Carl M. Kuttler, Jr.
| Carl M. Kuttler, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| President of St. Petersburg College |
|
|
In office 1978–2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Michael M. Bennett |
| Succeeded by | William D. Law |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 31, 1940 Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Spouse(s) | Evelyn Flathmann (div.) |
| Children | Cindy Kuttler Mercer Carl M. Kuttler III Erika Kuttler Shannon |
| Residence | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Alma mater |
St. Petersburg College Florida State University Stetson University College of Law |
| Profession | Community college president, lawyer |
Carl Martin Kuttler, Jr. (born 31 January 1940 in Daytona Beach, Florida) is the former president of St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida, which he headed from 1978 to 2009.
Kuttler was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, to Carl Martin Kuttler and Rema Winona Ellis. His family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida when he was four years old. At St. Petersburg High School, he was told by a guidance counselor that he was "not college material", so after graduation he planned to work in his uncle's meat supply business. But his father convinced him to enroll in college. He earned his A.A. in management from St. Petersburg Junior College in 1960, his B.S. in business administration from Florida State University in 1962, and his Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1965.
He began his career at St. Petersburg Junior College in 1966 as assistant to the vice president for administration. From 1967 to 1978 he served as dean of administrative affairs. Upon the retirement of college president Michael M. Bennett in 1978, Kuttler assumed the presidency, becoming one of Florida's youngest-ever community college presidents. During his tenure, he oversaw the transition of the college to a four-year institution (now called St. Petersburg College) offering over 20 bachelor's degrees, the expansion of the campus from two campuses to 10 learning locations, and an increase in enrollment from 13,300 to 36,133 students.
Kuttler was known as an "entrepreneurial" college president for his efforts to form partnerships between St. Petersburg College and governments, businesses, cultural institutions, and other colleges and universities. These include the development of the $32 million EpiCenter corporate training center in Largo; joint-use libraries for St. Petersburg College and Seminole State; the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art on the St. Petersburg College campus in Tarpon Springs; and the St. Petersburg College downtown center serving The Florida Orchestra, American Stage, and Palladium Theater. In 1988, Kuttler leveraged a gift of land and facilities worth $11.2 million from the Allstate Insurance Company with over $30 million in state and federal grants to create a home for the college's Open Campus program, Southeastern Public Safety Institute for law-enforcement programs, and central computer. He also raised money in the public arena. In his first year as president, he put a referendum on the Pinellas County ballot seeking a temporary hike in property taxes to raise $500,000 for college improvements, which passed voter approval. The college also petitioned for and received $6.5 million from the Florida state legislature to purchase and remodel three retail buildings for college use.
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