DeSantis announces five new members to the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced five new appointees to the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees Tuesday.

DeSantis announced the appointments of Dorian Abbot, David Clark, Clifford Otto, Ilya Shapiro and Sidney Theis to the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees.

Abbot is an associate professor at the University of Chicago’s Department of Geophysical Sciences. He is a member of the American Geophysical Union and the Academic Freedom Alliance.

Previously, Clark served as a deputy chief of staff for DeSantis and is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Clark is currently the chief executive officer of MyGovGuide, which is a business and data intelligence solution that accelerates individual’s public sector business development and sales process, according to the website. He is also the managing partner of Allegiant Strategies Group.

Otto is currently retired and previously served as the chief executive officer of Saddle Creek Logistics Services. He is the former national president of the Warehousing Education and Research Council and the chairman of the Warehouse Logistics Association.

Shapiro is a senior fellow and director of Constitutional Studies for the Manhattan Institute. Previously, he was the executive director and a senior lecturer for the Georgetown University Law Center.

Shapiro said he was honored to be chosen to help turn the university into a “national leader in STEM education.”

Theis is the owner of RDRTec Inc., which is an incorporation that performs innovative radar research and development for the U.S. Government and its prime contractors.

Theis is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and is on the board of visitors at Texas A&M University Galveston and serves on the Texas governor’s council.

The five appointments await confirmation from the Florida Senate.