Updated November 11, 2024
PHSC Leaders Speak at National Conference
Media Release | November 8, 2024
PHSC Media Relations
Pasco-Hernando State College leaders attended the 2024 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Conference from October 23 to 26 in Seattle, Wash. The conference is a professional growth opportunity for nearly 2,000 leaders from community colleges, government agencies, philanthropic entities, and other nonprofit organizations.
PHSC President Jesse Pisors, Ed.D., was joined by PHSC District Board of Trustees members Lee Maggard, Nicole Newlon, J.D., and John Allocco Jr., along with student representative Krista Knowles, to attend and speak at the conference. Pisors, Maggard and Newlon spoke at the conference during a breakout session. Their presentation focused on the transitional process of searching for, selecting and onboarding a new college president, a familiar topic for PHSC with the onboarding of Pisors as PHSC’s fifth president in February 2024.
The ACCT Leadership Conference is one of the largest professional development opportunities for community college leadership and is a valuable opportunity to share experiences and expertise, network with other leaders and learn new ways to further the education of our communities.
“This was a great opportunity to represent PHSC at this major national conference and to present on a topic that is important to college trustees from across the country,” said Pisors.
For more information about PHSC’s leadership, please visit phsc.edu/about/leadership.
PHSC Head Coach Jacki Waller Inducted into the FCSAA Hall of Fame
Media Release | November 6, 2024
PHSC Media Relations & Communications
Pasco-Hernando State College celebrates Women’s Cross Country Head Coach Jacki Waller for being inducted into the Florida College System Activities Association Hall of Fame at the Region 8 Cross Country Championship on Friday, October 25.
Waller’s team won this season’s FCSAA DII Region 8 Championship, marking it as the team’s seventh championship win in the last nine years that the event has been held. Waller has additionally led the PHSC women’s cross country team to the national stage several times, including a seventh place finish at the NJCAA DII National Championship in Huntsville, Ala, last year.
“It was a great honor to nominate and announce Jacki’s induction to the FCSAA Hall of Fame. Jacki’s compassion for the sport of cross country is easily felt by those who know her. She works tirelessly for our student athletes and leads by example in all walks of life. She is not only respected in the community but by her colleagues throughout the state,” said PHSC Athletic Director Steve Winterling.
Waller will be leading the PHSC women’s cross country team to compete at Nationals on November 9 in the 5K race and the NJCAA Half Marathon on November 12. For more information on Waller and the women’s cross country team, visit bobcats.phsc.edu/sports/cross-country.
Photo: Jacki Waller (center) holding her FCSAA Hall of Fame Award with Steve Winterling (left) and Rob Chaney (right) (JackiWaller_HallOfFame.jpg)
Pasco-Hernando State College, a comprehensive, learning-centered institution, serves its community by providing affordable, accessible, and diverse educational experiences that empower students to achieve academic success, personal enrichment, and socio-economic advancement.
The FCSAA Hall of Fame is comprised of Administrators, Coaches, Advisors, Officials, Students, and other nominees that have contributed a minimum of ten years to FCSAA or one of its member institutions. They have been selected by their peers on the merits of their community and state college contributions and achievements as well as significant accomplishments.
PHSC RANKED TOP LPN PROGRAM IN FLORIDA
Media Release | July 26, 2025
PHSC Media Relations & Communications
Pasco-Hernando State College was recently ranked as the best Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program in Florida, both online and on campus, by NursingProcess.org. Out of more than 160 programs approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, PHSC ranked first place.
NursingProcess.org uses a ranking system that takes factors such as enrollment rate, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN) pass rates, and affordability into account when ranking the programs.
NursingProcess.org is comprised of a team of healthcare professionals who are dedicated to navigating information around nursing education and careers, focusing on decreasing the gap in easily accessible expert-driven information.
“Quality is more important than quantity. Nothing is more important at PHSC than what happens in the classroom, lab or other teaching and learning environment,” said PHSC President, Jesse Pisors, Ed.D. “I am proud of our highly qualified faculty and staff whose dedication makes this ranking possible.”
