FGCU Alumni Association honors ‘a shining example of the power of education’
- Artis Henderson
- Alumni
- Contributors: James Greco, Photos
5 – minute read
It’s hard not to ask Michael Nachef, the FGCU Alumni Association’s 2025 Alumni of Distinction, if he’s going to run for political office. Nachef graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a political science degree in 2010, and since then he’s made a name for himself across Southwest Florida. Recently, he was promoted to chief of staff at Lee Health, where he has worked since 2016. Apparently, he gets asked this question a lot.
“It’s the hair, isn’t it?” Nachef says, laughing. But then he shakes his head. “I’m always interested in finding a way to give back, and helping people motivates me in a big way. Right now I’m first and foremost a husband and a provider. I understand the toll being an elected official takes — sacrifice in service to others — and today I’m very focused on Lee Health and my family.” He smiles graciously. “But maybe one day.”
Nachef is no stranger to political life. He served in Student Government as an undergrad, including as chief of staff his senior year. He says his extracurriculars at the university, which also included Greek life, taught him how to translate what he was learning in the classroom to real life. Those lessons have had an important impact on his professional life today.
“It’s what I do now — solving complex problems for Lee Health, working with our partners to understand what we need to achieve and then advocating on different levels of government to enact those changes,” Nachef says. “At FGCU, I learned how to manage a very busy schedule while working with people to build relationships and achieve a shared vision.”
In speaking to Nachef, it’s impossible to miss his clear sense of self and purpose. He credits his parents with giving him this strong foundation.
“Their experience certainly shaped who I am in this world,” he says.
His mother came to the United States from Beirut, Lebanon, when she was 16 years old. She speaks four languages, and Nachef describes her as “tough as nails.” His father grew up in a mill town in Massachusetts. His parents were career entrepreneurs, buying and selling a number of businesses.
“Both of them are exceptionally hard workers,” he says. They taught him how to manage complex issues and people, especially in the family restaurant they owned. “You can learn a lot about the world in the restaurant business.”
Despite his background, Nachef admits that he “wasn’t the world’s greatest student” his first semester at FGCU. In high school at Lely High in Naples, his smarts had been enough for him to succeed. But he quickly learned that he’d need to do more at the university level.
“I saw that if I didn’t apply myself on a daily basis and get to actual work, I wouldn’t achieve what I was capable of,” he says.
And so he got to work. He went from a 2.8 grade point average his first semester to graduating cum laude four years later. He calls this transformation “the flip,” and he credits his professors with setting him on the right path.
“I definitely did not graduate as the same person who started at FGCU,” he says. “If I had not learned those hard lessons in 2006, I would not have been ready to dive into the real world in 2010.”
And dive into the real world, he did. Nachef launched his career as a legislative aide in the Florida Senate before being hired to help run Lee Health. He also married his college sweetheart, fellow FGCU graduate Felicia Nachef (’11, finance). Together they have four children, and their oldest — Chloe — is currently a freshman at FGCU. “We couldn’t be more proud of her,” he says. “She’s an incredible young woman.”
In addition to everything on his calendar both professionally and personally, Nachef is very active in the community, including Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and he is the former chair of the Alumni Association board of directors. The association presented him the Alumni of Distinction Award in February during Homecoming celebrations. (Complete list of winners below.)
“His vision and guidance has elevated our entire alumni network,” says Kim Wallace, senior director of Alumni Relations at the university. “He’s a true leader and a shining example of the power of education. He came to FGCU and took advantage of every opportunity. When you think of Florida Gulf Coast University, you think of Michael.”
Wallace remembers seeing him at their local polling place on election day as Nachef moved down the line, shaking hands. “Everyone knew him,” she says. “He inspires others, and his passion shows through. He has an unwavering commitment not just to FGCU but to the community. He’s doing great things.”
2025 ALUMNI AWARDS
Alumni of Distinction winner Michael Nachef was honored at a campus ceremony during Homecoming along with award winners. Jesse Bouchard (’07, marketing) received a newly created award, Alumni Business of the Year winner. He is managing director of Northwestern Mutual.
Soaring Eagles are alumni who, within 10 years of graduating, have made noteworthy achievements in their professional or volunteer lives. This year’s winners:
Daisy Gonzalez, ’18 – College of Arts & Sciences
Patrick Walter, ’08 – College of Education
Miriam Pereira, ’15 – Lutgert College of Business
Judes Setalaire Albert, ’14, ’16 – Marieb College of Health & Human Services
Daniel Schroeder, ’21 – U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering
James Javaruski, ’20, ’23 – The Water School
Jonathan Schaffer, ‘20 – Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship
