October 17, 2024 – Florida A&M University’s search for a new president has been delayed due to a lack of attendance at a special Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, October 17th. With seven of the board’s 13 members absent, there wasn’t a quorum, preventing them from selecting a search firm.
Board Chair Kristin Harper noted the urgency of the matter. The meeting was intended to select a firm to lead the search for a new president following former President Larry Robinson’s resignation. Interim President Timothy Beard is currently serving for one year.
I do apologize to the firms on the call who have carved out their time to be here with us so that we could make a decision,” Harper said. In an August trustees meeting, she shared her vision of ideally having someone named president by June 30, 2025.
Who Missed The Meeting?
The absent members included Vice Chair Deveron Gibbons and six other trustees. Although some had personal reasons for not attending, the firms under consideration were present and waiting for the virtual meeting.
What’s Next?
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for December 5, but no date has been set for when they will reconvene to select the search firm.
The university’s meeting materials show a pre-vetted list of 10 firms, and the HBCU searches conducted over the past 5 years. Included on the list is the only executive search firm dedicated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, TM2 Executive Search, a subsidiary of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The Ten Firms Under Consideration Include:
- Buffkin/Baker: Not applicable
- Greenwood/Asher & Associates: University of the District of Columbia
- Helbling & Associates: Not applicable
- Higher Talent: Not applicable
- Isaacson, Miller: Howard University, Clark Atlanta University, University of the Virgin Islands, Savannah State University
- Myers McRae: Kentucky State University
- Renaissance Search Firm: Not applicable
- Russell Reynolds: Fisk University
- Storkbeck Search: Hampton University, Tuskegee University, North Carolina A&T State University, Spelman College
- TM2 Executive Search: Currently leading searches at Arkansas Baptist College and Philander Smith University
About Florida A&M University
Founded October 3, 1887, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is a public, historically Black university located in Tallahassee, Florida. What distinguishes FAMU from other universities is its legacy of providing access to a high-quality, affordable education with programs and services that guide students toward successfully achieving their dreams. FAMU is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.