Marva Johnson confirmed as FAMU president amid protests, backlash

What had been anticipated was made official: Lawyer and corporate lobbyist Marva Johnson was confirmed to be Florida A&M University's 13th president by the panel that oversees the state's public universities.

Her confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors continues the trend of having politicians or individuals with strong political ties as state university presidents in Florida.

And it completes another loop of Gov. Ron DeSantis' plan for a conservative takeover and remaking of the state's higher education system. Now that FAMU – the state's only public historically Black university – has a new leader that falls in line with the 'anti-woke' agenda, it's another win for the governor.

"I'm committed to leading this university, to forging new paths for excellence and preeminence, and to protect and advance FAMU's legacy," Johnson – the group vice president for Charter Communications – said during the board's June 18 meeting.

She was confirmed after a unanimous vote, which was followed by a mixture of claps during a standing ovation and shouts of disapproval from FAMU stakeholders as the Board of Governors convened on Florida Atlantic University's campus in Boca Raton. Security officers stood around the meeting room, including two against a wall near Johnson's seat.

"Under my leadership, I don't expect FAMU to just survive," Johnson added. "I expect it to thrive."

At the same time, many FAMU alumni, students and others who stood in opposition to Johnson followed through with their attempts to thwart Johnson's path to being the new president.

While FAMU Board of Trustees vice chair Deveron Gibbons presented Johnson, opponents repeatedly shouted "no" in the crowd. It was a task that was supposed to go to FAMU board chair Kristin Harper, but she disapproved of Johnson and passed it along to Gibbons.

Although the alumni and students − who stood up and turned their backs away from the front of the room as Johnson gave remarks − were unsuccessful at putting a stop to Johnson's ascendancy, they attended the meeting en masse, organizing under one effort to express concerns.

"Marva Johnson is not ready to lead the nation's No. 1 public HBCU (historically Black college or university)," said FAMU alumna and former ABC News President Kim Godwin, who served on FAMU's presidential search committee.

Johnson "did not earn this," Godwin told 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. These are facts."

FAMU Foundation board member Chekesha Kidd, who created a petition against Johnson's candidacy during the search and has continually opposed her selection, was also one of about a dozen FAMU alumni and students who gave similar public comments.

"This is not excellence – it is negligence," Kidd told board members. "So I have to ask: Why this candidate and why now? Simply put, this was not a merit-based search."

Johnson to concerned FAMU stakeholders: 'My door will always be open'

While giving remarks ahead of the confirmation, Johnson addressed the Rattler community, acknowledging the many who have opposed her candidacy and selection through protests and other public opposition.

Asking them to trust her as president, she reassured them of her mission "to protect our sacred institution, to uplift its legacy and to fight for a future that is as bold as its founding." 

"I am listening, I hear your hope, I hear your dreams and I hear your concerns," Johnson told FAMU alumni, students, faculty and others. "My door will always be open, and I'm looking forward to full engagement on campus and in our communities."

Johnson also shared her vision and goals for FAMU: To accelerate its "Boldly Striking" 2022-27 strategic plan, surpass performance-based funding metrics, improve first-time passage rates in licensure programs, meet workforce demands and strengthen partnerships with entrepreneurs. 

In addition, she looks to reduce the university's reliance on government funding by diversifying funding sources, and she highlighted the need to continue efforts of reaching a  Carnegie R1 classification  (Very High Research Activity). FAMU is currently ranked Carnegie R2 (High Research Activity). 

"To remain competitive in a rapidly higher education landscape, we must adapt strategically, align smartly and lead boldly without ever compromising the mission on which we were founded in 1887," Johnson said.

Controversy percolated throughout Johnson's selection

Johnson's path to the presidency began after former President  Larry Robinson  stepped down last year in the  aftermath of a major donation debacle , which led to interim President  Timothy Beard  stepping in to serve in the role since August for a one-year term. 

Many view Johnson's ascension as the latest example of  DeSantis' hard-right overhaul of the Sunshine State's higher education landscape . And as supporters of the governor praised the selection, which came after an 8-4 trustees vote, the political influence in the background was brought to light. 

