'An obligation to FAMU': Interim President Timothy Beard's parting message for Rattlers

As Florida A&M University's graduating class ends a chapter and moves onto the next, outgoing FAMU interim President Timothy Beard is doing the same. 

Aug. 1 marked the end of Beard's one-year tenure at the helm of the university, and he presided over his final graduation ceremony that evening during FAMU's summer commencement at 6 p.m. at the Lawson Center on campus, where approximately 400 students walked across the stage to shake his hand.

"This has been the opportunity of a lifetime – certainly the pinnacle of my 41-year career in higher education, coming to where it all began 45 years ago," Beard told the Tallahassee Democrat in a July 31 phone interview. "I hope I'm leaving it just a little bit better than I found it. I worked with some great people at FAMU, in Tallahassee, and across the entire state and nation. The Rattler nation is strong, and it has just been a joy to get back home." 

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Beard stepped into the interim president role in August 2024 following President  Larry Robinson's  resignation following the mishandling of a major gift . At the same time, lawyer and lobbyist Marva Johnson officially began serving as FAMU's 13thpresident with a term that began Aug. 1. 

To help Beard make a memorable exit from his brief FAMU presidency, a two-hour farewell reception with about 60 guests was held July 29 at The Moon , a music venue on East Lafayette Street, in Beard's honor. 

Organized by former Congressman Al Lawson and former FAMU Vice President and Chief of Staff Tola Thompson – who was hired by Beard last year during a leadership team restructuring before later stepping down – the celebration's attendees included Beard's senior administration members, local elected officials and even former university Board of Trustees member Earnie Ellison , Lawson said.

Ellison resigned just weeks after triggering a tense discussion during a  trustee meeting , where he proposed that the board suspend what was a contentious presidential search amid circulating rumors .

The reception also consisted of a video presentation of Beard's accomplishments during his tenure, and he was presented with a customized FAMU football jersey. 

"I was really impressed with his leadership," Lawson told the Democrat, referring to Beard. "It's kind of hard to lead an alumni group, assist in raising money and keep the university rolling while it goes through a (presidential) search. He did a great job, and he stayed on the go. He was so energetic and has done so much, so we thought we needed to show him some appreciation." 

Beard hopes to 'support FAMU from behind the scenes'

A Port St. Joe native, Beard started serving as FAMU's interim president months after retiring from his role as the fourth president of Pasco-Hernando State College in New Port Richey, where he served for nearly nine years in that role.

While he received an associate's degree from FAMU in 1985 as a physical therapy student, he is also an alumnus of  Florida State University , where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in rehabilitation counseling along with a doctorate in rehabilitation counseling with an emphasis in higher education administration. 

During Beard's tenure as FAMU's leader, he hit the ground running by bringing in new faces to join his senior leadership team – including Vice President and Director of Athletics  Angela Suggs , Vice President of Marketing and Communications  Alonda Thomas,  Vice President of Government Relations  Jamal Sowell  and Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the FAMU Foundation  Anthony Neal .   

But while Sowell has recently resigned from his post − with his last day being Sept. 1 − Suggs was placed on administrative leave from her position nearly two months ago after being charged with grand theft during business trips at a previous job. It is unclear what leadership changes will be made moving forward under Johnson's presidency. 

In a July 31 farewell message to the university, Beard addressed several groups that make up the FAMU community – including students, who he encouraged to "overcome, to lead and to change the world" as well as family and loved ones, who he thanked for their sacrifices, strength and "unwavering support throughout this calling." 

He also highlighted FAMU's accomplishments under his tenure, including increasing Day of Giving contributions by 6.5% year-over-year, securing $2.08 million in estate gifts and improving donor targeting and engagement strategies. 

Beard pointed to a winning streak in the Division of Athletics including a 2024 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Volleyball Championship, the 2025 SWAC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship, the 2025 SWAC Men's Golf Championship and almost clinching a 2025 FAMU Baseball title victory. He also hired head men's basketball coach Charlie Ward , who Beard described as a "big plus" for the university. 

In addition, Beard led the university during the celebratory moment of moving up in the U.S. News & World Report rankings to No. 81 among public universities and being ranked the No. 1 public HBCU in the nation for the sixth consecutive year. 

"I'm looking forward to continuing to support FAMU from behind the scenes, making sure that when students come here, their lives are transformed and that they leave to change the world," Beard said. "That's my hope, and that's my desire."

Here's what Beard told the Democrat about his experience as FAMU's interim president, his message to the university community about its new leader and more: 

Q: What has been the greatest, most lasting memory from your time as FAMU's leader? 

A: "First of all, it's been a joy to be back home at the Highest of Seven Hills and to have the opportunity to contribute to the success of FAMU. If I were to say one thing, it would probably be putting together great leaders on our senior leadership team, including people like Dr. Alonda Thomas and Jamal Sowell; just being able to bring together a good group of professionals to help stabilize the motion of the institution and to get us going.

"We're already moving in a good direction, but at an even higher rate of speed. We were able to come in and keep some momentum going toward excellence. Scoring an 83 on our performance-based funding model score – an all-time high – and being able to contribute (to securing) funds from the legislature , I think those are two biggies."

Q: Looking back at your leadership, what would you say has been your biggest accomplishment? 

A: "Having an institution like FAMU, it's important to keep the bar set high. We have what we call the 'Boldly Striking Strategic Plan,' and we were able to keep momentum and, I think, even go to a higher level."

Q: What is one significant issue or challenge at FAMU that you wish you'd be able to tackle if you had, let's say, six more months? 

A: "One thing I'm very passionate about is expanding our reach in the K-12 system. We started a program here called 'Pathways to Student Success' with FAMU DRS (Developmental Research School), and the whole idea was to begin doing assessments on students, perhaps those in the ninth grade, to see what support they need to get into higher education or to earn credentials before leaving high school.  

"With that, we were planning on getting our College of Education students involved more as mentors for these students. I think if I were to be here a little longer, we would make sure this program would really get the funding needed by putting proposals on the table with some companies to help fund it. I would love to have seen that come into fruition and may still be able to get involved in terms of helping to develop that program with the president, Mrs. Johnson."

Q: What is your message to individuals in the FAMU community who are still worried about the university's new leader? 

A: "When the president is successful, FAMU is successful. I think we have an obligation to FAMU. Our students, alumni and stakeholders, we all have an obligation to do all we can to make sure the presidents – including, in this case, Mrs. Johnson – are successful."

Q: What's next for you as you take off the hat of being FAMU's interim president? 

A: "I've been retired from serving as president of Pasco-Hernando State College for 18 months now. One thing I'd say is I'll be spending a lot more time on the golf course! But also, in two weeks or so... one of my daughters will be giving birth to my very first grandchild. I'm looking forward to being a good grandpa to that young girl; she will be a spoiled young lady. We're also still active in ministry here in Tallahassee, so we'll probably be 50% here in town and 50% in the Tampa area where our two daughters live."

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: Florida A&M bids farewell to interim President Timothy Beard