FAMU chief of staff Tola Thompson stepping down after five months in role
Florida A&M University Vice President and Chief of Staff Tola Thompson – who was hired last year during FAMU's senior leadership changes – is stepping down after being in the role a mere five months.
The university's Board of Trustees Chair Kristin Harper made the announcement Thursday following a full board meeting on campus.
Thompson – whose last day is Friday – was not available for comment, but is expected to return to his previous position with Ballard Partners , where he is still listed on the Tallahassee-based global lobbying firm's website as a partner in the company's Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles offices.
The powerhouse firm, which collected millions of dollars in federal lobbying revenue last year, is led by founder and president Brian Ballard of Tallahassee – one of the state's most influential lobbyists . He is also an effective political player and fundraiser for both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump .
Thompson was tapped by FAMU interim President Timothy Beard in September, replacing Linda Barge-Miles, who served in the chief of staff/Board of Trustees liaison role for eight years and retired in December after working at the university for nearly 22 years.
The change came as part of Beard's restructuring efforts after he asked his entire FAMU senior leadership team to resign in mid-August. He also added "vice president" to most of the position titles amid the ongoing new hires.
Following the directive, recent hires along with Thompson in the past few months have included Vice President and Director of Athletics Angela Suggs , Vice President of Marketing and Communications Alonda Thomas, Vice President of Government Relations Jamal Sowell and, most recently, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the FAMU Foundation Anthony Neal .
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Thompson – a FAMU alumnus who received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the university in 1984 – has held several positions and had over a decade of experience with the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, where he served two members of the Congressional Black Caucus in roles including communications director and senior legislative assistant.
His return to FAMU came after formerly serving as its longtime assistant vice president and director of governmental relations from 2007 to 2017, where he helped secure more than $251 million in new funding from federal and state sources.
Thompson then left the university post to work as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Al Lawson in 2017. He left Lawson's office to join Ballard Partners in 2021.
During his short time in the chief of staff position at FAMU, he's been critical to the day-to-day operations of Beard and the university's board of trustees since his role has also consisted of serving as the board's liaison.
As Thompson's departure leaves FAMU's chief of staff position vacant once again, a new individual is expected to be named to serve in the role sometime in the next couple of weeks, according to a FAMU spokesperson.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_ .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M chief of staff Tola Thompson says he's stepping down
