Torey Alston picked to lead Broward College as president
FORT LAUDERDALE — Torey Alston, who was tapped in recent years by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve on the Broward County Commission and the Broward County School Board, was chosen Friday to become president of Broward College.
Alston was one of two finalists considered by the Broward College Board of Trustees and will succeed Interim President Donald Astrab.
"God is so good and I want to thank the Broward College District Board of Trustees for their vote of support and confidence as I transition to president of Broward College," Alston said in a prepared statement. "As the son of two parents who attended community college, including my father who completed the police academy 40 years ago from then-Broward Community College, I know the value of the state college system first-hand."
Alston, a former chief of staff at the Florida Department of Transportation, most recently has worked as executive director and CEO of the Greater Miami Expressway Agency. DeSantis appointed him in 2021 to the Broward County Commission and in 2022 to the Broward County School Board.
Alston lost a 2024 re-election bid for the school board. The other finalist for the Broward College presidency was Jose Llontop, an executive partner at Salt Creek Capital, an investment firm.
The trustees voted unanimously to allow Chairwoman Alexis Yarbrough to begin negotiations with Alston on a contract, according to the college website.
"This is a decision that my fellow trustees and I took very seriously," Yarbrough said in a statement. "We had two very strong candidates, but Mr. Alston's legislative experience, coupled with his relationships in the community made him the obvious choice."
