Jared Ochs, Interim President of CFK

Jared M. Ochs was appointed interim president of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ (CFK) by the CFK Board of Trustees in October of 2026.

Previously serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff in Governor Ron DeSantis’ Executive Office of the Governor, he managed, oversaw, and guided 10 state executive branch agencies and offices with a collective budget of $33.4 billion and 8,145 full-time employees.  His portfolio included the Florida Department of Education, the State University System of Florida, CareerSource Florida, the Reimagining Education and Career Help (REACH) Office, the Florida Gaming Control Commission, the Florida Department of Lottery, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Office of Financial Regulation, and the Public Employees Relations Commission.

He has held high-level executive leadership positions including Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and Deputy Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. He also held several positions within the Florida Department of Education, where he was directly involved in navigating the department through numerous high-profile issues of national significance. His roles included Assistant Deputy Chancellor of Public Schools, Director of Legislative Affairs, and Director of Communications and External Affairs. He also brings state legislative experience, having worked in the Florida House of Representatives for eight years, including two years in the Office of the Speaker.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from the State University of New York at Fredonia, a master’s degree in Political Science with concentrations in American Politics and Public Law from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Florida. 

He and his wife, Erika, have been married since 2012.