cloud, smiles as he is congratulated after his House Bill 9B Reedy Creek Improvement District, Orange and Osceola Counties favorably reported out of the State Affairs Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears) (Phil Sears, Copyright 2023 the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State Rep. Fred Hawkins appeared poised Thursday to become president of South Florida State College, as the St. Cloud Republican was the lone finalist for the job.

Hawkins, who was first elected to the Florida House in 2020, would replace retiring college President Thomas Leitzel, who is expected to leave the job June 30.

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A South Florida State College spokeswoman said the school’s trustees named Hawkins as the only finalist during a meeting Wednesday. In a Twitter post Thursday, Hawkins suggested that his time as an elected official could be coming to an end. The trustees are scheduled to hold a special meeting June 7 to select the next president.

“Pages turn and new chapters begin. I am looking forward to becoming the next President of South Florida State College. My time as an elected official has been a highlight of my life, especially serving in the Florida House,” Hawkins tweeted.

In a subsequent tweet, Hawkins said he is awaiting a final vote from the trustees, adding that he is the “only candidate they choose (sic) to move forward” in the process.

Before getting elected to the House, Hawkins had served as an Osceola County commissioner. As a lawmaker, Hawkins sponsored a high-profile bill during a special legislative session this year. The measure (HB 9B) gave Gov. Ron DeSantis power to appoint the board of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District, which also was renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

The move came amid a feud between DeSantis and the Walt Disney Co., which had largely controlled the Reedy Creek district since the 1960s.

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