FIYou: Steve Sauls


Name: Steve Sauls

Hometown: I was born and raised in Lakeland, Fla., as a fifth-generation Floridian, but consider my hometowns Washington, D.C., and Miami Beach.

Job Title/Department: Vice President for Governmental Relations, Office of Governmental Relations.

Campus: Modesto A. Maidique Campus. But I have a special feeling for Biscayne Bay Campus and The Wolfsonian-FIU on South Beach.

In a nutshell: I’m the quarterback for FIU’s championship Governmental Relations team, which has brought great results to FIU year after year. Of course, our team includes the president, our trustees and our foundation, not to mention our faculty, staff and especially, our students.

Number of years at FIU: I came to FIU in December 1990. Then I left for 18 months to serve as corporate vice president in the global headquarters of Office Depot, a Fortune 150 company, but couldn’t wait to get back to Miami and FIU. The best part, other than learning how big business works from the inside, was giving FIU $2 million for the College of Business.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The people and most especially, the young people I get to know and mentor. It’s exciting to be part of building a great urban university, establishing a law school and a college of medicine, getting hurricane research funds, making a difference. But at the end of my career, whenever that comes, the best part will be thinking about all of the young people I’ve known who’ve gone on with an FIU education to build successful careers. It’s a growing list, but it includes New York lawyer Patty Maribona, FIU’s first student to attend Harvard Law; TV star Danny Pino; Florida State Sen. Anitere Flores; and more than 20 students who have interned in our Washington, D.C., office.

What do you think faculty/staff and students should know about your department? What about FIU – how is the university “Worlds Ahead”?

FIU Governmental Relations is a great team. Michelle Palacio, Carlos Becerra, Adriana Pereira and Ana Herrera are all FIU alumni. Debi Gallay is one of the state’s education policy and budget experts. People come to us for answers. We live and breathe Panther blue and gold. For us, it’s much more than a job. We pioneered making the impossible the inevitable and are thinking all the time about how to do more to make our FIU Worlds Ahead. Lately, we’ve been having fun building a social media network for the FIU community to follow governmental activities that affect our university. We’ve been fighting hard in Washington for the 16,000 students who depend on Pell grants to attend FIU, and in Tallahassee for funds to keep our College of Medicine on track, as well as to find funding needed to provide access to high quality university programs. Unfortunately, we’ve been spending a lot of time defending what we have, including our pension and health insurance benefits. I just wish more people would get involved.

Where is your favorite spot on campus? Why?

I’ve been involved in getting the funding for most of the buildings found at MMC today. I love walking across campus on any given day. It just makes you proud to be part of it…of our diverse community. Sometimes it’s so beautiful I just have to stop and post a photo on Facebook.

Family snapshot:

FIU is my family. I also have a large extended family of friends in Washington and Miami.

Word that best describes you: I’m a pragmatic idealist. I want to leave the world a better place, starting with Miami.

First paying job: Legislative assistant to Congressman James Haley, chairman of the House Interior Committee, from Sarasota. He was the executor of the Ringling estate and had to convince the State of Florida to accept the Ringling Museum and John Ringling’s home. When Mickey Wolfson offered to donate the Wolfsonian to FIU, I thought, “Here’s my chance to do something equally important,” and we lobbied for the operational funds we needed in order to accept Mr. Wolfson’s gift. I am especially proud that the Wolfsonian is part of FIU.

Favorite TV show: I like HBO, but I’m a channel surfer. I start with the Sundance Channel and then check out what’s playing on Turner Classic Movies. And I like mysteries and international action thrillers. I don’t find much of interest on most channels and hate the talking heads.

What is playing on your iPod?

I love Brazilian bossa nova, but on my iPhone I track my 300 e-mails a day and news about what is happening in Congress and the Florida Legislature.

Your proudest accomplishment:

Being author of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, which provided Miami with $150 million for Mariel refugees. I was also able to get the Mariel refugees counted as part of the 1980 census, generating another $50 million for Miami-Dade County public schools.

What do you do when you are not working at FIU?

I love the beach and hanging out on Lincoln Road. I love riding my bicycle around South Beach. I love watching the Sundance Channel on TV and kayaking. I love having a good conversation with my friends in Washington. I’m also a magazine junkie, but am spending more and more time on Facebook. I now have a social media following and I take that responsibility seriously. Anyone can follow me on Twitter @FIUgov.