TALLAHASSEE — Less than 24 hours after selecting former state education official Henry Mack as its interim president, Broward College announced Wednesday that a longtime former administrator at the school — not Mack — will take the helm.
After interviewing candidates, the Broward College Board of Trustees on Tuesday chose Mack to replace former President Gregory Haile, who resigned last month. Mack previously served as a senior chancellor at the Florida Department of Education and oversaw the Division of Florida Colleges.
But pointing to an “inability to come to terms” on a contract with Mack, the school on Wednesday announced that the trustees’ second choice, Barbara Bryan, will serve as interim president.
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Bryan has been CEO of Higher Education Consulting and worked at the school for 26 years, holding roles such as campus president and provost of the college’s North Campus in Coconut Creek. She will be the first woman to hold the top job at the college.
“I’ve spent the greater part of my career at the institution, and it is an honor for me to return in the capacity of acting president to serve among the dedicated and passionate faculty and staff in our mission to provide quality education and job training to our community,” Bryan said in a statement.
Trustees agreed on a contract with Bryan after they could not come to terms with Mack. The agreement with Bryan includes a $287,000 annualized base salary and is slated to run for six months.
Trustees Chairwoman Alexis Yarbrough told The News Service of Florida that Mack was offered a contract similar to the Bryan agreement, with an additional travel reimbursement of up to $3,000 because Mack lives in Tallahassee.
Yarbrough said Mack requested a $400,000 salary and a term of at least one year. A job posting listed a salary range for the position of $250,000 to $350,000.
Yarbrough also said the college had expressed that the job was an interim role and that after some “back and forth” on the terms, Mack withdrew his name from consideration.
“You are stepping into his (Haile’s) shoes. The salary should be the same as that exiting president. And we do not do housing and transportation allowances at Broward College,” Yarbrough said.
Mack this year was a finalist to become Florida Gulf Coast University’s president. But the university trustees in May selected an internal candidate, Aysegul Timur, to become the school’s leader.
Broward College trustees sought an interim-president candidate who was a current or former employee or a former trustee. Mack previously worked as an assistant vice president at Broward College. In his interview with trustees Tuesday, Mack said his prior experience at the school motivated him to apply for the job.
“The why behind why I’m here is, again, driven principally by my passion for higher education broadly. But also because of the fact that Broward College is my home,” said Mack, who has worked for The Southern Group lobbying firm since leaving the Department of Education.
Bryan began as interim president Wednesday.