JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The University of North Florida Presidential Search Committee has selected Dr. Michael P. Shannon as the finalist to become the university’s eighth president. Shannon currently serves as president of the University of North Georgia.
An 11-member search committee forwarded Shannon’s candidacy to the UNF board of trustees following a five-month search process that drew 152 applicants. The committee evaluated candidates under Florida Board of Governors regulations and state statutes.
Jack Boyle, a member of the UNF board of trustees, chaired the search committee, which comprised representatives from the campus, local community, board of trustees and Board of Governors. “Dr. Shannon is a strong leader with an impressive background in higher education and military service,” Boyle said. “He is passionate about student success, community engagement and the future of UNF.”
Shannon is a first-generation college graduate who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as a master’s degree and doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Since becoming president of the University of North Georgia in 2023, he has led the public institution as enrollment surpassed 20,000 students.
Prior to his career in university administration, Shannon served 20 years in the U.S. Army and retired as a lieutenant colonel. His military career included assignments in the Infantry, Signal Corps, counterproliferation, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and West Point.
Following his military service, Shannon worked in small business and held roles as a faculty member, researcher and executive at Georgia Tech. He and his wife, Jessica, have four children.
Shannon welcomed the committee’s decision as he prepared to visit the campus. “UNF, Jacksonville and Northeast Florida are filled with extraordinary opportunity and I am honored to be advanced for consideration as UNF’s next president,” Shannon said. “Jessica and I are excited for the opportunity to spend time with the UNF community, to listen and learn and to better understand its aspirations for the future.
There is tremendous momentum here and I am inspired by what UNF can become and the impact it can continue to make for its students and this region. I am grateful to Chairman Boyle and the Search Committee for their confidence and I look forward to the conversations ahead.”
Shannon will attend on-campus forums with faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10. The UNF board of trustees will interview Shannon and vote on his candidacy the following week, and any final selection requires confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors.
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