Former Broward College President Torey Alston (picture courtesy of clubofgrowthfoundation.org).

Broward College terminated the service of its President Torey Alston, ending an 18-month tenure that saw a strained relationship with the Board of Trustees.

According to the Sun Sentinel, the board ousted Alston in a vote during a meeting without a discussion.

The board decided to terminate Alston due to lack of communication and students’ low test scores.

Initially, Alston filed a lawsuit when the board moved to fire him last week without cause, and a circuit court judge ruled that the board couldn’t relieve him of his position until it went through a medication with him to work out an ongoing employment contract dispute

Alston received a $430,000 mutual termination agreement and dropped his lawsuit.

The board appointed Rabia Azhar as acting president interim while it will launch a search for a new leader.

Azhar previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and as the Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer.

Alston was selected as president of Broward College in 2025 during a national search for his leadership and deep ties to the community.

He was born and raised in Broward County.

Alston previously served on the Broward County School Board and was appointed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve on the Broward County Commission.

Alston has held several high-level executive roles.

He served as Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Transportation, overseeing a $12 billion budget and more than 6,200 employees.

From 2021 to 2025, he was the first CEO of the Greater Miami Expressway Agency, managing nearly $3 billion in assets and $268 million in revenue, leading the transition from a dissolved predecessor agency to a new organization while ensuring governance, financial sustainability, and operational efficiency.

Broward College, which currently enrolls 30,272 students, is a public college based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Miramar, Florida, Pembroke Pines, Florida and Davie, Florida. It is a member of the Florida College System, and offers several associate and baccalaureate degree programs.

It is a member of the Florida College System, and offers several associate and baccalaureate degree programs.