For more information about PHSC’s LPN program, visit phsc.edu/academics/programs/health/practical-nurse
PHSC IS GOLDEN AT NATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Media Release | July 3, 2024
PHSC Media Relations & Communications
Pasco-Hernando State College’s Collegiate Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) received recognition at the National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla., this June. The PHSC state finalists who attended the conference were Caleb Barnhart, Emmalise Feliciano, Holland Haley, Krista Knowles, Gilberto Mattei-Fernandez and Samantha Mutter.
PHSC’s FBLA Collegiate was recognized as an outstanding chapter due to the collective efforts of the group and their detailed work documenting their accomplishments. Emmalise Feliciano was awarded first place in the nation for public speaking out of 50 competitors. Samantha Mutter was awarded first place nationwide for business presentation out of 42 competitor teams. Holland Haley and Krista Knowles were awarded eighth and ninth place in the nation for foundations of hospitality management.
“This was a huge field of competitors who were also the best in their states. Emmalise practiced tirelessly for this event with advisors, instructors, PHSC President Pisors, the District Board of Trustees (DBOT), family members, and peers. Practice and dedication paid off,” said Nicole Miller, associate dean of academic affairs. “Samantha refined her presentation every step of the way, worked with accounting experts like Dr. Misty Price, who is an accounting professor, and relentlessly practiced until it was gold.”
“We are beyond PHSC proud of these accomplishments and how the team handled themselves at the conference. They are all future leaders, and their legacy will live on. The accomplishments here also reflect on the programs and the faculty at the college,” stated Miller.
“What a great testament to the excellent learning taking place in the classroom and then the extra hours to refine those skills with dedicated talented advisors. To compete and win on the national stage, including competing against the university level students is so impressive,” said Bob Bade, Ed.D., senior vice president and chief student affairs officer.
PHSC District Board of Trustees Elect New Leadership
Media Release | July 1, 2024
PHSC Media Relations & Communications
The Pasco-Hernando State College District Board of Trustees (DBOT) elected board leaders at a meeting held on Tuesday, June 18 at the college’s North Campus. In a unanimous decision, Trustees Marilyn Pearson-Adams and Rebecca Schulkowski, Pharm.D., were elected to respectively serve as chair and vice chair of the board for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Pearson-Adams, owner and CEO of Century 21 Alliance Realty, Hernando County, was appointed to the DBOT in 2014, marking 10 years served. During this tenure, Pearson-Adams served as board chair in 2020-2021 and vice chair in 2022-2023. Pearson-Adams succeeds the previous board chair, Lee Maggard.
Schulkowski, first president of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, was appointed to the DBOT in 2021 with this being. Schulkowski has served as Director of Operations and Director of Surgical Services at BayCare Health Systems, Director for Surgical Services at Riverside Health System in New Port News, Maryland, and Director of Pharmacy at Cardinal Health in Baltimore, Maryland.
The DBOT re-elected Gilberto Mattei-Fernandez, the executive statewide president for the Florida College System Student Government Association (FCSSGA), to serve a second term as the DBOT student representative.
“The PHSC Board of Trustees was fortunate to have Lee Maggard’s leadership as chair, and we will be just as well served with Marilyn Pearson-Adams as our new chair and Rebecca Schulkowski as vice chair,” said PHSC President Jesse Pisors, Ed.D. “Marilyn is a pillar of the Hernando County business community, and Rebecca is a senior leader in Pasco County’s burgeoning healthcare industry. Both have demonstrated a passion and commitment to help PHSC fulfill our mission.”
“We are also pleased to welcome Gilberto Mattei-Fernandez as the student representative to the Board for a second, one-year term,” continued Pisors. “Having the student perspective on our Board is important, and Gilberto has fulfilled this role very well over the past year.”
Photos: Marilyn Pearson-Adams (MarilynPearsonAdams.jpg), Rebecca Schulkowski (RebeccaSchulkowski.jpg) and Gilberto Mattei-Fernandez (GilbertoMatteiFernandez.jpg)
Daniel Powell, Ph.D., and Steven Wasilefsky Join PHSC’s Leadership Team
Media Release
PHSC Media Relations & Communications
Daniel Powell, Ph.D., and Steven Wasilefsky officially begin their tenure with Pasco-Hernando State College as part of the President’s Administrative Leadership Team. Powell joins the college as vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer, and Wasilefsky as the associate vice president of facilities administration.
