BREAKING: DeSantis-appointed CFK Board Moves to Terminate President Jonathan Guevara
According to reports in Keys Weekly, the newly restructured Board of Trustees voted to ask Key West law firm Smith-Hawks to review whether grounds exist to terminate the longtime president’s contract.
KEY WEST, Fla. — The newly reconstituted College of the Florida Keys Board of Trustees has taken the first formal step toward removing longtime President Jonathan “Dr. G” Guevara, according to reports in Keys Weekly.
The newspaper reported that trustees voted during their June 30 meeting to retain the Key West law firm Smith-Hawks, P.L. to review Guevara’s employment agreement and determine whether legal grounds exist to terminate his contract.
According to Keys Weekly, the action follows a sweeping overhaul of the seven-member board, with six trustees appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis within the past six months. The governor has reshaped governing boards at colleges and universities across Florida as part of a broader effort to influence higher education leadership.
CFK Board of Trustees
Alexandria Suarez — Chair
Peter Batty Jr. — Vice Chair
Robert Broton
Edward “Eddie” Kertis
Michael Downer
Susan Raffanello
Andrew Dulcey
The board has undergone a significant transformation in 2026. Four trustees—Batty, Broton, Downer and Kertis—were appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January, while Raffanello and Dulcey were appointed in June, leaving Suarez as the only member appointed before this year’s reshaping of the board.
Keys Weekly reported that Board Chair Alexandria Suarez cited concerns over leadership, the college’s inability to secure state appropriations and what she characterized as Guevara’s conduct toward trustees.
“Dr. G’s done a good job, but he’s been here 13 years,” Suarez said during the June 30 meeting, according to Keys Weekly. “I would move for termination.”
The newspaper reported trustees also discussed recent state budget vetoes affecting the college and questioned Guevara’s interactions with board leadership.
Despite those criticisms, Keys Weekly reported several trustees praised Guevara’s accomplishments during his 13-year tenure, including leading the college’s transformation from a two-year institution into a four-year, bachelor’s degree-granting college, expanding academic offerings, opening the Upper Keys Center in Key Largo and guiding the institution through Hurricane Irma recovery efforts.
The board has not voted to terminate Guevara. According to Keys Weekly, trustees voted only to seek legal advice from Smith-Hawks on whether sufficient grounds exist under his contract to pursue dismissal.
The reported action comes just days after the college announced it had completed its transition to accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, a milestone Guevara described as positioning the college for continued growth.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.