New College Board of Trustees Selects Interim President Richard Corcoran for Permanent Appointment

Following his appointment as interim president the New College in Florida, former Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran was selected in October 2023 by the College Board of Trustees as its next president. Corcoran was one of three finalists in a national search that attracted more that 60 applicants.

Corcoran first ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2010 and was re-elected twice. He has been active in many roles in government including serving as a legislative aide to Paul Hawkes, chief of staff to Marco Rubio, and outside counsel to former House speaker Tom Feeney.

A practicing attorney for more than two decades, Corcoran earned his JD from Regent University. He served in the Naval Reserve while a student. In May 2022 when he resigned as Florida’s education commissioner, he started a law firm and a consulting firm.

Lawyer Courtney R. White Appointed Interim President of Utah Tech University

Effective January 5, 2024, Courtney White, former Associate Vice President of Executive Affairs/Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees at Utah Tech University has been named as interim president. 

Formerly known as Dixie State University, in 2022 the name of the institution was changed to Utah Tech University. White has held leadership roles at Utah Tech including supervision of the strategic plan implementation.

White has been involved with higher education for more than two decades.  He has taught at Southern Utah University as an adjunct faculty member in the graduate public administration program. He previously served as the lobbyist for the University of Oregon and held a similar external relations position with the Utah Education Association. His prior professional assignments include work at the Nevada, Oregon and Utah Systems of Higher Education, most recently as an Assistant Commissioner.  He entered higher education as assistant to the deputy chancellor/general counsel at the University of Oregon.

He was recently a finalist for the presidency at his alma mater, Snow College.

White earned his JD from the University of Oregon, and he holds a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Utah.

Mario K. Castillo Appointed as 5th Chancellor of the Lone Star College System

Fromer Lone Star College System Chief Operating Office and General Counsel Mario K. Castillo, was appointed as Chancellor of the System effective August 11, 2023. 

Castillo has worked at LSC since 2015. He served as interim-president of the LSC-Kingswood campus for a year, and he has served in various leadership positions for the System including as Vice Chancellor, General Counsel and COO. 

Prior to joining LSC, Castillo was a Partner at Monty & Ramirez, LLP practicing Labor and Employment Law, earning Board Certification in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. During this time, he represented the LSC as outside counsel in various matters. He also served as a briefing attorney for the Honorable Felix Recio of the Southern District of Texas and he was an adjunct professor. 

Castillo earned his JD from the Maurer School of Law and Indiana University-Bloomington.