Portrait of John P. Temple (Courtesy of the Florida House of Representatives)

Representative John P. Temple has been named as Lake-Sumter State College’s next president.

According to an email sent on Thursday, August 28 by Interim President Dr. Laura A. Byrd, Representative Temple will be the 8th president of the College.

Representative Temple will assume the College presidency from Dr. Laura Byrd, who has served as the College’s interim president since Dr. Heather Bigard resigned last fall.

The College’s District Board of Trustees (DBOT) had a meeting this morning. Representative Temple was unanimously chosen as the college’s next president.

Bret Jones, Chair of the District Board of Trustees said, “As the fastest growing state college in Florida, we are looking forward to Rep. Temple’s leadership of Lake-Sumter State College to continue enhancing the quality of the education we provide to Lake and Sumter Counties. He understands the crucial role that the College plays in developing and enhancing the workforce of our area, and we know that he will bring his expertise and experience to this role.”

In July, applications opened with the intent of finding the College’s next president. The applications were released after copious students, faculty, staff, and community members expressed their wishes for the ideal attributes of the College’s next president. The trustees reviewed Temple’s application, marked him as a finalist, and he was eventually selected as the College’s next president.

Trustees acknowledged Temple’s immense intelligence and strong connection to education, alongside his expertise in leadership and their agreement with his vision of the College’s future. 

Temple has served as Vice President of LSSC’s Workforce Programs and is a State Representative for Florida’s District 52. He has been involved in educational leadership across K-12 and higher education across his career.

He has a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor’s in Secondary Mathematics from Southeastern University. Additionally, Temple likes playing golf, enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and friends, and is a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While Temple’s first day as president is currently unknown, the official date will be decided as part of an employment agreement that will be approved by the DBOT in a future meeting.

Many people seem excited for Temple’s new position, including Dr. Laura A. Byrd herself. As she stated in her email, “We are excited about the future of the College. Thank you for all you do!”

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