Myers McRae Leading Florida A&M President Search
April 7, 2025 – Macon, GA-based Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting is currently leading the search for Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University’s 13th president. Kenny Daugherty and Brianna Douglas are leading the assignment. The search committee has a goal to have a new university president in place by summer 2025. The search is chaired by Deveron Gibbons, vice chair of the Florida A&M board of trustees, and will be guided by a presidential search committee that is representative of the broader university community and constituencies. The right candidate should have a proven track record of leadership, be a results-driven leader who can effectively attract and manage high quality talent to enable a high-performance culture, build consensus among stakeholders, and effectively respond to the evolving educational landscape.
Florida A&M is looking for a bold, innovative, inspirational, and strategic visionary who will be an unwavering champion for students and the programs that have driven the institution’s momentum. The ideal candidate will be a fiscally minded, results-driven leader who has the proven ability to drive strategic direction with the experience and ability to integrate with the external constituents of the university. They must inspire excellence in others and bring exceptional experience and enthusiasm for leadership within and beyond the walls of the institution.
Moreover, the candidate must possess the presence, communication skills, and eagerness to actively engage in fundraising and to promote the university externally. The successful candidate must exhibit the highest level of integrity, earn and maintain public trust, and show a commitment to transparency, ethical leadership, shared governance, and free expression. With a focus on continuous improvement and upward trajectory, the president will be a problem-solver, a listener, and an innovator. The president will drive the university’s continued progress as outlined in the 2022–27 Boldly Striking Strategic Plan and the Florida Board of Governors’ Strategic Plan by enhancing the quality of the student educational experience, elevating FAMU’s performance on internal and external metrics, and fostering faculty excellence.
The president will understand the significant role the institution plays in the community at large and will have an active presence in the community promoting partnerships, seeking support, and developing relationships that benefit the university, its students, and its employees. He or she will also be visible and active on all campuses.
“Florida A&M is an extraordinary university, and this is an opportunity for the institution to chart a bold path forward,” said Mr. Gibbons. “The university deserves a dynamic leader and communicator who shares FAMU’s values, appreciates our multi-campus identity, and brings with them experience running large, complex organizations with institutional effectiveness, accountability, and a commitment to excellence. I am confident that the search committee will identify and choose a candidate who will lead FAMU into the future, building upon the university’s legacy as a premier institution committed to world-class academics, innovative research, and service that advances the common good.”
“We appreciate the enthusiasm and valuable input from our community members who shared their thoughts on what characteristics, experience, and traits are needed in the next leader of Florida A&M University,” Mr. Gibbons said. “Their feedback will be compared to the presidential profile as the committee prepares to review candidate submissions, interview applicants, and identify finalists for campus visits.”
Related: Myers McRae Recruits President for State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Founded in 1887, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, located in Tallahassee, is the third oldest university in Florida’s State University System and is the state’s only public historically Black university. With an enrollment of nearly 10,000 students, FAMU ranks among the nation’s Top 100 public universities in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” ranking.
Serving Colleges and Universities
Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting serves colleges, universities, independent schools, and other not-for-profit institutions. Nearly all of its search professionals have a minimum of 20 years of experience in higher education. The majority of the firm’s searches have been for presidents, chancellors, provosts, vice presidents, deans, and other senior academic and administrative leaders.
Myers McRae Places President at Broward College
Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting has helped to place Torey Alston as the next president of Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “This is a decision that my fellow trustees and I took very seriously,” said board chair Alexis Yarbrough. “We had two very strong candidates, but Mr. Alston’s legislative experience, coupled with his relationships in the community made him the obvious choice.”
“When you think of strong leadership in Broward, only a few names come to mind,” said Adrian Lukis, former chief of staff to governor Ron DeSantis. “After working with Torey directly on big state issues as Florida Department of Transportation chief of staff and watching him serve as CEO at GMX, I know he will be a great president for Broward College.”
Mr. Daugherty is Myers McRae’s president. He has an extensive background in higher education administration, having served 28 years in public and independent institutions. Throughout his career in higher education, he had personnel responsibilities and served on numerous search committees for professional staff and administrators for the institution. Mr. Daugherty has conducted hundreds of searches for schools across the nation, including presidential searches for the University of Montana Western, Northwest Missouri State University, McDaniel College, Oakwood University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Pasco-Hernando State College, Pierpont Community and Technical College, Wichita Area Technical College, and the Georgia Independent College Association.
Ms. Douglas, consultant, brings more than a decade of higher education leadership experience to her role as an executive search consultant at Myers McRae. Over her career, she has held roles in advancement, business and finance, athletics, and student affairs. Ms. Douglas’ in-depth higher education knowledge coupled with Myers McRae’s four decades of executive search expertise creates the ideal balance to assist colleges and universities in recruiting candidates for their institutions.
Related: Myers McRae Assists Northwest Florida State College with President Search
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
