Topping the list of major developments was the appointment of John Davis, the Florida Lottery secretary and a longtime Republican operative, as the university’s next permanent athletic director. The move, first reported by Rattler Nation on Oct. 28, came amid heavy influence from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Mr. Davis, who played football at Florida State University three decades ago, has no prior experience in athletic administration.
He is set to take over on Jan. 5 under a cloud of ethical concerns. Earlier this year, he faced intense questioning from a Florida House committee over his use of state funds, including more than $50,000 in travel reimbursements between 2021 and 2024 that legislators suggested may have been improper. President Marva Brown Johnson named him to the post on Nov. 14.
#2 In July, the university’s Board of Trustees welcomed a new member: Jocelyn Dopson-Rodriguez, a Tampa-based partner at the Sammis Law Firm and a FAMU College of Law alumna. Her appointment concluded a prolonged transition for outgoing trustee Kelvin Lawson, whose term had officially expired in January 2021. Under state rules, he had remained in place until his successor was named.
#4 Marva Johnson confirmed as FAMU president
Critics viewed the move as ideologically motivated—an effort to undermine the mission of the historically Black university and stifle Florida's Black middle class. Alumni decried the selection as “premeditated, coordinated, and dripping with political favoritism.”
Johnson initially sought a $750,000 base salary plus incentives, though she has never led a university or managed an academic budget. No other candidate requested more than $500,000. The board ultimately approved a five-year contract with a $650,000 annual base salary, a 3 percent yearly increase, and a $150,000 annual retention bonus. Total base compensation will exceed $3.4 million.
Zayla Bryant, the student government association president, voiced concern that the contract prioritized “presence over performance,” noting that the retention bonus nearly doubled the $86,000 performance incentive. One alumna remarked, “This wasn’t a merit-based negotiation—it was a payout for political loyalty.”
Excluded from the press conference was Timothy Beard, the interim president under whom the budgetary successes were achieved. Critics were quick to challenge Ms. Johnson’s accounting, pointing out that FAMU received nearly $70 million in the 2022-23 fiscal year—$5 million more than this year’s allocation.
“This isn’t a historic win—it’s creative accounting,” said one university insider.
The press conference was widely criticized as “crass, classless, and desperate,” encapsulating a year in which tradition and politics collided on the 'the highest of seven hills'.
Amid the leadership controversies, several positive developments emerged. Gibbs Cottage, the former home of FAMU founder Thomas Van Renssalaer Gibbs, received a $50,000 federal preservation grant.
Prominent alumna Kim Godwin, former head of ABC News, delivered a scathing rebuke at a December board meeting, accusing Ms. Johnson of being an “absentee leader” and a “frontwoman” for a political operation. She cited declining donations and financial instability, adding that students were “literally calling me asking for help to pay their rent.”
As FAMU looks toward the new year, it does so amid deep division, the continued faith and hope of a community eager for reconciliation—and results.
Other top stories: FAMU president's visit to Fox News raises eyebrows; Marva's 100 day plan falls short ; Have's & Have Not's trustees over look historic state funding gap ; & FAMU retains #1 public HBCU & Top 100 national university ranking.