The New Management Team at Florida A&M University

James H. Ammons, the new president of Florida A&M University (FAMU), faces a monumental task of righting a teetering ship. Serious financial and administrative problems have plagued the university over the past several years, and the institution’s academic reputation has been severely tarnished. This situation had become so serious this past April that some members of the Florida legislature proposed closing the university’s doors.  

Taking office earlier this month, President Ammons, who was formerly the chancellor of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, has put together a completely new management team to help him solve the university’s multitude of problems. Here are the key members of Ammons’ administration:

• Barbara Barnes, a professor of education at FAMU, was named interim provost and vice president for academic affairs;
• Rosalind Fuse-Hall, who was Ammons’ executive assistant at NCCU, was named chief of staff in the Office of the President;
• Roland Gaines, vice chancellor for student affairs at NCCU, was appointed vice president for student affairs at FAMU;
• Charles O’Duor, former vice president for financial affairs at NCCU, was named vice president for audit and compliance at FAMU;
• Avery D. McKnight, an associate of the law firm Allen, Norton & Blue, was appointed general counsel of the university;
• Teresa Hardee, former assistant vice chancellor for financial planning at NCCU, was named interim CFO and vice president for fiscal affairs at FAMU; and
• Sharon Saunders was promoted from special assistant for communications to FAMU’s chief communications officer.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.