By Kyle Coppola
Lake-Sumter State College Announces Finalists in Presidential Search
The Lake-Sumter State College District Board of Trustees has selected three finalists in the search for the College’s next president.
Each finalist brings a unique set of experiences and leadership strengths to the role. In the coming weeks, the candidates will participate in individual meetings with members of the District Board of Trustees. A special meeting is scheduled for August 28 at 10:00 a.m., during which the Trustees will further discuss the finalists and may make a hiring decision.
The finalists selected for consideration as the eighth president of Lake-Sumter State College are Dr. Elmore D. Lowery, Dr. James W. Ross, and Rep. John P. Temple.
Dr. Elmore D. Lowery currently serves as Academic Dean for the Center for Public Safety at Seminole State College. With a career that spans academic affairs, student services, and workforce development, Dr. Lowery brings a student-centered approach to leadership. He holds doctorates in both Organizational Leadership and Higher Education Executive Leadership, and his early career included service in law enforcement and public safety roles.
Dr. James W. Ross has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in higher education, including serving as President of Pamlico Community College. Under his leadership, Pamlico earned national recognition for its performance and student outcomes. He has also held senior positions at Eastern Florida State College and Piedmont Virginia Community College. Dr. Ross holds a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and is widely recognized for his commitment to student success and community partnerships.
Rep. John P. Temple currently serves as Vice President of Workforce Programs at Lake-Sumter State College and is a State Representative for Florida’s District 52. He holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor’s in Secondary Mathematics from Southeastern University. Mr. Temple is known for his results-driven leadership across both K–12 and higher education, including successful efforts to enhance workforce pathways, foster regional partnerships, and improve educational outcomes for students.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
