University board chooses former Florida House Speaker as vice chair

TAMPA — Will Weatherford, a managing partner of Tampa-based investment firm Weatherford Capital and a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, has been unanimously elected to be vice chair of the University of South Florida’s (USF) Board of Trustees.

Weatherford, appointed to a five-year term on the school’s board by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January, will serve as vice chair of the 13-member panel through February 2023, according to a statement. 

“Will Weatherford brings proven leadership to our board both from the local and state perspectives,” Board of Trustees Chair Jordan Zimmerman says in the statement.

“I look forward to serving with him during this pivotal time of strategic renewal for the University of South Florida.”

USF President Steve Currall says Weatherford has made a positive impact on the Tampa Bay region that will resonate well into the future.

“Through his advocacy for USF and his commitment to serving the Tampa Bay region, Will continues to make a positive impact on our communities that will be felt by our students, faculty, staff and alumni for many years to come,” Currall says in the statement.

In addition to Weatherford Capital, which he formed with two brothers in 2015, Weatherford is a member of the Florida Council of 100; the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Jacksonville University Board of Trustees.

Most recently, he worked as co-chairman of the Super Bowl LV Host Committee for the National Football League’s championship game, which was held in Tampa.

“I want to thank my colleagues on the board for selecting me and I look forward to working together to promote and advance our university, region and state,” Weatherford says, in a statement.

Of the 13 members on the USF board, six are appointed by Florida’s governor and five are appointed by the Florida Board of Governors and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The elected USF Faculty Senate president and USF Student Government president also serve as trustees.

USF has more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee. The school also has been designated as a “Preeminent State Research University” by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities.