Picking a President

We're underway here in the Grand Ballroom. Openning remarks have just begun. Chair Challis Lowe began her remarks to the packed house by thanking all for their input, but made clear, HOWEVER, that the decision is the Board's alone.

I didn't like the way that she said that HOWEVER. It clearly indicated, in my humble opinion, that some isht is the game. We gonna keep an eye on that witch (yall excuse me if I abandon my journalistic cool and call a spade a spade).

Also the room erupted in loud, thunderous, applause when she said that WANM, the campus radio station was broadcasting the event live.

Update...

First up is James Ammons.

Mr. Ammons is handling hostile attacts about SACS during his tenure as FAMU provost very well. He's answering questions about things that happened 1998 and 2000.

Cardenas asked, "how can you bring a new chapter to FAMU, given your past here?"

Ammons: "I think one of the things that any new president or chancellor must have when taking over a new university is a FIRM grip on the culture of that institution."

He futher explained, how he made the effort to learn about the history and culture of Central and said he would do the same thing here, even though he wouldn't have to do a whole lot of studying because he is a product of here.

"It's a new day, being respectful of the past and the stakeholders, including this board I have a vision thats once we are together as a board as a university and a community, we will move forward. We will win""

Ammons wrapped up his interview by telling the board, "If you choose me, you can turn off the porch light, Your son is home!"

The dumbest question award goes to..... Jesse Tyson! Mr. Tyson asked Ammons, how would you go about getting us accreditation. Ammons answered, sir the University is accredited. Tyson, I mean the highest level of accreditation. Ammons: Sir, it doesn't get any higher than SACS.

Thelma Thompson is up now...

She seems a bit self assured. Almost like she's got this in the bag, in an I know something you don't manner.

She's in her opening statement now. Let's see how she does with the questions.

Ok, I see here, we stand a better chance of getting a direct answer from Liz McBride than Thelma Thompson. She was asked how much time she'd spend fundraising. Her answer: Something about... the size of the endowments at Hampton and Howard and researching what we done in the past. "If it has a pulse we should ask it for money." Her record at UMES doesn't reflect her raising any money. Less than $4 million in her five years there.

Thompson, says she's for SBI accreditation. Because graduates from non-accredited schools don't get paid as much. We need grads to make more so they can give back more.

Asked about her audit, she danced more than the Marching 100 at the Florida Classic. She said she asked for the audit and she has resolved all the problems. (Maryland auditors say otherwise.)

Trustees busted her on her lie.

On growth, she says it is possible for a Universiity to grow itself into poverty. She says too many students stress the university and creates unmment needs.

She is very found of using the word "I". Apparently, she's done everything by herself.

She's now talking about her relationship with State and Local governments. Yet, it was a Senator in her state who tipped RN off about her audit and told us where to find it on the web.

Mrs. Thompson is wrapping up her interview.

Howard Johnson is up now

He's doing his 10 mins. opening statement now.

Somewhere in his background he was at Northwestern U. (wonder if he knew Challis Lowe back then?)

Mr. Johnson is interviewing very well. He's answered questions about his recent job change at UNT. He gone from being Provost to an Asst. to the Chancellor of the System. He says he will now work on a strategic plan for the UNT System and with Community Colleges in the area.

Said that that as Provost of UNT they created a College of Engineering in 2003, and hired a National Science Academy member to its staff, and created a honors college for both the upper and lower division students.

Share with us some of your fundraising activities and how would you move forward with the endowment goals?

"My fundraising experience has been in dealing with corportations and foundations. We have targeted certain areas for development... Hoffman fund and the Pew Foundation. G.E. foundation for math and science. But we should never lose touch with our Alumni and friends. I've been working very hard to cultivate relationships with donors, especially those that can give very large sums of money to the institution.

We are in a campaign to raise $100 million. We have about $15 million so far. Comming from a private school like Syracuse, I am accustomed to raising money."

Do you preceive a difference having never attended or worked at an HBCU?

"There shouldn't be a difference. You have an outstanding College of Pharmacy. No adjectives in front of that. You have an outstanding school of business. No adjectives in front of that. Excellence is excellence. Your students are the results of quality programs."

As president, what would YOU do to achieve that excellence?

"I'm gonna be the model. I will be out front. I will lobby for the university and the students and the faculty."

Johnson would like to use technology to bridge the Engineering and Law Schools and the Law and Business School, to perhaps offer joint degrees.

Johnson is waxing on doing the "vision thing", which he is laying on real thick. Rather his vision matches up to FAMU's mission is another story.

Wrap up. Johnson says he has the skills and would work tirelessly to work for FAMU. He has the experience coming from both a public and private university --- UNT and Syracuse. He has the vision, energy, and a devotion to move FAMU forwarded.

-End of Interviews-