Nearly a year after the FAMU Board of Trustees selected her last May, FAMU President Marva Johnson will be formally installed as the historically Black university’s leader on April 21 with an Investiture Ceremony and post-ceremony reception.
A ceremony is set at Lee Hall on the school’s campus beginning at 11 a.m. for Johnson, the school’s 13th President. The ceremony will include remarks from distinguished guests and from Johnson. A post-ceremony reception will be held at the FAMU Quadrangle, including food, music, fellowship and a toast to the university’s future.
Under Johnson’s leadership, FAMU is prioritizing five pillars to shape the next generation, including student success, academic excellence, research and innovation, community and partnerships, and campus experience.
Johnson, a former State Board of Education Chair, is a seasoned executive and nationally respected education advocate who brought to FAMU a rare and powerful combination of public policy leadership, private sector experience, and unwavering commitment to student success. She has also been a longtime champion for expanding access to digital education tools and bridging the technology gap for underserved students.
Her deep understanding of governance and strategic planning has been shaped by her service on the 2018 Florida Constitution Revision Commission and numerous state-level boards, including Enterprise Florida, Florida TaxWatch, the Florida Talent Development Council and the Florida Virtual School. She is also an active national voice on issues of workforce development and youth opportunity through her board work with the Pace Center for Girls and Women in Cable.
With a law degree from Georgia State University, an MBA from Emory University and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown, Johnson’s academic background is solid. But her business-minded approach to university leadership — which emphasizes outcomes, innovation and external engagement at a time when public HBCUs must fight harder than ever for resources and recognition — is helping to position FAMU for the future.
Johnson was selected from a highly competitive national pool of candidates last May. The Florida Board of Governors confirmed her appointment the following month.
