Editor’s Note: A statement made by Vidal-Duart regarding her appointment was added, as well as a clarifying source in support of Vidal-Duart’s appointment and an explanation of CDR Health.
Florida Atlantic University is in the spotlight after the Florida Senate confirmed Tina Vidal-Duart on Wednesday in Tallahassee to continue serving on FAU’s Board of Trustees through 2030. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to the board on Jan. 7, 2025, but the Senate did not vote until this week.
Vidal-Duart commented on her appointment in an email to the University Press. “I’m honored to be appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis and confirmed by the legislature. As a product of the State University System, I know firsthand how important an affordable education is at a top-ranking university and how that education can, and will, have long-lasting positive impacts on a person’s life and socio-economic status.”
Vidal-Duart is the CEO of CDR Health, alongside her husband Carlos Duart, has donated to political committees that supported DeSantis’ campaign. According to reporting by the Florida Bulldog, the couple donated nearly $2 million to DeSantis-aligned political action committees.
CDR Health is a national healthcare firm specializing in emergency/disaster medical services, mobile clinics, and turnkey health solutions for governments and the private sector. They provide vaccination, testing, primary care, and correctional medical services.
Public contract records show the Executive Office of the Governor awarded a roughly $17.5 million emergency contract to CDR Health Care Inc. in 2025.
The state’s contract database lists the vendor, amount, and execution date, but does not say what the money was for or which facility it served in the FACTS database, or the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System.
Investigative journalists at Prism Reports examined the timing of the contract, related state spending, and patterns in the state’s hiring. They concluded that the contract was used to provide medical services at the Everglades detention center, commonly called “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The FAU Board of Trustees is a governing body that plays a significant role in decisions affecting students, including university finances, leadership appointments, and the university’s long-term direction. Members of the board include Student Body President Darsham Gonzalez.
The governor has the authority to appoint university trustees, and those appointees may begin serving immediately upon confirmation by the Senate, as stated in 1001.71 Florida Statutes.
Although the Senate did not act on Vidal-Duart’s appointment during the 2025 legislative session, she continued serving on the Board of Trustees during that time. Her appointment remained provisional until lawmakers formally confirmed it. There are no published Senate Journals or committee minutes showing that her confirmation was debated on the Senate floor.
Vidal-Duart’s appointment has drawn concern from some state representatives, including Democrat Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith of Orlando, who said:
“While families are suffering, while constituents called our offices in total disbelief of how their loved ones had been unjustly taken by state and federal authorities, subjected to inhumane conditions and poor healthcare services provided by her companies, Ms. Vidal-Duart was cashing in on all of this cruelty,” he said Wednesday during debate on the Senate floor.
“I don’t feel like it’s responsible public service. It feels gross, and we should reject the Senate confirmation,” he added.
Seven Democrats, including Smith, voted “no” to Vidal-Duart’s confirmation. Jason Pizzo was the only senator who spoke against the overall vote, stating: “If I had to make a shortlist of people I could depend on and count on at any time of the day, at any location, Tina Vidal-Duart would be at the top of my list.”
Pizzo acknowledged that Vidal-Duart’s company helped people in his district have access to COVID testing.
“Tina Vidal-Duart has now been appointed to the board of trustees… where my son goes, and I’m happy with that appointment,” Pizzo said.
Vidal‑Duart also served on the board of Hope Florida, a charity associated with First Lady Casey DeSantis that is currently under investigation for a $10 million donation from a Medicaid settlement, which drew scrutiny for lack of transparency and raised questions about how public funds were used.
Rep. Alex Andrade said, “That $10 million was state money… I still have no idea why this was justified,” during an April 2025 House subcommittee hearing.
FAU media relations commented on the appointment, stating, “She is a dedicated and effective trustee of the university, and we are grateful to have her leadership on the board.”
University Press reached out to Vidal-Duart for a statement as well, in which she explains CDR’s relations with the detention center, stating, “CDR Health was contracted via a competitive bid process to provide healthcare services at the Everglades Detention Center.”
Emily Ives is the Political Reporter for the University Press. Email her at [email protected] for more information on this and other stories.
