Staff Reports
Former House Speaker Will Weatherford and real estate professional Mike Griffin will continue to serve as the Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the University of South Florida (USF) board of trustees after a board vote.
Both have served in their respective leadership roles since 2021. The latest appointments are for two-year terms.
“I’m honored to continue to lead our board of trustees, especially at such an exciting and important time in the University of South Florida’s history,” Weatherford said.
“Having recently achieved a long-standing goal to be invited to join the prestigious Association of American Universities, USF is on a path to become one of the top 25 public universities in the country and we are focused on helping drive the success of the Tampa Bay region.”
Weatherford is managing partner of Weatherford Capital, where he provides leadership and strategic guidance to the team. Weatherford is a member of the Florida Council of 100, Florida Chamber of Commerce, and serves on numerous boards including TECO Energy, Kitson & Partners, PayIt, SOMA Global and The National Council for the American Enterprise Institute. Weatherford also served as Co-Chair of the Super Bowl LV Host Committee.
Griffin has served on the board since 2019. He is executive managing director and market leader for Savills, a worldwide company that delivers a full range of integrated real estate services across the globe. Griffin previously chaired the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and was recognized as its youngest Chairman in its more than 135-year history.
Griffin also serves on the Junior Achievement Tampa Bay board of directors and is a graduate of Leadership Florida (Cornerstone XXVI). He has served in several leadership roles in the Tampa Bay region, including as a gubernatorial appointment to the Tampa Port Authority/Port Tampa Bay Governing Board.
Griffin earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from USF. He served two terms as USF student body president and was the charter student member of the board of trustees.
“I’m proud to continue to serve in this leadership role on the board of trustees for an institution that’s very special to me, the University of South Florida,” Griffin said. “USF is on an incredible trajectory, and we will keep pursuing excellence across the university, including in student success, high-impact research and innovation, community engagement and our athletics programs.”
The USF board of trustees has 13 members, six appointed by the Florida Governor and five by the Florida Board of Governors for a term of five years. The elected USF Faculty Senate President and USF Student Government president also serve as trustees.