In an X post, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called the FAMU board's pick a "terrific selection;" Uthmeier previously was DeSantis' chief of staff and managed his unsuccessful 2024 campaign for president. He went on to say "well done by team DeSantis and the SUS (State University System) for driving this home! Great result for Florida's higher ed and next generation of leaders."

Anastasios "Stasi" Kamoutsas, a deputy chief of staff to DeSantis, has been another key player in executing the governor's higher education takeover at FAMU. He made calls to push for Johnson, which included reaching out to FAMU trustee Belvin Perry, Jr., who mentioned his communication with the governor's office at a May 16 board meeting ahead of Johnson's selection. 

Kamoutsas now takes over as the state's commissioner of education with current Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. being approved by the Board of Governors at the same meeting as interim president of the University of West Florida.

In addition, there has been wide speculation during the search that Gibbons, who chaired the search committee, insisted on adding Johnson – a former Florida Board of Education chair who held appointed positions under both former Gov. Rick Scott and DeSantis – to what was initially a list of three final candidates that committee members interviewed and voted on during closed sessions in a downtown Tallahassee office. 

On top of claims about search committee members being pressured to add an extra candidate to an unranked list of finalists, there was also talk of premature salary negotiations being made with Johnson ahead of her selection. While she asked for an annual base pay of $750,000 in her application for president, $650,000 was approved in her five-year contract, with her total compensation being nearly $840,000 in her first year.

Board of Governors vice chair Alan Levine – who served on FAMU's search committee – touched on how interactive and transparent the search process was.

Searches for public university presidents were shielded from the state's Sunshine Laws under a law passed in 2022. That means identities of applicants remain secret until the final stage, when only the names of up to three finalists are released. The idea was to encourage the application of high-caliber candidates who might otherwise be deterred because they didn't want their current employer discovering their job search.

Levine also noted that candidate names had been leaked along the way, as well as "nonstop" pushback. But he commended Johnson for going through the "very rigorous process." 

"We saw in Marva a resilience and a spine to sit there and listen to every one of these speakers and engage with every single one," Levine said, referring to the June 18 meeting's public comments segment.

"She never took her eyes off those speakers, and she just said, 'I hear you.' That's who this woman is, and she deserves this opportunity because she earned it."

Several other board members chimed in with high praises. "She is tenacious, and she is tough," board member Ken Jones said. "To see what she endured throughout the process and to still be sitting here ... I think that's admirable, and I think it's remarkable."

'Voices aren't going to go away,' Board of Governors chair warns

During the meeting, board member Eric Silagy – who also spoke in Johnson's favor – asked Harper if she was comfortable with both the search process and with Johnson being selected for the role.

Briefly, Harper referred to a June 17 email she sent the Board of Governors regarding her concerns. Although she has addressed frustrations about a lack of transparency at past trustee meetings, she did not go into detail. 

"Representing the board, the majority carried," Harper said, referring to trustees' 8-4 vote last month. "That's why President-elect Johnson is here today." 

Board of Governors chair Brian Lamb also questioned Harper and Gibbons, asking them for their commitment to do their best in working with Johnson for FAMU's success. He also asked Johnson to keep her word of having an open-door policy with the university community regarding their concerns. 

"You will do the very best that you can to take those ideas and voices and roll them into your broader plan to be the leader of the university," Lamb told Johnson. "You can't close your door; the voices aren't going to go away. I expect and I'm asking that you can commit to continue to listen."

Of the 12 current permanent and interim presidents in the university system, some still come from academic backgrounds, but the ground continues to shift to political picks.

That includes Diaz, also a former state lawmaker, at UWF and former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez at Florida International University. She was also confirmed, along with Johnson and Diaz, as FIU's president at the same meeting.

According to Johnson's presidential contract, her term as FAMU's new leader begins Aug. 1.

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: DeSantis ally Marva Johnson named FAMU president despite outcry