NFC President to Step Down in December
MADISON, FL – Dr. John Grosskopf, the eighth president of North Florida College, has announced the difficult decision to step down from the presidency in December due to health concerns.
The announcement, presented during the Board of Trustees meeting on February 18th, is part of a thoughtfully planned transition. Grosskopf will continue serving the College as a dedicated faculty member; ensuring his knowledge, mentorship, and dedication to student success remain an integral part of the college community.
“It has been beyond an honor to serve as president for North Florida College,” said Grosskopf. “I am grateful for the support of our Board, and I am so proud of the success and accomplishments of our students and this institution. NFC is truly a family in every sense of the word.”
For 17 years as president, Grosskopf has been a transformative leader, guiding NFC with vision and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“President Grosskopf’s leadership has truly been a display of strength and passion,” said NFC Board of Trustees Chair Ricky Lyons. “Regardless of hardship – from economy to hurricanes - Dr. Grosskopf represented our college with great commitment. He is a testament to what it truly means to be a Sentinel. I look forward to continuing to work with him during this transition to ensure NFC’s success.”
Remarkable Milestones
Under Grosskopf’s leadership, the College has achieved remarkable milestones. He leaves the president’s seat with NFC in a strong position for future achievements.
In 2015, Grosskopf together with faculty, were approached by employers in the logging industry to help address the shortage of qualified and experienced truck drivers. The College then partnered with local businesses, CareerSource North Florida, and the State of Florida to provide a specific CDL-Class A training not readily available in other CDL programs. Since 2017, the CDL-Class A program specializes in logging, where students receive real-world experience by going to the jobsite. Today, NFC boasts an overall average graduation rate of 87 percent.
In anticipation of adding the College’s first baccalaureate level program, Grosskopf guided the effort in 2016 to change the name of the institution from then North Florida Community College to North Florida College. This decision involved input from employees, students, alumni, and community, where the name selected best defined the College’s future without changing its mission.
Grosskopf led the way for NFC’s successful transition into a baccalaureate-granting institution, where in 2018 it recognized its first Bachelors of Nursing Degree graduates. On the horizon for Fall Semester 2025, students will have an opportunity to apply for a Bachelors of Organizational Management Degree.
His tenure saw the expansion of NFC’s physical presence in its service district, broadening access to higher education for more students. In 2019, an official grand opening was held for the Live Oak Location in Suwannee County. The Perry Location in Taylor County opened its doors in 2023, along with a new location-specific career program - Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration.
In early 2021, Grosskopf examined how the pandemic negatively impacted learning and subsequently oversaw the creation of the NFC iCare Team. The Team was tasked with how to better engage students who have the most barriers to educational success, which lead to a new mentorship program. Since starting the mentor program, NFC has seen positive results related to higher pass rates, fewer course withdrawals and more passing grades in gateway courses such as English and math. In its fourth year, the program has nearly 68 NFC students connected with an NFC mentor.
Sustainable growth has been a campus-wide effort, with Grosskopf at the forefront. In 2020, his leadership for a revised Strategic Plan implemented much needed student-focused recruitment and retention resources, resulting in a 10 percent increase in enrollment and 15 percent increase in Full-Time Enrollment during the 2023 Fall Term.
For the past three reporting years and under Grosskopf’s watch, the College achieved the highest completion rate in the Florida College System (FCS) for students in pursuit of a degree. NFC, one of 28 institutions represented in the FCS, touts a 59.1 percent graduation rate from its most recent cohort, exceeding the state average of 42.2 percent. NFC’s two previous reporting years also reflected the highest rates at 59.2 percent and 63.5 percent respectively.
Officially opening in November 2023, the Sentinel Pantry was created when NFC identified students who struggled to focus on studies due to food insecurities. Grosskopf lead the charge to establish the Pantry, with support from sponsors such as Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Allison Tant, State Representative House District 9, Sniffen & Spellman, P.A., NFC Employees and the NFC Foundation. It offers students free groceries, clothing, baby supplies, pet food, personal hygiene, and more. Under the Pantry umbrella, currently enrolled NFC students have access to additional food resources including Sentinel Snack Zone, Student Center Food Cabinet, Mobile Pantry Distributions, Fresh Fridays, SNAP Application Assistance, and Emergency Food Pickup.
