University of North Georgia President Michael Shannon | UNF
Published on August 26, 2026 at 12:50 pm
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University of North Georgia President Michael Shannon is being put forth as the sole candidate to be considered as the University of North Florida’s next president, after a five-month search by the Jacksonville public university’s presidential search committee.
UNF’s 11-member search committee received 152 applications for the position. Their research found that since becoming UNG president in 2023, Shannon led a period of growth and institutional transformation. growing past 20,000 students for the first time and expanding academic and workforce programs across its five campuses.
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Shannon will take part in on-campus forums with UNF faculty, staff and students next month before a final vote by the board of trustees.
The search followed the recent departure of UNF President Moez Limayem, who in December was selected president of the University of South Florida. Jacksonville native Angela Garcia Falconetti replaced Limayem in February as UNF’s interim president.
Board of Trustees member Jack Boyle, who chaired the search committee, calls Shannon “a strong leader with an impressive background in higher education and military service” in a university statement about his selection.
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“He is passionate about student success, community engagement and the future of UNF,” Boyle added.
In the same statement, Shannon said the university and city are filled with extraordinary opportunity, and he is honored to be advanced for consideration as UNF’s eighth president.
“(My wife) and I are excited for the opportunity to spend time with the UNF community, to listen and learn, and to better understand its aspirations for the future,” Shannon said. “There is tremendous momentum here, and I am inspired by what UNF can become and the impact it can continue to make for its students and this region. I am grateful to Chairman Boyle and the search committee for their confidence, and I look forward to the conversations ahead.”
Shannon served 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel after assignments in the infantry, Signal Corps, counterproliferation, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and at West Point. Following his military career, Shannon worked in small business and at Georgia Tech as a faculty member, researcher and executive.
He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Jessica, have four children.
Shannon will participate in on-campus forums with faculty, staff, students and others on Sept. 9 and 10. The following week, he will be interviewed by the board of trustees, who will vote on his candidacy. The State University System’s Board of Governors must also confirm presidential selections.
Details about public forums and other updates will be posted on the UNF Presidential Search Committee website.
