{{Short description|College President}} {{Update|date=December 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Mel Ponder mayor.jpg | image_size = | name = Mel Ponder | caption = Official portrait, 2014 | office = President of Northwest Florida State College | term_start = January 2, 2025 | term_end = | preceded = Devin Stephenson | successor = | state_house1 = Florida | state1 = Florida | district1 = 4th | term_start1 = November 8, 2016 | term_end1 = November 3, 2020 | preceded1 = Matt Gaetz | successor1 = Patt Maney | constituency1 = | majority1 = | office2 = Mayor of Destin, Florida | term_start2 = 2014 | term_end2 = 2016 | predecessor2 = Sam Seevers | successor2 = Scott Fischer | party = Republican | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|5|28}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | alma_mater = Florida State University | occupation = | website = }}
'''Mel Ponder''' (born May 28, 1968) is the president of Northwest Florida State College.<ref>{{cite web | title=Mel Ponder Voted in as Northwest Florida State College's New President - Mid Bay News | url=https://midbaynews.com/post/mel-ponder-voted-in-as-northwest-florida-state-colleges-new-president }}</ref> He began serving in that position in January 2025.<ref>{{cite web | title=Meet President-Elect Ponder | url=https://www.nwfsc.edu/presidential-search/meet-president-elect-ponder/ }}</ref> Affiliated with the Republican Party, Ponder previously served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 4th district between 2016 and 2020.
Ponder also served as the mayor of Destin, Florida, from 2014 to 2016.<ref>{{cite web | title='Humbled and honored': Without an election, Mel Ponder is Destin's next mayor - News - the Destin Log - Destin, FL | url=http://www.thedestinlog.com/1.257346 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719025803/http://www.thedestinlog.com/1.257346 | archive-date=July 19, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Cosson|first=Derek|date=March 15, 2016|url=http://pulsegulfcoast.com/2016/03/destin-elects-new-mayor-council-members|title=Dustin Elects New Mayor, Council Members|publisher=The Pulse|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719024349/http://pulsegulfcoast.com/2016/03/destin-elects-new-mayor-council-members|archive-date=July 19, 2018|access-date=October 13, 2023|via=Wayback Machine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |author=Derby, Kevin |title=Destin Mayor Mel Ponder Runs for Matt Gaetz's Florida House Seat |newspaper=Sunshine State News |date=August 3, 2015 |url=http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/destin-mayor-mel-ponder-runs-matt-gaetzs-florida-house-seat |accessdate=December 15, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Judnich">{{Cite news |author=Judnich, Tony |title=Republicans win big in state legislature |newspaper=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=November 8, 2016 |url=http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20161108/republicans-win-big-in-state-legislature |accessdate=December 23, 2016}}</ref> On August 30, 2016, Ponder won a close and contentious five-way primary to become the Republican nominee to represent District 4 in the Florida House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Tom|title=Ponder Holds on for House District 4 Seat|url=http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20160830/ponder-holds-on-for-house-district-4-seat|accessdate=9 October 2016|publisher=Northwest Florida Daily News|date=August 30, 2016}}</ref> Ponder was elected unopposed in the November general election.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Florida 4th District State House Results: Mel Ponder Wins |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 13, 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/florida-state-house-district-4 |accessdate=December 23, 2016}}</ref> He succeeded state representative Matt Gaetz, who was elected to the Florida 1st District U.S. House seat.<ref name="Judnich" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|https://www.nwfsc.edu/about/leadership/}} *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222102211/http://www.cityofdestin.com/index.aspx?NID=428 |date=December 22, 2015 |title=City of Destin - Mayor Mel Ponder}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponder, Mel}} Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature Category:Florida Republicans Category:Living people Category:Mayors of places in Florida Category:People from Destin, Florida Category:Florida State University alumni Category:1968 births
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