MIAMI, Fla. — Florida International University is tapping Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez as its interim school president, with the goal of getting her approved for the position long term.

What You Need To Know

  • Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez has been announced as the next interim president of FIU

  •  She will leave her spot in Tallahassee vacant

  •  Gov. Ron DeSantis will have an opportunity to fill the spot with an appointment

It’s a return home for her. She earned bachelor’s and master's degrees from the school in South Florida.

Now that her appointment by FIU's Board of Trustees has been announced, the next step would be for her to resign her position of lieutenant governor. Eventually, her permanent appointment would need final approval. Although the entire process could take weeks, she will get to work right away.

The decision also will open up her position in Tallahassee under Gov. Ron DeSantis. He will have an opportunity to appoint her replacement, and it’s not currently known who is on his list of possible contenders. The state's Constitution doesn't give the governor a timeline to replace her.

“I am particularly excited at the opportunity to have our first alumni serve as interim president. It’s a true testament to our maturity and relevance as a university,” FIU Board of Trustees Chair Rogelio Tovar said.

Everyone on the board of trustees voted yes on Nuñez except one.

Now that she’s the interim president, she is expected to be considered as permanent president of the school. Her hiring still would have to be approved by the Florida Board of Governors.

The process of naming that president is now completed in secret and doesn't have to be public. She could be the only name considered for the job.