Richard Corcoran is an attorney and president of New College of Florida. From 2016 to 2018, he served as speaker of the Florida House, passing crucial ethics reforms. In in 2018, he was chosen by Governor Ron DeSantis to be the state’s 27th Education Commissioner. In that role, he worked side-by-side with Tallahassee during the pandemic to reopen—and keep open—schools and eliminate mask mandates for children. He also supported the Governor’s efforts to improve Florida public education by abolishing Common Core, expanding civics instruction, and ensuring parental rights were respected in classrooms. Corcoran lives in Sarasota with his wife and six children.