In response to the State of Florida’s workforce expansion, Grosskopf championed the growth of career training and workforce education, where in 2024 the College welcomed 11 new certificate programs. Additionally in 2025, NFC began its new Agribusiness Management Associate in Science Degree.
“Dr. Grosskopf had the desire to expand Career Workforce Educational opportunities in our region long before it was a statewide initiative,” said David Dunkle, Associate Dean of Economic Development and Career Workforce Education. “He has a heart for our students that's hard to match and wants to ensure they are provided with every possible opportunity to help them succeed.”
With expanding access to education at the forefront of the College’s Strategic Plan, Grosskopf was instrumental in securing an additional $1 million dollars for recurring base funding during the 2024 Florida Legislature. This added support ensures NFC remains a viable higher education and workforce institution for years to come.
Resiliency
After both major Hurricanes Idalia and Helene cut through NFC’s service district, Grosskopf lead staff and faculty to personally call each enrolled student to make sure they were safe, fed and ready to resume learning as soon as possible. He was one of only two others who returned to campus the day after each storm to assess damages and determine how to recover.
He guided partnerships with Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Cajun Navy Relief, and others to offer immediate relief. Faculty and staff, hurricane victims themselves, volunteered their time to organize and hand out donated items to community members at NFC’s Van H. Priest Auditorium.
“Hurricane recovery is more than removing debris and restoring power,” said Grosskopf. “It’s working to ensure that plans and dreams are delayed, not destroyed. A year after Idalia and Debby, and months after Hurricane Helene, it is clear to me that our students, faculty and staff are not only resilient, but unified to meet any and all challenges.”
Recognition
North Florida College’s reputation for academic excellence and student success has flourished under Grosskopf’s leadership.
In 2018, NFC, then North Florida Community College, was awarded the Chancellor’s Best Practice Award by The Florida College System for its innovative use of video conferencing technology to significantly improve educational access for dual enrollment students throughout the rural service areas in the North Florida region.
The College has been named a Chronicle of Higher Education “Great College to Work For” for nine consecutive years and has been recognized four times as a nominee for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
Additionally, NFC has been a Bellwether Award finalist and has received numerous national accolades, including being ranked the #2 Top Public School in the South by U.S. News & World Report.
While NFC experienced success, Grosskopf’s dedication to his students, faculty, staff, and community earn him the recognition he deserves.
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recognized Grosskopf, along with only 18 other college administrators in the U.S., with the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction. Recipients are nominated by students on their campus. The Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction is Phi Theta Kappa’s most prestigious award for community college presidents.
“While Dr. Grosskopf’s role as president has required him to lead the NFC organization forward strategically and with intentionality, he has always remained true to his calling – serving and educating students,” said Jennifer Page, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. “He set the bar high for academics and workforce training at NFC. His emphasis on ensuring a personalized approach to education for each of our students has become the cultural norm at NFC; every programmatic and course level decision we make is with the student’s experience in mind.”
Grosskopf has participated in programs such as The Chair Academy's Leadership and Development courses, the Florida Chancellor's Leadership Seminar, and served on the Florida College System Council of Presidents. Additionally, he dedicated six years to the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges, and chaired the Florida College System Risk Management Consortium, underscoring his commitment to maintaining educational standards.
Locally, Grosskopf contributed to the Jefferson County Community Schools Board and participated on the Big Bend Hospice Advisory Board.
The NFC Board of Trustees will soon announce their direction on searching for the College’s next president, with their goal being a seamless and successful transition.
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Standing at the entrance of North Florida College, NFC President Dr. John Grosskopf welcomes future Sentinels seeking to chase their dreams towards a degree or workforce certificate.