MIAMI GARDENS, FL [MAY 4, 2010] – On Tuesday, May 11, 2010 from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm, the Florida Memorial University Presidential Search Committee will host a campus forum to introduce the top three finalists for president to the campus family. “Our initial pool of eighty applicants vying for the presidential position has been narrowed down to an impressive three,” stated Charles W. George, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Each candidate would bring certain strengths to the institution that would further advance our mission, so our choice will be a difficult one,” he continued.
The top three finalists are as follows:
Dr. Lawrence Davenport’s professional experience includes more than 30 years of administrative experience in the educational arena. He currently serves as the executive vice president at Neher and Associates, a Sacramento, CA consulting firm. He previously served as a community college president, community college provost, and executive vice president and chief operating officer at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Davenport’s experience also includes serving as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education for the United States Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and vice president of finance and operations and chief financial officer at the Milton Hershey School in PA.
Dr. Stacey Franklin Jones has enjoyed 24 years in the corporate and educational arenas. She is a senior vice president at Benedict College and has held various administrative positions at the institution from 2000-2009, including vice president of institutional effectiveness and sponsored programs. As an avid technology professional, she served as director of engineering at Futron Corporation in Bethesda, MD, advanced technology management consultant at Xi Systems, Inc. in Owings Mills, MD, and adjunct research faculty for Johns Hopkins University’s computer science department.
Dr. Lester C. Newman’s professional experience includes more than 30 years in higher education as an administrator, faculty member, and consultant. He is the vice president for academic affairs at Lane College in Jackson, TN. Dr. Newman’s experience includes serving as a university president for nine years, an associate vice president for development and academic affairs for Lane College, a higher education consultant, and vice president for academic affairs for Johnson C. Smith College (NC) and Shelby State Community College in Tennessee.
In December 2009, the Board of Trustees charged executive search firm Ayers & Associates with the task of compiling a list of potential candidates. From this list, a Board of Trustees-appointed Search Committee, consisting of a cross-section of the University’s constituencies and the community, selected the top prospects for on-campus visits with the Board, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and members of the community.
When asked about the qualities the new president must possess, Mr. George shared the following: “One of the most important responsibilities of the Board is to select the right leader for the institution. Therefore, the selected individual will be a dynamic, creative, and accomplished leader with the vision and integrity to advance the University’s goals. The next president of the university must be an individual who is a successful fundraiser, can provide visionary leadership in the development of the University’s teaching, research, and public service programs, and effectively and efficiently manage its fiscal resources. In addition, our new president must be able to adjust to our diverse South Florida community.”
The new president will be named in June and will replace former president Karl S. Wright, Ph.D., whose tenure spanned from July 2006 to August 2009. Upon Dr. Wright’s departure, Sandra T. Thompson, Ph.D. was appointed by the Board of Trustees to serve as interim president, creating a milestone as she became the first woman in the University’s 131-year history to serve in the leadership position.