Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Two to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees

TALLAHASSEE, FL - On June 20 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Edward Fleming and the reappointment of Adam Kissel to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. 

Edward Fleming
Fleming is the Founding Partner of McDonald Fleming Attorneys At Law, which has served the Pensacola area for more than 35 years. Active in his community, he is a Commissioner on the First District Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission, which spans from the Western edge of Florida in Escambia County all the way through the panhandle to the Eastern edge of Baker County. Fleming’s service on the Judicial Nominating Commission has lasted more than 12 years, including two terms as Chairman and two terms as Vice Chairman. He currently serves on the Pensacola State College District Board of Trustees, has been named as one of Pensacola’s 100 Most Influential residents by a local newspaper, and is a member of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association. Fleming earned his juris doctor from the University of Georgia. 

Adam Kissel
Kissel is a Visiting Fellow on Higher Education Reform for The Heritage Foundation, a Senior Fellow for the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, and a Visiting Scholar for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs with the United States Department of Education. Active in his community, he currently serves as the Chair of the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board and is a member of the Civics, History, & America’s Future Advisory Council for America250. Kissel earned his bachelor's degree in English, American literature, and language from Harvard University and his master’s degree from the University of Chicago. 

These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.