The University of North Florida Student Government Senate closed out the Spring 2026 semester on Friday by swearing in the 2026-27 Legislative Cabinet.
The Senate also heard from guest speakers with UNF’s Victim Advocacy Program, who discussed victim confidentiality and encouraged collaboration with SG.
Legislative Cabinet of 2026-2027
The following were elected or re-elected to the Legislative Cabinet for the 2026-27 school year.
Senate President: Kamyla Carrasquillo-Lebrón
Senate Pro-Tempore / Rules and Oversight Committee Chair: Winter Slaughter
Budget & Allocations Committee Chair: Logan Bell
University and Student Affairs Committee Chair: Junior Rodriguez-Perez
Senate President nomination
Carrasquillo-Lebrón, elected Senate president in fall 2025, ran uncontested and was reconfirmed during the Friday meeting.
In her candidacy presentation, Carrasquillo-Lebrón discussed her SG experience and long-term goals.
Before her election, she served as Senate Pro Tempore and vice chair of the Budget and Allocations (B&A) Committee and the University and Student Affairs (USA) Committee.
Her goals have remained consistent since taking office.
“I really want to try and improve retention between senators,” she said. “If people are coming, I want them to stay. I want to strengthen the relationships between everyone.”
Carrasquillo-Lebron was reconfirmed as Senate president.
Senate President Pro-Tempore nomination
Senate President Pro Tempore Winter Slaughter was also reconfirmed and will continue to chair the Rules and Oversight (R&O) Committee.
As Chair, Slaughter said they plan to host workshops for the next attorney general, parliamentarian, and new senators on serving as vice chairs of legislative committees.
When Sen. Audrey McGrath asked about the parliamentarian’s role, Slaughter said the parliamentarian ensures the Senate operates under Robert’s Rules of Order.
Slaughter also wants to post Senate recaps on Instagram, inspired by Florida Gulf Coast University’s Student Government page.
The Senate unanimously reconfirmed Slaughter.
Budget and Allocations Committee Chair
Three senators — Benjamin Shmia, Alexander Gomez and Logan Bell — sought the position after former B&A Chair Hazel Joseph became student body president.
Benjamin Shmia nomination
Vouching for his candidacy, Shmia cited three years of SG experience.
“I have an understanding of how B&A works,” said Shmia. “I’ve also been the treasurer of two clubs, and I’m just finishing my term as president of the Jewish Student Union.”
Shmia also said he wants to establish more executive commissions for UNF’s international and cultural organizations.
Executive commissions are administrative divisions within SG’s Executive Branch that provide students from specific groups with a place to organize, express their culture, and access SG support.
“I think all students are really deserving of this,” said Shmia. “It’s a really great system.”
He also aims to streamline the SG funding application process and improve transparency.
When asked how he would work with the executive branch, Shmia said he is open to collaborating with the student body president and serving as a liaison for commission groups.
Alexander Gomez nomination
Sen. Alexander Gomez, a freshman double-majoring in political science and philosophy, outlined a three-phase plan to strengthen Finance Code enforcement and improve student communication within the B&A Committee.
Gomez’s three-phrase plan focused on “implementation, communication, and sustainability.”
“I have an idea to develop a centralized tracking system utilizing Microsoft Excel to allow students to have an updated, consistent awareness of their own inflictions,” said Gomez. “This involves gathering baseline data, which surrounds tier status, durable grid limits, and audit requirements.”
Sen. McGrath asked whether Gomez had attended a B&A meeting — he had not, but said he had spoken with Joseph about the process — and asked about his leadership style.
“I would say very proactive and welcoming,” said Gomez. “I think I’m someone who very much needs to get what’s happening done.”
Sen. Hunter Hayes asked how prepared Gomez would be and how he would keep committee members accountable.
Gomez recalled removing a teammate from a high school competition for ethical violations.
“It was a conversation where I myself felt leveled with this person, had to put myself in shoes where I am a little bit above them and tell them, you can’t compete anymore, and had to keep it completely neutral,” said Gomez.
Logan Bell nomination
Sen. Logan Bell said he would work with SG staff, uphold recent Finance Code changes from former B&A Chair Joseph and former Student Body Treasurer Katherine-Toro Villanueva, and establish criteria for funding decisions.
He said he also hopes to improve communication with registered student organizations to ensure applications are complete and expectations are understood early.
Bell is a freshman majoring in logistics and transportation, with high school experience in Model Senate and Model United Nations and an internship with the U.S. Air Force 700th Contracting Squadron.
In his presentation, Bell said that his Air Force experience included managing purchase requests and handling contracts.