Powell recently served as the vice president of academic success at Northwest Vista College since 2019. Powell’s role at NVC led the college to be nationally recognized for its high-quality instruction and academic support. Before joining NVC, Powell was the dean of the school of arts & humanities at Laramie County Community College and served as the music and theater chair at the Patel Conservatory in the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Fla.
Wasilefsky recently served as a project manager for Manhattan Construction Company since 2019. He managed construction projects up to $22 million in contract value. Wasilefsky has worked as a project manager in higher education at the University of South Florida from 2016-2019 and the College of William and Mary from 2004-2007.
“The President’s Administrative Leadership Team has been strengthened by the addition of two very competent leaders, Dr. Daniel Powell, vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer, and Steven Wasilefsky, associate vice president of facilities administration,”
said PHSC President Jesse Pisors, Ed.D. “Both have extensive experience in their respective area of responsibility, and I know they will play key roles in PHSC’s growth and future.”
Photos: Daniel Powell (Daniel Powell.jpg) and Steven Wasilefsky (StevenWasilefsky.jpg)
Pasco-Hernando State College, a comprehensive, learning-centered institution, serves its community by providing affordable, accessible, and diverse educational experiences that empower students to achieve academic success, personal enrichment, and socio-economic advancement.
PHSC PARTNERS WITH THE BALDWIN GROUP TO ENHANCE EDUCATION AND
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Media Release | June 6, 2024
PHSC Media & Communications
Pasco-Hernando State College partnered with The Baldwin Group on May 28, 2024. This partnership will bolster educational opportunities and address critical workforce needs, providing opportunities to improve industry-related college curricula with real industry experts, enhance career pathways with internship and career opportunities, collaborate on events, and provide developmental training opportunities for The Baldwin Group employees.
The Baldwin Group is an award-winning, entrepreneur-led advisory firm delivering insurance, risk mitigation, employee benefits, and wealth management solutions for businesses and individuals.
“The Corporate Partnership Agreement between PHSC and The Baldwin Group signifies a shared commitment to advancing education and meeting the evolving needs of the industry. As our
respective institutions move forward with this collaborative journey, we remain dedicated to
empowering and strengthening students’ professional journeys,” said Lisa Richardson, Ed.D., Vice
President of Advancement, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships.
PHSC partners with a broad spectrum of stakeholders committed to enhancing education to
meet the community’s evolving needs. For additional details regarding PHSC’s industry-specific career opportunities and pathways for job training, visit: phsc.edu/academics/job-training
PHSC TRUSTEES TO REVIEW PROPOSED COURSE-RELATED FEE ADJUSTMENTS
Media Release | May 21, 2024
PHSC Media Relations & Communications
Pasco-Hernando State College’s District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider approving proposed adjusted course-related fees at its June 18 board meeting, to be held at 12 p.m. at the North Campus in Brooksville.
Fee adjustment proposals are reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by PHSC’s Council of Academic Affairs, a committee that includes representation by administrators, deans, academic department chairs, program directors, faculty and staff.
For details regarding proposed fees adjustments, justification for the fees and fee implementation details, visit https://policies.phsc.edu/policies-and-procedures/public-disclosure. Questions or concerns about the proposed fees should be directed to the appropriate dean listed on the web page.
Many fee adjustments relate to vendor increases for workforce courses, laboratories, and program testing. Some fees may be covered by financial aid, scholarships and grants. All fees charged by vendors are negotiated by the college, with additional fee increases and decreases expected in the coming academic year.
Considered among the most cost-effective public colleges in the nation, PHSC has not raised tuition since the 2012-13 academic year.
Pasco-Hernando State College, a comprehensive, learning-centered institution, serves its community by providing affordable, accessible, and diverse educational experiences that empower students to achieve academic success, personal enrichment, and socio-economic advancement.
