Carl M. Kuttler, Jr.

Carl Martin Kuttler Jr. (31 January 1940 in Daytona Beach, Florida His family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida when he was four years old. He earned his A.A. in management from St. Petersburg Junior College in 1960,

Career 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. Kuttler assumed the presidency, becoming one of Florida's youngest-ever community college presidents. and an increase in enrollment from 13,300 to 36,133 students. 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 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 the Palladium Theater. 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.

Other activities In 1974, Kuttler ran for the office of state education commissioner. He was defeated by Ralph Turlington by a 2–1 margin. and was re-nominated as vice-chair of that council by President George H. W. Bush in 1992.

Honors and awards Kuttler has been honored by many prominent organizations as an outstanding community college president, including the Florida Association of Community Colleges, Phi Theta Kappa, the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, the National Association of Community College Trustees in America, and the School of Education at the University of Texas at Austin.

Other awards include the American Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award; the 1997 Werner O. Kubsch Award for Achievement in International Education; the 2006 Pioneer Award of the Community College Baccalaureate Association; the 2009 James L. Wattenbarger Award of the Florida Association of Community Colleges; Kuttler is listed in a number of Who's Who directories. In 1996 Kuttler was named one of nine worldwide judges for the Templeton Prize in Religion. The St. Petersburg City Council proclaimed 31 January 2005, his 65th birthday, as Dr. Carl M. Kuttler, Jr. Day.

Retirement Kuttler surprised his staff and trustees at the end of a routine board of trustees meeting in July 2009 by announcing his retirement. He was succeeded by Dr. William D. Law, formerly president of Tallahassee Community College.

Personal Kuttler married Evelyn Elise Flathmann,

In November 2011, Kuttler married St. Petersburg College staff member, Violetta Sweet.

Kutler died on 2 April 2025.

Selected bibliography

Books

Articles, book chapters "Why Do We Need Ethics Courses?" in Higher Education and National Affairs, Volume 36 (1987). American Council on Education, p. 27ff. "Vision and Vitality" in Conceptualizing 2000: Proactive Planning (1991). American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, chapter 5. . "Partnerships: The Parlaying Principles" in The Company We Keep: Collaboration in the Community College, John E. Roueche, et al., ed. (1995). American Association of Community Colleges, chapter 7. . "St. Petersburg College: An e-spirited institution" in The Entrepreneurial Community College, John E. Roueche and Barbara R. Jones, ed. (2005). American Association of Community Colleges, pp. 37–50. .