McGrath asked Bell if he had attended a B&A meeting — he had not — and about his leadership style, which he described as adaptive.
Bell said that his experience as a military kid, moving from place to place and attending high school in Germany, exposed him to several kinds of leadership.
“I’ve seen so many different perspectives,” said Bell. “So I feel like whatever is required of me in the moment is something I act on.”
Discussion and results
After Bell’s presentation, Fiscal Advisor Jason Edgar asked each B&A chair nominee what would scare, excite, and ground them if they were to get the role. Shmia said that creating the fiscal budget is both daunting and rewarding.
“It’s around $6 million. It funds dozens of organizations around campus. You really have to work on it,” said Shmia. “On the other hand, I would say that it’s exciting that I’m able to work on a $6 million budget, and it’s exciting that I’m able to get this money to all the people that need it and use it daily.”
Gomez received four votes, Shmia received six, and Bell received nine votes from the Senate. Thus, Sen. Bell was selected as the new B&A Committee chair.
University of Student Affairs Committee Chair
Hunter Hayes nomination
In the meeting, Sen. Hayes gave an enthusiastic presentation about his experience in SG and wants to help students find their “true north” at UNF.
Hayes currently has a perfect attendance record in the USA Committee and in the Senate. He has also canvassed for each Osprey Voice survey since being elected to the Senate. In the Spring 2026 election, Hayes ran with Sen. Shmia as the SAM party’s vice presidential candidate.
One of Hayes’ biggest goals, if chosen as USA Chair, is outreach.
“Either using the Student Government Instagram or creating a USA Instagram, I want to publish our surveys online,” said Hayes.
Student Body Vice President Tommy Mazzella said that because SG has centralized its Instagram account, the USA Committee cannot create its own.
Instead, he asked Hayes if he would be willing to work with the social media coordinator to share posts about the Osprey Voice survey, which Hayes is open to.
Hayes also wants the USA Committee to hold town hall meetings with the UNF student body to gather direct opinions.
“We are the outreach arm for the student body, and USA doing this would be very important,” he said.
Junior Rodriguez-Perez nomination
In his presentation, Sen. Rodriguez-Perez shed light on his relevant experience for the USA Chair position. Rodriguez-Perez said that he served as USA Vice Chair, worked as an Osprey Community Ambassador (OCA) and volunteered at campus events for the Office of Student Life.
Following his presentation, outgoing USA chair Shipton Macdonald asked how Rodriguez-Perez would approach leading the USA Committee compared to how he had led it.
Similar to Hayes, Rodriguez-Perez said he would like to continue collaborating with student organizations when conducting Osprey Voice Surveys.
“I would love to take on the responsibility of making events for us senators as well,” said Rodriguez-Perez. “So we can come together.”
Rodriguez-Perez said one of his goals is to make SG “more visible, more approachable, and more connected to students.”
Discussion and results
Sen. Slaughter endorsed Hayes based on his presentation, whereas Shmia endorsed Rodriguez-Perez.
“At the end of the day, it’s about who has a better heart, and who’s more emotionally connected to it,” said Shmia.
Rodriguez-Perez won the USA chair with 13 votes.
UNF Victim Advocacy Program
Senior Coordinator Ané Nguyen and Director Maurisha Bishop-Salmon of UNF’s Victim Advocacy Program spoke at Friday’s meeting.
Bishop-Salmon and Nguyen emphasized that victim autonomy and confidentiality are prioritized, and that victims can choose whether to file police reports.
The program provides confidential, 24-hour crisis intervention for people impacted by trauma, crime, or victimization, according to the UNF website. Services are available in person at the Student Wellness Complex.
Nguyen noted UNF has only four confidential offices: UNF Victim Advocacy Services, the UNF Counseling Center, Student Health Services and Student Ombuds.
“Everybody else is non-confidential,” said Nguyen. That includes all other UNF offices, mandated reporters, Campus Security Authorities, faculty and staff.
“They will have to report any incidents of sexual misconduct, any violence, anything like that,” said Nguyen. “Not to harm you in any single way. It’s the law to protect you.”
When Hayes asked what SG could do to support the program, Bishop-Salmon said collaboration would increase its visibility.
“Come out with us, partner with us, let the university see what you are a part of and what we do,” said Bishop-Salmon.
The program is also promoting Teal Out, a national sexual assault prevention campaign, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April.
What’s Next?
Friday, April 17, was the Senate’s final meeting of the spring semester. The only summer meeting is scheduled for May 15 at noon via Zoom.
Fall 2026 meetings have not yet been scheduled.
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