Spotlight | A Lasting Legacy: Visionary Leader Dr. Carol Probstfeld Retires from State College of Florida

By Tom Reese | May 2024

When Dr. Carol Probstfeld assumed her role as President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) in 2012, the college was still adjusting after a massive transformation as it began offering its first baccalaureate degrees just a few years prior. Since then, SCF has greatly expanded upon the various degrees and certificates offered and become a true destination for all types of students seeking undergraduate education. 

Dr. Probstfeld began her career in higher education at Notre Dame College in Ohio as Vice President of Finance. When her mother became ill, she moved to California and continued a similar role at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. 

After her mother passed, Dr. Probstfeld moved to Florida to be closer to her husband’s parents. She accepted a role as Vice President of Finance and Administration at SCF in 2003. At that point, the college’s name was still Manatee Community College and its Lakewood Ranch campus had just been completed. She became well acquainted with the school and its culture as she oversaw the budgets and administrative efforts. 

Dr. Probstfeld was inaugurated as SCF’s sixth president in 2013. With her “lead by example” approach to her position, she immediately set out to get the school back on track and focused on its students. 

“We had fallen a little bit behind in terms of programs we needed to be appealing to students and also responsive to the workforce,” said Dr. Probstfeld. “Our facilities had started to get a little bit older and needed updates. So we built a new library, new science buildings, and a new studio for performing arts. I wanted to update all these things so we could give our students the very best.” 

Under her watch, SCF has grown to serve 14,300 credit students annually and another 11,600 noncredit participants. The college has raised over $6 million since she launched the first capital campaign for the State College of Florida Foundation, benefiting students, programs, and projects. The college has doubled the number of scholarships given to students annually. She also secured a $3.6 million job growth grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to establish a Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation at the Bradenton campus. 

Dr. Probstfeld led SCF’s efforts to “Boldly Engage” its students, faculty, staff, and community partners as part of a five year “Boldy Leading Strategic Plan.” Her efforts from this plan throughout 2015-2020 resulted in several improvements and achievements, including the purchase of property for a campus in Parrish, the addition of programs to the Venice Campus, new strategic enrollment initiatives, and the creation of a Leadership Development program to mentor future College leaders. The current five year strategic plan is set to conclude in 2026, beyond the point of her retirement.

“The most important thing we can do as educators is to help students be critical thinkers and problem solvers,” says Dr. Probstfeld. “That way they will be able to do anything you want in life and reinvent themselves over and over again. The technical skills are the easy part, it’s mastering all the rest that makes you interesting and the most flexible person you can be throughout your life.” 

As she concludes the final months of her tenure as president, her main focus is securing the funding necessary to complete Phase 1 of SCF’s new campus in Parrish, Florida. They’re well on their way to completing their goal, but there is still work left to be done. She is also spending her time preparing everything necessary for her successor. 

One of her favorite aspects of serving as president was being on campus and getting involved with the students. As SCF’s biggest fan, she has traveled thousands of miles and hours to cheer on SCF students at their concerts, sporting events, plays, competitions and graduation ceremonies. She has even donated over $200,000 of her own money to the SCF Foundation and volunteers throughout the community with her husband, Bill. 

“What I’ll miss the most, is the students,” says Dr. Probstfeld. “Whenever I was having a bad day, I’d walk out on campus and pick a student and start talking to them. They’re excited about what they’re doing. They’re excited about their future. They’re working hard and overcoming all kinds of obstacles. I leave knowing that the future is in good hands.”

Over the years, there have been several individuals in the community that have served as mentors and friends for Dr. Probstfeld. 

Former SCF President Dr. Sarah Pappas had high praise for Dr. Probstfeld’s time as president: “Dr. Probstfeld deserves a happy and healthy retirement. Her many contributions to SCF over 22 years of service will leave a lasting legacy. When I first hired her for the VP of Finance position, she transformed the college budget process and quickly became a state-wide leader in higher education budgeting models. She has always been student-oriented and strategically planning for the future. I wish her and her husband Bill the best.” 

Dr. Probstfeld has been an active member of the Cross-College Alliance (CCA), which consists the five higher education institutions in the Sarasota-Manatee area: State College of Florida, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, New College, Ringling College of Art and Design, and the Ringling Museum (part of Florida State University).

Throughout her time as president of SCF, she has worked closely with Dr. Larry Thompson, president of Ringling College of Art and Design since 1999. 

“Carol has been a superb leader and a delight to work with,” shared Dr. Thompson. “She is not only exceptionally intelligent, she is also a very warm and caring individual. I love how Carol has always put her students at SCF first and foremost, and as a result, she has impacted thousands and thousands of students. I believe that one of Carol’s greatest strengths is her strategic thinking. She is a visionary who saw where the institution needed to go and developed a plan to get it there. I will sorely miss Carol. She has done such a wonderful job for State College of Florida and the Sarasota-Manatee area. I wish her only the best on her retirement.”

Regardless of the numerous incredible people she has worked with, Dr. Probstfeld claims the biggest inspiration for her throughout her career and life was her mother: “In my entire life, the number one most important person that influenced me was my mother. She always said ‘Your education is the most important thing about you, because what’s in your mind and what’s in your experiences, nobody can take away from you. Everything else is just material.’” 

Dr. Probstfeld plans to enjoy her retirement by splitting her time in the Sarasota area and her cabin in North Carolina with her husband and four dogs. She loves diving and hiking and plans to continue her quilting groups and reading clubs. But the first thing she is going to do upon retiring is a month-long cruise through Europe.

“My husband and I are going on a Viking River Cruise through France. I’m going to eat and drink everything they put in front of me and it’s going to be wonderful. I’ll figure out everything else I’m going to do when I get back!”