Mike Shannon/ Image via University of North Georgia
The Board of Trustees at the University of North Florida, located in Jacksonville, has voted to hire University of North Georgia President Mike Shannon as its next President.
The overwhelming support for him was marred by one Trustee who whined that Shannon is ‘too conservative.’
Mr. Shannon has an impressive background. He is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and served 20 years as a commissioned officer, retiring in 2015. Early operational assignments were as an Infantry and Signal Corps officer with the 82nd Airborne Division, the 35th Signal Brigade (18th Airborne Corps), and the 2nd Infantry Division
He was later selected as a U.S. Army nuclear and counterproliferation officer. For more than 10 years, he worked on nuclear-technology issues for the Department of Defense and held leadership roles at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
He also served two tours at West Point, first as an instructor and later as an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering.
During his interview with the Board, he spoke eloquently about his career and how it has prepared him to be a leader.
He was asked, “And your military career, your academic career speaks for itself. Um, are there any other high points in your life or things in your life that you could point to that have gotten— well, basically brought you to this point, prepared you to be sitting at this table?”
He responded, “Wow, that’s a good one. That’s pretty hard. Um, because now you’re getting at the heart of Mike Shannon. I entered the United States Army. What did the United States Army do? It taught me how to lead. It taught me how to be a member of a team. And by the way, you don’t always like the people you serve with in the Army. It’s not about liking people. They’re on your team. Doesn’t matter what you feel about them. You got to serve. You got to work together.”
“It taught me to stand on truth. I mentioned that earlier. It taught me about America and its diversity. It taught me about perspective, that we’re all created equal.”
“You know, on July 4th, 1776, right after they signed that piece of paper, they went into a room and they penned this: E pluribus unum, out of many, one. I have a stitching on my wall of an old US seal. It’s an old, old stitching. And the reason I have it is every time I look at it, I remember that I am living in a place that provides that kind of an opportunity to a kid like Mike Shannon, a kid that never would have dreamed of going to college, a kid that was told by a high school counselor, you’ll never go to college, Mike. You’re just gonna go do whatever.”
“The Army taught me about toughness. It taught me about resolve. It taught me that the best learning happens in the most extreme environments, about doing hard things. And if it’s not in the true extremes, then it’s just a method. That’s what I learned. It taught me about endurance. It taught me that I can be someone who can run in any race. Doesn’t matter what the race is, I can run in it. But what I also know is that identity precedes purpose. And when you know who you are, then you can be all that you were created for. And that’s what I learned in my experience in the United States Army.”
“It wasn’t— it’s not about giving orders. It’s not about shooting at things. It’s about learning about who I am. And so for the rest of my hours, there’s a reason I have breath in my lungs still. I want to serve students, and I hope I get to do it here. Thank you for the question, sir.”
Watch:
STUD PRESIDENT PICK: U. of North Florida Names Former Army Lt. Colonel, Mike Shannon as President-Elect; STRONG Conservative;“The Army taught me about America and its diversity…”
Yesterday, the @UofNorthFlorida Board of Trustees interviewed its sole finalist for UNF… https://t.co/WN2vm82eeC pic.twitter.com/Gb6Ak7pPQ2
— CommiesOnCampus (@CommiesOnCampus) September 17, 2026
But, according to one trustee, Trustee Allison Korman Shelton, Mr. Shannon is ‘too conservative.’
While explaining why she wasn’t going to support Shannon, she whined that she finds him “very, very conservative, and unfortunately, I don’t think our demographics are as conservative as he is.”
Korman Shelton then spent time bragging about her own background, which should somehow, inexplicably, make her liberal opinion more important.
“Out of most everybody at this table, I’ve had the most longest standing history with UNF from a financial point.”
Korman Shelton then admitted that she never even went to UNF, “I never went to UNF, I have no involvement.”
Watch:
MEAN GIRL TRUSTEE TANTRUM: Liberal UNF Trustee Throws Toys Out of the Pram and Votes Against President Finalist Because, “I Find Him Very, Very Conservative”
University of North Florida held its interview with sole president finalist Mike Shannon yesterday.
During the board… https://t.co/f40WfCpG9B pic.twitter.com/0sfWPHcfrC
— CommiesOnCampus (@CommiesOnCampus) September 17, 2026
Korman Shelton was one of 2 dissentling votes in the otherwise overwhemling support for Shannon in the 10-2 vote.
The next step will be for the Florida Board of Governors to confirm him before the position is official.
The post University of Florida Votes to Hire Army Veteran Mike Shannon as Its Next President-Trustee Whines He is ‘Too Conservative’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
