An alumnus who helped former President Frederick S. Humphries strengthen the Industry Cluster is returning to FAMU.Thomas J. Haynes, Jr. is the new vice-president for university relations. He will be the point-person in FAMU’s $50M capital campaign.
Haynes was previously as an associate vice-president under former University Relations VP Eddie Jackson in the Humphries administration. His responsibilities included serving as the executive director of the Industry Cluster. In that role, he was a member of the executive team responsible for a $50M capital campaign. The results of that initiative actually exceeded $75M in assets.
He left FAMU in 2003 after being hired as vice-president for university advancement and executive director of the university foundation at Montclair State University. From there he went on to become the vice-president of institutional advancement at Coppin State University.
Haynes faces the challenge of rebuilding the Industry Cluster following years of tough developments. The Cluster grew steadily during Haynes’ tenure at FAMU, attracting about 150 corporate members. But in the years after 2004, it began to shrink due to administrative neglect and instability. The Great Recession made the problem even worse as companies began to cut back on their donations. Just before President James H. Ammons’ first year at the helm of the university, Cluster membership had fallen to only about 30 corporations.
But the new vice-president, who begins on October 31, remains optimistic about FAMU’s future. Haynes says that the university can and will achieve its $50M capital campaign goal if it effectively taps into the power of its support base.
“We have to engage the entire FAMU family, alumni and students,” he told The FAMUan. “This is going to be a family affair.”