The board for the College of the Florida Keys could decide the future of President Jonathan “Dr. G” Gueverra tonight at a special meeting in the Upper Keys.
Notice of the meeting came out after 5 p.m. last Friday. On the agenda are two items: The president’s contract and the college’s Big Pine Key property.
The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Upper Keys Center in Key Largo.
A college board, with six new members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this year, has questioned Gueverra’s contract and specifically why a previous board renewed it a year early in July 2025. Some members, including chairwoman Alexandria Suarez, have also been critical of the president over the governor’s veto of funding to upgrade the college’s air conditioning infrastructure.
There were some heated exchanges between Gueverra and board members Suarez and Michael Downer over the contract during the May 26 and June 30 meetings.
Gueverra has been with the college since 2012. His current contract lasts through June 2028.
The college will also discuss the ongoing efforts to safely remove Key deer from the college’s Big Pine Key property. Last week, CFK said it is continuing to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for the safe removal. USFWS wildlife professionals continue to monitor the deer, which remain healthy while the agencies refine plans to safely remove them from the site.
Since January, the agencies have been in communication about Key deer on the property, with planning for the removal beginning in March. Based on recommendations from USFWS wildlife professionals and cooperating veterinarians, removal efforts were delayed until a resident fawn reached 4 months of age to ensure it could safely leave with the adult deer. Through continuous monitoring, wildlife experts and cooperating veterinarians have confirmed that the deer are in good health and have access to sufficient and appropriate food and water sources.
“I’ve examined the deer intermittently throughout their confinement at the old prison site. On each occasion I noted that all the deer appeared to be in excellent health. There was ample food and fresh water available to them at all times,” said veterinarian Dr. Douglas Mader. “There is an older fawn present with four adults, and the fawn also is in excellent condition and eating well on its own.”
The College of the Florida Keys is continuing its pursuit to expand workforce training and educational opportunities for residents of the Florida Keys at the site on Big Pine Key. The college is seeking to bring Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training to the site.
The college originally shared its ideas with the community in 2019 at a county commission meeting. In 2021, after leasing the property from the state, the college held two community meetings in Big Pine Key. Since then, the college has pursued funding opportunities to support expansion of programs and services in the Lower Keys.
