FAMU President Marva Johnson appoints new VP for Enterprise Partnerships, Innovation

A new senior leadership team position has been created as Florida A&M University President Marva Johnson continues to roll out new hires. 

Johnson appointed Marcus Burgess – former interim president of Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina – as FAMU's inaugural senior vice president of Enterprise Partnerships and Innovation, which he stepped into on Sept. 29. 

"Dr. Marcus Burgess is a seasoned leader in higher education with more than two decades of experience in institutional advancement, strategic fundraising and administration," Johnson said in a prepared statement. "His expertise will assist us as we coordinate our internal efforts to expand FAMU's corporate, philanthropic, governmental and higher education collaborations." 

The Oct. 1 announcement of the new hire comes after Johnson made key appointments in August during her first week in office, which included former longtime university FAMU trustee and board chairman  Kelvin Lawson  being named FAMU's new executive vice president and chief operations officer – replacing  Donald Palm , who currently serves in the inaugural position of executive vice president for Health Sciences Enterprise and Research Innovation. 

Also, former Verizon executive Michelle Robinson was appointed as vice president of Government Relations to replace  Jamal Sowell , who announced his resignation ahead of Johnson's presidency.

More: FAMU President Marva Johnson rolls out 100-day plan as she makes key appointments

Through the new Enterprise Partnerships and Innovation vice president position, Burgess is in charge of spearheading cross-sector partnerships, institutional innovation and strategic alignment across major operational units, according to the university. It comes as a key priority in Johnson's 100-day action plan is "forging innovative corporate partnerships." 

While FAMU's Shawnta Friday-Stroud currently serves as the School of Business and Industry's Sybil Collins Mobley endowed chair and executive director for Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, her efforts through the role have a focus on the business school specifically. Burgess will be interacting with all of FAMU's schools and colleges through his new position, but at the time he does not have any direct reports, according to a university spokesperson.

He will report directly to the president.

Burgess's responsibilities also include developing and executing a strategy to expand FAMU's public and private partnerships, which will include advising Johnson on emerging opportunities and challenges related to partnership development and funding. 

"I am deeply honored to join President Johnson and the FAMU community in this important role," Burgess said in a university release. "Florida A&M University has a storied legacy of excellence and impact, and I look forward to building transformative partnerships that expand opportunity, drive innovation and strengthen the university's position as a national leader in higher education." 

Who is Marcus Burgess?

A Cades, South Carolina native, Burgess holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, a master's in education administration from The Citadel and a doctoral degree in education from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.  

He served as interim president of Saint Augustine's University – a historically Black Christian college – for a year and a half during a tumultuous time where the school fought for its survival due to accreditation issues. Ahead of the university's success of obtaining a preliminary injunction to maintain accreditation and begin classes for the fall semester on Sept. 2, Burgess resigned Aug. 31. During the brief tenure, his contributions included helping the institution see an 18% increase in graduates, which is its largest graduating class in over a decade.

Before the interim president role, Burgess served as vice president for Institutional Advancement at Claflin University, where his efforts resulted in over $18 million in private funding, a $25 million increase in endowment. He has also served in advancement leadership roles at Florida Memorial University, Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina and York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina. 

Since Burgess is serving in a newly created administration role at FAMU, he does not replace any current senior leadership team members, according to a university spokesperson.

Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at  tjean@tallahassee.com . Follow her on X:  @tarahjean_ .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Marva Johnson hires FAMU VP for Enterprise Partnerships and Innovation