Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday pushed for one of his top aides to become the next Education Commissioner, replacing Manny Diaz, Jr. ahead of his new job as interim President of the University of West Florida.
DeSantis recommended Anastasios "Stasi" Kamoutsas, one of his four deputy chief of staff officers, to be Florida's top education official, just days after he appointed Diaz to UWF president. Diaz will start his new position on July 14.
"Stasi Kamoutsas has delivered on important issues like parental rights, school choice, and fighting back against radical ideologies in education,” DeSantis said in a press release. “I am confident that he will continue to serve our state well as the next Commissioner of Education, and I thank Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. for his dedicated and productive service.”
Kamoutsas joined the governor's team in 2019 as a legal official, later growing in station to assist DeSantis in education and law enforcement implementation.
He will face confirmation or rejection by the State Board of Education on Wednesday.
