R: It is the Board of Trustees. That is the official title.

P: And that has not changed at all. They are still recommended? Who makes the
 appointments?

R: The governor.

P: That is still continued?

R: It is the governor's appointment with the senate's approval.

P: And those are recommended to the governor now by whom?

R: I think almost anybody can recommend. Unfortunately, it has become somewhat
 political, just recently. Now, usually, [recommendations are made] by whoever
 [forms] the local majority. If it is a Democratic area, the local Democratic
 leadership [makes the recommendations], or if it is a Republican area, then the local
 Republican leadership.

P: Does this mean somebody like Cynthia Chestnut [Florida State Representative,
 District 23] does the recommending?

R: Usually it is not the legislators. Usually it is the power structure of the district or
 county, like the Alachua Democratic Committee, or whoever ran the governor's
 campaign, or someone like that.

P: Is that not more dangerous than it used to be when it was the job of the
 superintendent?

R: Well, as best I can tell, Sam, the colleges still tend to get good appointments. In the
 end, the governor does not want to be embarrassed. But I will say that I think that
 it was better, even when the governor began doing it. In the old days, usually the
 college, friends of the college, would submit some three or four good names to the
 community college office.

 Lee Henderson [director, Division of Community Colleges] would find out what he
 could about these people and he would send a list of nominees to the governor.
 Now all of that it out, and it is being done through a political channel. Now, he can
 still have influence. I knew who to talk to in Gainesville. I said, "We would like you
 to consider this name or that name or the other name."

P: But then it would seem to me the governor's office would check up and see, "Did
 this guy support us? Did this person send us any money?"

R: Oh, I think that is done, more by some governors than others.


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