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New FAMU trustee is known as day earlier than vote for college president

New FAMU trustee is known as day earlier than vote for college president

USA, Featured1 month ago8 Views

Vazquez “is … an enormous advocate for FAMU, and I believe he would make an exceptional board member,” BOG vice chair Alan Levine stated.

Raphael Vazquez, a Tallahassee McDonald’s franchise proprietor, has been appointed to the FAMU Board of Trustees.
Vazquez fills the emptiness left by Earnie Ellison, who resigned in Could after his suggestion to pause the search failed.
The appointment comes as FAMU is within the course of of choosing a brand new president and at some point earlier than a vote for one among the many 4 finalists.

Lower than 24 hours earlier than Florida A&M College’s Board of Trustees will select a brand new president, the Florida Board of Governors has appointed native businessman and FAMU presidential search committee member Raphael Vazquez as a brand new trustee – efficient instantly.

At a Could 15 assembly, Board of Governors Vice Chair Alan Levine – additionally a member of FAMU’s search committee – nominated Vazquez, proprietor and operator of J.V. & Sons, Inc., for the place vacated by former trustee Earnie Ellison, who was compelled to resign Could 5.

Vazquez “is a superb, nice native civic chief and an enormous advocate for FAMU, and I believe he would make an exceptional board member,” Levine stated within the digital assembly.

With the brand new appointment, the board is now again to a full 13 members and might vote on a brand new president at its 9 a.m. digital assembly Could 16 with no menace of a tie.

However earlier than Vazquez was appointed, a tie vote was a risk with Ellison’s departure.

Simply after 4 months of serving on the board, he was compelled to resign after BOG Chair Brian Lamb and BOG vice chair Levine, together with State College System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, modified their thoughts about appointing him and requested that his identify be withdrawn from Florida Senate affirmation.

Ellison stop after his thought to pause the presidential search fell flat

Ellison’s resignation got here after he proposed that the college’s Board of Trustees droop the present presidential search altogether and begin from scratch amid circulating rumors about political affect and a scarcity of transparency. Trustees thought of pausing the method after a prolonged dialogue, however the push failed throughout a vote.

Because the presidential search nears an finish, FAMU’s search committee held its final assembly Could 13 to vote on a $600,000 to $750,000 wage vary for the brand new president − a call that got here after a lot debate about an preliminary vary that went as much as one million {dollars} being unaffordable for the college.

Vazquez was amongst these in favor of the high-end wage, which comes after presidential search finalist Marva Johnson − whose candidacy has acquired criticism from many within the FAMU group − requested for a $750,000 wage in her utility.

Fellow finalists Rondall Allen and Gerald Hector requested for salaries round $450,000. Donald Palm, FAMU’s govt vice chairman and chief working officer, stated he’s negotiable.

Who’s Raphael Vazquez?

Vazquez’s firm J.V. & Sons − a father and son enterprise that started with a restaurant in Dallas, Texas in 1986 − owns and operates 21 McDonald’s eating places within the Tallahassee space, in accordance with LinkedIn.

All through the enterprise’s existence, a complete of three areas have been acquired in Dallas earlier than the enterprise moved to Clearwater for 23 years after which to Tallahassee in 2015.

In a 2016 article within the Tallahassee Democrat, as an example, Vazquez and his father Juan stated they have been going to spend $2 million to transform 19 McDonald’s eating places within the Massive Bend. Moreover Tallahassee, the enterprise has McDonald’s eating places in Quincy, Crawfordville and Perry in addition to Georgia areas comparable to Thomasville, Bainbridge and Cairo.

Vazquez can also be on the board of administrators for the Leon County Faculties Basis, which is the nonprofit fundraising arm of the district.

Through the Board of Governors’ Could 15 assembly, Levine stated Vazquez sponsors scholarships for FAMU college students, hires FAMU graduates and is a booster.

“We lengthen a heat welcome to Rafael Vazquez to the FAMU Board of Trustees,” FAMU interim President Timothy Beard stated in a ready assertion. “He brings a wealth of enterprise acumen to Florida A&M College, and I stay up for working with him throughout this season of progress and alternative.”

Whereas Vazquez has a Could 15 begin date, his appointment is topic to affirmation by the Florida Senate and completion of the trustee coaching.

Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Community – Florida, may be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com. Tarah Jean, increased schooling reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, may be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com.