May 14, 2025
The presidential search has sparked controversy over the integrity of its process
As Florida A&M University closes in on selecting its next president, its National Alumni Association has voiced its preferred choice.
The results of its “Presidential Preference Survey” concluded that Donald Palm, FAMU’s chief operating officer, was the most popular candidate among alumni to lead the HBCU. The presidential search finalists appeared on campus this week to meet faculty and students and participate in interviews.
Palm, the university’s executive vice president, received an overwhelming 81.75% of the vote by active alumni members. The association’s president, Curtis Johnson, shared the news with an official endorsement of Palm in a May 10 letter.
“Dr. Palm’s deep connection to FAMU as the current chief operating officer, former faculty member, and long-standing champion of our mission positions him uniquely to continue our trajectory of excellence.”
Johnson, vying for his own reelection as the organization’s president, is also part of the HBCU’s 15-member presidential search committee.
The survey came following concerns that the presidential selection lacked the overarching HBCU community’s input. Additionally, claims of political influence overshadowed the integrity of the process, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
“We understand that many alumni have expressed concern over the lack of public discussion prior to the release of the final four candidates,” added Johnson in the letter. ” Please know that silence was not avoidance—it was duty-bound. As your elected NAA President and a search committee member, it was essential that I honor the process until we reached a stage where alumni voices could appropriately be heard.
The three other finalists are University of Maryland Eastern Shore Provost Rondall Allen, the University of Central Florida’s Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Gerald Hector, and Charter Communications’ Group’s Vice President of State Government Affairs Marva Johnson.
Marva Johnson’s promotion to finalist sparked a backlash over her appointments to other boards by Florida’s GOP governors, Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis. One of the NAA’s prominent members, film producer Will Packer, also spoke publicly about his disapproval of Johnson’s potential appointment.
“MAGA is trying to take over leadership at several of our beloved institutions,” wrote Packer. “Right now, FAMU is in the bullseye.”
A 2022 state law exempts searches for university presidents to become public record. However, concerns regarding whether the confidentiality of these agreements is being upheld linger.
Palm will visit campus for his own meet-and-greet on May 15. Following all the finalists’ campus visits, the FAMU Board of Trustees will virtually meet on May 16 to vote and select a final candidate. The candidate’s confirmation will then proceed to the Florida Board of Governors.
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