| Kenneth Jessell | |
| Office: | 6th President of Florida International University |
| Term Start: | January 21, 2022 Acting: January 21, 2022 – November 9, 2022 |
| Predecessor: | Mark B. Rosenberg |
| Birth Date: | 10 July 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican[1] |
| Spouse: | Lori Jessell |
| Education: | Florida State University (BA, MBA, PhD) |
Kenneth Arthur Jessell (born July 10, 1955)[2] [3] is an American educator, university administrator, professor and the sixth and current president of Florida International University. He succeeded Mark B. Rosenberg as president in January 2022, following Rosenberg's resignation amidst allegations of sexual harassment.[4]
Jessell received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Florida State University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in finance from FSU.[5]
Prior to becoming president Jessel had served as the senior vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer at FIU since 2009. He is also a professor of finance at the Florida International University College of Business.
Jessell agreed to a three-year contract and an annual base salary of $650,000 as president of Florida International University and a performance-based bonus of $175,000, with his total compensation package coming out to $996,081, and was approved by the FIU Board of Trustees on October 17, 2022. He was confirmed as president by the Florida Board of Governors on November 9, 2022.[6] [7]
Jessell is a native South Floridian and he and his wife Lori reside in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, and have two adult children, Amanda and John, and a grandson James.[8] [1] [9]