FAMU exec Donald Palm confidently declares himself 'next president' in board interview

As second-in-command at Florida A&M University , Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Donald Palm has the chance to become the Rattler-in-chief as one of FAMU's presidential finalists – and he's confident that the job is in the bag.

Just minutes into his May 15 interview session with the university's Board of Trustees in the Grand Ballroom on campus, he told the members "I stand before you today as the next president of Florida A&M University." 

"Some people say, 'Dr. Palm, you should be able to hit the ground running because of some of your background,' but I beg to differ," Palm said. "I've already started. I'll actually be in fifth gear by the time and the day I start as president." 

FAMU's presidential search – which has been held amid an outcry over political influence and a lack of transparency –comes after former President  Larry Robinson  stepped down last year, which led to interim President  Timothy Beard  stepping in to serve in the role since August for a one-year term.  

Besides Palm – who has been lauded by many in the FAMU community who support his candidacy – the other three finalists in the search are  University of Maryland Eastern Shore  Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Rondall Allen, University of Central Florida  Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Gerald Hector and  Charter Communications'  Group Vice President of State Government Affairs Marva Johnson. 

As the university wraps up a series of campus visits during its search for a new leader, FAMU trustees will meet May 16 to vote and select one of the finalists for president before the consideration is taken up by the Florida Board of Governors. 

FAMU trustees ask about financial aid issues, shared governance 

Palm — a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native — received his bachelor's degree in chemistry at Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) in 1985 and earned a doctorate in pharmacology at Penn State University in 1991. 

He was named FAMU's COO in June 2023, coming from a previous role as Virginia State University's executive vice president and provost. Through the position, he served as second-in-command, where he directly reported to former President Larry Robinson and now reports to interim President Timothy Beard.

More: Familiar face returning to FAMU as executive VP and chief operating officer

But before stepping into the FAMU role, Palm had a 22-year tenure at FAMU and left in 2016 to serve at VSU, which is another HBCU. 

During his initial time at FAMU, he was associate provost for Undergraduate Studies and was a tenured professor in the university's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, which is a role he resumed since returning to the university. 

In addition, Palm recently served as FAMU's interim vice president for university advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation after a major donation debacle led to the resignation of the previous vice president, Shawnta Friday-Stroud, and Robinson.

While Palm has gotten widespread favorable publicity during his presidential candidacy – including an endorsement from FAMU's National Alumni Association – trustees wanted to know what he would do as president to tackle ongoing in-house issues such as financial aid delays for students and concerns among faculty about a lack of shared governance. 

When asked how he would ensure students get their financial aid on time, Palm said he would make the need to resolve the issue his "No. 1" priority as it ties to student success. 

"We know that financial aid is a part of student success," Palm said. "If they don't have their aid on time, they have problems because they need the aid to survive. That's really something that stirs me some kind of way, so that will be fixed as the president." 

In addition, FAMU trustee and Faculty Senate President Jamal Brown expressed concerns about a lack of shared governance between faculty members and administrators, bringing up the university's artificial intelligence initiatives that were recently implemented and how many were unaware of the new effort until it was reported in the Tallahassee Democrat.

To better communicate with faculty members, Palm said he would plan to meet with the Faculty Senate leadership on a weekly basis to provide updates on the university's efforts. 

"As a Faculty Senate member for 21 years, I understand," Palm said. "Including the faculty makes things a lot better, and I'm here to win, as you know – not to be right." 

Near the end of the interview, FAMU trustee Kelvin Lawson asked Palm to explain his overall vision for the university. "We want national merit scholars, but we also want to increase our footprint as far as research," Palm said. "I think we can chew gum and walk at the same time." 

Following the morning interview, Palm's campus visit schedule includes meetings with students, faculty and staff as well as alumni and the community throughout the day to engage with stakeholders. 

Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at  tjean@tallahassee.com . Follow her on X:  @tarahjean_ .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M trustees interview COO Donald Palm in president search