Advertisement

After 17 years, Pasco-Hernando State College attorney steps away

 
Schroeder
Schroeder
Published Aug. 23, 2017

The longtime attorney for Pasco-Hernando State College has resigned for what he says are "purely personal reasons."

Steve Schroe­der, 58, who also holds the title of vice president of policy, announced his resignation to college president Timothy Beard last week. After 17 years at the college, his last day will be Sept. 8.

Beard said the move came as a surprise, despite Schroeder's occasional mentions of wanting to do something else.

"I was somewhat shocked," he said. "He has done a great job for us and served this college quite well."

Beard said the college will temporarily contract for legal services once Schroeder leaves. Although he would not comment on which firms or lawyers are being considered, Beard said he is "looking at people who have worked with (the college) on a number of projects."

Although Schroeder, who drew an annual salary of about $132,000, said he had no immediate plans to find a new job, he indicated this was not his official retirement.

"I will end up somewhere else," he said. "But for now, it is time to take some time off and relax and enjoy my life."

Schroeder said he and his wife plan to take a long-awaited trip to a series of state parks in their RV. His goal is to make it to Mississippi to visit a Civil War battlefield where his great-grandfather fought in the Confederate army.

The resignation comes about a month after the Tampa Bay Times received an off-the-record tip that Beard had plans to place Schroeder on administrative leave. At the time, Beard had just been through a contentious annual review with the college's board of trustees, which Schroeder represents while simultaneously advising the president.

Both men have repeatedly denied the rumor, Schroeder this week saying that it "had no veracity" and that it was unrelated to his resignation.

When asked about his relationship with Schroeder, Beard called it "professional." He noted Schroeder's "precarious position" of having to represent both the president and the trustees at the same time and said a change to that structure could be looked at in the future.

"Obviously … we didn't always agree on everything. But after collaboration, we would leave with a pretty solid common goal," Beard said. "He would always say, 'You're the president, so I am going to respect your decision.' "

Beard praised Schroeder for working with state legislators to secure more than $120 million in funding over the past seven years to build two new campuses: one in Spring Hill, the other in Wesley Chapel. He called Schroe­der's contributions to the college "great."

Schroeder said he is proud of his accomplishments, too, and hopes colleagues agree he is "leaving the college better than it was when I got there."

Contact Megan Reeves at mreeves@tampabay.com. Follow @mareevs.