Three new members have joined the President’s Cabinet at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) this year, each bringing extensive experience in higher education to their roles.
Kristi Carman began her tenure as vice president and general counsel in May. In July, Debbie Thorne started as executive vice president and provost, while Paul Dosal took on the position of vice president and vice provost overseeing Student Success & Enrollment Management.
These appointments are part of a leadership team under President Aysegul Timur. Other cabinet members include Eileen DeLuca, who serves as vice president of the Office of Strategic Initiatives and chief of staff; Katherine Green, vice president of University Advancement and executive director of the FGCU Foundation; and David Vazquez, vice president of Administrative Services & Finance and executive director of the FGCU Financing Corporation.
“At FGCU, we are on a Journey to Excellence in all that we do, and I am thrilled to see the passion, partnership and performance each of our new leaders are bringing to their roles,” Timur said. “I am confident their leadership will propel FGCU to the next level. Together, we are building a thriving community for our students, faculty and staff.”
Debbie Thorne is responsible for academic programs as executive vice president and provost. She previously spent over two decades at Texas State University in various roles including senior vice provost. Her background also includes work at The University of Tampa as director of the Center for Ethics, teaching marketing at Mississippi State University, and lecturing internationally. Thorne holds degrees from Abilene Christian University (bachelor’s), Texas A&M University (master’s), and the University of Memphis (doctorate). She recently completed an American Council on Education fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Kristi Carman leads legal services for FGCU as vice president and general counsel. Her previous positions include serving as general counsel at several institutions in Georgia such as the University of West Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, and Georgia Student Finance Commission. She has also worked with Atlanta’s city attorney office and JTC Education Holdings/MedTech. Carman earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.
Paul Dosal heads Student Success & Enrollment Management at FGCU. He brings 15 years’ experience from public research universities within Florida’s State University System. Most recently he was senior vice president for student success at the University of Central Florida, where he was also a history professor. Before that he held faculty ranks leading up to senior administration roles at University of South Florida, contributing to student success initiatives that improved institutional metrics. Dosal holds graduate degrees from Tulane University and an undergraduate degree from St. Andrews Presbyterian College.
