Polk State DBOT Chair Greg Littleton honored with James L. Wattenbarger Award
Polk State College is proud to announce that Greg Littleton, Chair of the Polk State College District Board of Trustees, will receive the 2026 James L. Wattenbarger Award at the upcoming Association of Florida Colleges’ Council of Trustees and Council of Presidents Joint Meeting in November.
Selected by the presidents of the Florida College System, the James L. Wattenbarger Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual in recognition of their support for the Florida College System. Polk State President Anastasios Kamoutsas nominated Littleton, a 1987 graduate of Polk Community College and a Distinguished Alumnus, in recognition of his exemplary, longstanding service to the College and its students.
“It was an honor to nominate Chair Littleton for the prestigious James L. Wattenbarger Award. As a dedicated member of the Board for nearly two decades, he has guided Polk State through the expansion of its programs, campuses, and workforce mission,” said President Kamoutsas. “In the short time I’ve worked with Chair Littleton, I have come to appreciate his faith, thoughtfulness, work ethic, respect in the community, and dedication to his family. Polk State is tremendously blessed to have him serve as our Board Chair.”
Among the many major initiatives advancing during Littleton’s tenure is the Haines City–Davenport Campus, Polk State’s eighth location. The approximately $51 million, 75,000-square-foot facility on U.S. 27 near the I-4 corridor will serve Polk County’s fastest-growing region. The campus will house Central Florida’s first public higher education interdisciplinary simulation hospital, while providing students access to higher education in one of Polk County’s fastest growing areas. Following years of planning, land acquisition, groundbreaking, and investments from donors, the Polk County Legislative Delegation, and Governor Ron DeSantis, the campus is on track to open in January.
Littleton has also helped lead the College through the recent presidential transition. The District Board of Trustees selected Kamoutsas in June after a national search, and he assumed the role of Polk State’s sixth president in July. As Board Chair, Littleton provides continuity of governance and leadership during this transition.
In addition to his service to Polk State, Littleton serves as CEO of Citizens Bank & Trust and was named the Florida Bankers Association’s 2022 Banker of the Year. He has also served Polk Vision, United Way of Central Florida, and numerous economic development and civic boards. Through his United Way involvement, including campaign leadership, he helped support fundraising efforts that raised more than $13 million for partner nonprofits serving the community in areas including education, health, financial stability, and basic needs. In 2024, he was named United Way of Central Florida’s Citizen of the Year for more than a decade of service to the organization.
His longstanding civic engagement has strengthened Polk State’s connections throughout Polk County, in Tallahassee, and with employers who hire the College’s graduates.
Award recipients must demonstrate an exceptional commitment to a Florida College System institution or the system as a whole. Those who are eligible include students, faculty members, administrators, trustees, alumni, college supporters, champions of the Florida College System, state legislators, and members of the state executive branch.
As a Polk State graduate, nearly two-decade steward of the College, and Board chair guiding the institution through the opening of a new campus and a presidential transition, Littleton exemplifies the lasting impact of dedicated service to the Florida College System.