Thad Seymour: UCF's steady hand

Amy Keller | 5/27/2020

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UCF’s interim President Thad Seymour steered the school through a series of crises before making way for its new president. More quickly than he may have wished, UCF recruited him out of semi-retirement to help with strategic planning. Events at the school soon conspired to demand even more of Seymour’s time and energy.

Within a year, he’d been tapped to lead the development of a downtown Orlando campus in partnership with Valencia College. In 2018, he was elevated to vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer. Then, amid a crisis, the school’s board of trustees asked him to step into the role of interim president. A financial scandal involving the misuse of $100 million in restricted state funds for construction had cost Seymour's predecessor, Dale Whittaker, had resigned following a scandal involving the misuse of nearly $100 million in restricted state funds toward construction — and state lawmakers were threatening to slash UCF's budget.

This story also features expert opinions, business briefs and people in the news: Medical City; Valencia College; Dale Whittaker; Elizabeth Dooley; UCForward

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