JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — John Delaney is the longest-serving president of the University of North Florida, a post he said he never thought he’d have for so long. After 14 years of service, his tenure is entering its final months.
He will officially retire on May 30, 2018.
Delaney made it clear that he’s not finished yet.
“Not done working. I’m just stepping down as the president,” Delaney said. “We still got to keep moving, still got to keep raising money, still got to keep working with the legislature.”
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He reflected on his accomplishments these last 14 years, from raising admissions standards, to increasing the university’s national profile and expanding the campus.
Delaney’s leadership will go down in UNF history but he shared with us one his most memorable achievements.
“We've done terrific things for students with disabilities. It's literally one of the best places in the country to go,” Delaney said.
Delaney said right now he’s entertaining offers to enter the private sector but that doesn’t mean he’s ruled out a run for public office.
“It may be mayor of Neptune Beach, it may be the state House or Senate and maybe not all. We'll just see how things look,” Delaney said.
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Wherever he goes next, Delaney said UNF will always hold a special place with him.
“At UNF, we graduate 4,000 people a year and their lives are changed as a result of their educational experience and that's fulfilling in its own way,” Delaney said.
Delaney had one piece of advice for his successor.
“The standard advice to presidents is wait a year to absorb the culture before you try to do anything big,” Delaney said.
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