Dive Brief:
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's interim president has requested the resignations of several top officials following a fumbled $237.8 million donation, according to local media reports.
- Timothy Beard became Florida A&M's interim leader earlier this month, following former President Larry Robinson's resignation. On Monday, Beard requested that certain senior employees submit their resignations by Tuesday, and he included a template for them to follow, per a copy of his letter obtained by local outlets.
- The move signals further turnover at the historically Black institution. Florida A&M did not respond to questions about Beard’s request, but at least four employees are no longer listed as senior leaders on the university’s website.
Dive Insight:
Florida A&M has undergone a series of leadership changes following a donation gaffe earlier this summer.
On May 4, Florida A&M announced it had received a $237.8 million gift from Gregory Gerami, an industrial hemp businessman. At the time, the university touted it as one of the biggest single personal donations ever made to an HBCU.
But doubt arose over whether the donation was authentic, and Robinson said the university was pausing the donation only days after it was announced. An independent investigation released last week deemed the donation fraudulent and found that the university could have largely avoided the situation if its officials had conducted proper due diligence.
Amid the fallout, Shawnta Friday-Stroud stepped down as vice president for university advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation in May. Robinson resigned as president two months later.
Now, Beard is looking to reshape Florida A&M's administration in his new capacity as the head of the university.
It's unclear which members of the senior leadership received a copy of Beard's Monday missive.
"Your hard work and commitment to the University over the years have been invaluable, and we deeply appreciate the many ways you have served our community," Beard wrote. "However, at this time, we believe that new leadership is essential for the University to achieve its long-term goals."
Beard told the Tallahassee Democrat he doesn't plan on accepting resignations from all employees asked to file one.
“The process is highly used in corporate America and in higher education to assess leadership teams,” Beard told the publication. “It shouldn’t be taken out of context, but sometimes, it is.”
As of Wednesday, the website for the president's leadership team no longer lists Denise Wallace, vice president of legal affairs and general counsel; Danielle McBeth, director of government relations; Keith Miles, communications director; and Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, vice president and director of athletics. All four employees were listed as members of the leadership team on the university’s website on Tuesday, web archives show.
Sykes was Florida A&M's 10th athletic director in 15 years.
Robinson made similar moves when he assumed the role of Florida A&M president in 2016. Days into his tenure, he terminated a half dozen staff members, including the university's provost.
