“Rough Crowd” BOG Chair on opponents of Marva Johnson’s choice for FAMU
Backs against the wall: FAMU stakeholders turn their backs on Marva Johnson at her BOG confirmation.
By Jaylin Alleyne
Boca Raton, FL—Marva Johnson would win a unanimous vote of the Florida Board of Governors, but that came after another grueling round of stakeholder testimony opposing her appointment as Florida A&M University president. All thirteen alumni, students, and faculty denounced her candidacy, qualifications, and the selection process that brought her to the post that would pay her nearly $900,000.00 annually.
Flanked by police officers, prominent alumna Kim Godwin said, “You did not earn this.” Telling the board, “She does not have the best resume. She did not have a good on-campus interview. She appeared unprepared and short-sighted and did not present well to our stakeholders. She had the opportunity but failed to win the support of any stakeholder group.” Gabrielle Albert said, “You are stunningly unqualified. You should be embarrassed.”
Brian Lamb: The only Black member of the BOG, Chairman Brian Lamb, once in charge of DEI at JP Morgan Chase, is now in charge of dismantling DEI in the State University System.
In her remarks, Johnson pledged to listen and maintain an open-door policy. “I am listening, I hear your hope, I hear your dreams, and I hear your concerns.” But as in the campus interviews, there were no specifics on fundraising, academic, research advancement, or sustainability. As she turned to assure her detractors, she seemed startled that they had turned their backs on her in protest. There were boos and shouts of “no” throughout. The board members seemed surprised at the opposition to Johnson.
Following the testimonies, Board Chairman Brian Lamb was heard on a hot microphone commenting to a fellow board member, “Rough crowd.“ Lamb has had an impressive corporate career, including a stint at JP Morgan Chase. He presided over efforts to close the wealth gap as the DEI officer for the corporate giant. Now he is dismantling those programs in the State University System. Lamb is also the only Black on the 17-member panel. The standing ovation from the panel and Lamb’s efforts to broker a peace between feuding FAMU Board of Trustees members and stakeholders fell flat.
This final phase was a snapshot of what to expect as Johnson’s August 1 start date approaches, which is also Summer Commencement and a jam-packed Fall calendar. A public relations campaign by her advocates is underway to fix her image. She is searching for reputable staff to help her navigate FAMU’s many complexities. A pending lawsuit challenges the legality of the search process, asserting that Johnson was Governor Ron DeSantis’s choice regardless of the search outcome. Donald Palm, PhD, was the overwhelming choice of the search committee before the addition of Johnson. He was also the choice of all stakeholders.
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