Jerry Maygarden

UWF degree and year of graduation:
BA, Comm. Arts, 1974; MA Comm. Arts, 1975

Why did you choose to attend UWF?
Proximity. I went to college following a tour of duty in Vietnam. All I had was the GI Bill and life was more affordable close to family and friends. I was also attracted to a new upper-level university designed for working students.

What were your goals as a student?
I was an older student and I wanted to get my degree and move on. I didn’t want to waste a lot of time before beginning my career. Along the way I got involved with Student Government and that opened new doors for me. It was the beginning of a career in state and local government that led to service as mayor of my hometown and legislative majority leader for the country’s 4th largest state. I’ve had a great ride, and UWF jump-started all of it.

What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
There are lots of good memories. The university attracted the best and brightest to campus. So many brilliant people came to UWF to lecture and spend time with students. I had the opportunity to meet Buckminster Fuller, Eudora Welty, and Jeane Kirkpatrick. I had lunch with Dean Rusk, and played basketball with Harry Chapin. UWF created those memories for me.

Who was your favorite professor and why?
My best faculty friend was James Lloyd in Communication Arts. He was more than a faculty advisor and teacher; he was my friend. I miss him. I also learned a lot from Stuart Towns. He was personable and accessible. He made sure we understood the material.

What do you do now?
I’m a senior vice president of corporate resources for Baptist Health Care in Pensacola. I have responsibility for strategic planning, governmental relations and private fund development. I’m also a partner and senior policy advisor for the Capitol Hill Group, LLP, a private consulting firm located in Tallahassee, Florida.

How did UWF help you progress to this point?
UWF certified my capacity for learning. It exposed me to a whole new world of possibility. The university helped shape my sense of personal worth, and, along the way, I learned to be accountable for the world around me. I was treated like a whole person and given the freedom to explore new opportunities. What more can you ask?

How do you stay connected to UWF?
I’m a former president of UWF Alumni Association and I’ve served a couple of terms on the UWF Foundation board of directors. I’m active on the West Florida Historic Preservation Board, a Direct Support Organization of UWF. The Florida Legislature was kind enough to create and fund a lecture series in my honor, and I work closely with Dr. Jane Halonen, Dean of Arts and Sciences, to attract bright, talented speakers from around the country to our university. I’m also working with Dr. Janet Pilcher to create a leadership forum for educators. We are exploring the question, “What kind of schools and skills will be needed in our communities during the 21st century?” I try to stay close to my roots.

What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
Current students – maximize every opportunity. Experience the best UWF has to offer. Don’t sit things out, or tolerate the inane. Attend concerts and lectures. Don’t avoid professors that will challenge you. Get involved on campus. Future students – Set the bar high and demand the best from your teachers. Pressure the faculty and challenge the administration to create the most exciting educational environment possible. You deserve it.

What quality makes UWF special or unique?
UWF was a small, cloistered place back in the day. I suppose, by state standards, it is still small. UWF was designed and built to human scale; it is a personable place to live, study and work, but the faculty gives it flavor. They are part of a comprehensive, regional university that is making contributions, not just for individual students, but to the people and places of the area. That’s a sizable contribution to any region.

Outside of working, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your hobbies?
I mentioned the West Florida Historic Preservation Board. I serve as president of the Baptist Health Care Foundation, and I’m currently serving as president of the Rotary Club of Pensacola. I’m also a member of First United Methodist Church. My hobbies include reading, kayaking, and anything my wife and children like to do. My daughter is married to a Navy pilot and they live in Jacksonville, Florida. My son is in his final year at Cumberland School of Law. Life is at its best when they come home to visit.

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