Atwater’s new role: Make FAU a major higher education player

FORT LAUDERALE — Jeff Atwater plans to use his experience in politics and finance to help Florida Atlantic University become a major player in higher education.

Atwater, a former banking executive and lawmaker, stepped down last week as Florida’s chief financial officer to become FAU’s vice president for strategic initiatives and chief financial officer.

It’s a job that will go beyond the role of a budget administrator to include ways to help students succeed, help FAU find new sources of money for its priorities and help turn the university into a major economic player, Atwater said.

That may include helping FAU’s architecture program in downtown Fort Lauderdale play a greater role in downtown revitalization efforts. Or finding more sources of funding for FAU’s ocean research efforts in Dania Beach. Or expanding executive MBA programs that serve the community and bring money to the university. Or persuading his former colleagues in the Legislature that FAU’s initiatives are worth the investment.

“I want to maximize the university’s assetss to help FAU continue to be the fastest improving research university in the country,” Atwater said.

He wants to help FAU leverage its relationship with two biotech research giants on the university’s Jupiter campus: Scripps Florida and Max Planck Florida. Although biotech job growth in Palm Beach County has been modest in the past decade, FAU and state leaders remain hopeful Scripps and Max Planck will serve as anchors for a major biotech cluster.

FAU has been trying to raise its academic profile in recent years. FAU President John Kelly has been credited with attracting higherperforming students and recruiting respected faculty and researchers. Kelly said Atwater, who is well connected in the state, will further help FAU’s efforts.

“Jeff is well respected politically across the state,” Kelly said. “When we need a partner with some expertise to help us, I might not know who to go to. But Jeff will.”

Atwater served in the state Legislature for 10 years before being elected as the state’s chief financial officer in 2010. Although he’ll be overseeing a much smaller budget ($780 million, compared to $82 billion), he will get a boost in pay, from $129,000 to $325,000 a year.

“I don’t see this as a step back or a step sideways, but a hard-charging step forward,” he said. “I couldn’t be more excited.”