BOT Chair Piero Bussani announces the new FAU Presidential Search Committee
On Tuesday, Piero Bussani, Chair of the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Board of Trustees (BOT), announced via email to the FAU community the formation of a new 15-member Presidential Search Committee. This initiative marks the revival of the presidential search process, which had been on hold for nearly a year.
Bussani said the formation of the committee — which includes faculty, students, alumni, trustees and local business leaders — emphasizes a commitment to a transparent, diverse and inclusive search process.
The search was initially suspended by the BOT almost a year ago after Chancellor Ray Rodrigues of the State University System of Florida (SUS) sent a letter to former BOT Chair Brad Levine, highlighting issues with the search process and requesting its suspension.
Amid the ensuing controversy, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody determined on October 30 that FAU’s suspended presidential search violated Sunshine Law by anonymously ranking candidates to a search firm, which then presented the rankings back to the committee.
In Dec., Florida Board of Governors (BOG) Inspector General Julie Leftheris decided that FAU’s presidential search violated state law and failed to meet audit and compliance regulations and Office of the Inspector General staff ultimately recommended that the BOT had to restart the search process.
When BOT Chair Levine resigned from his position in Feb., the board unanimously appointed Bussani as the new chair. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Bussani to the BOT board in 2022.
According to Bussani, the new search process will begin this summer with initial organizational and working group meetings, consultations with a search firm, and the development of a marketing plan and public events calendar. A web page will also be launched to provide biographical information on committee members and facilitate stakeholder input.
The search committee, chaired by Trustee Sherry Murphy, includes the following members:
- Craig Mateer, Board of Governors
- Pablo Paez, FAU Trustee
- Ernie Ellison, FAU Trustee
- Kevin Wagner, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Dean, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Stefan Andjelkovic, Student Body President-Elect
- Brian Poulin, Chair, FAU Foundation Board
- Roland Valdivieso, FAU Alumnus
- Jeff Joyner, FAU Alumnus
- Michelle Hagerty, Philanthropist
- Scott McClenaghan, Executive Vice President, SE Florida Pro CRE at First Horizon Bank
- John Tolbert, Senior Vice President, Blackstone Real Estate Hotels & Resorts
- Robert “Bobby” D’Angelo, FAU Alumnus
- Stephanie Toothaker, Esq., Chairwoman and Chief Strategist, Toothaker.org
- Robert Allen, Esq., Founding Partner, Robert Allen Law
Sofia De La Espriella is the Editor-in-Chief of the University Press. Email sdelaespriel2022@fau.edu or message her on Instagram @sofidelaespriella for information regarding this or other stories.
Latest University Press
- Booked and busy: FAU entrepreneurs share their success stories in rigid industryFrom startups to established companies, 17% of recent college graduates in America are business owners, according to a survey from 2022. As entrepreneurship continues to evolve, students and graduates make their mark in various industries with businesses that reflect passion and purpose. Among them are five Florida Atlantic University students and alumni — Woodline Joseph,...
- Baseball: Florida Atlantic goes 2-1 in their first conference series of the season against RiceOn March 21-23, the Florida Atlantic University Owls baseball team (19-5, 2-1 AAC) hosted the Rice University Owls (5-19, 1-2 AAC) for their first AAC series of the season. When the teams faced off last season on May 10-11, FAU went 1-2, losing games one and three of the series and winning the second. Game...
- No scooters indoors: FAU’s new policy frustrates studentsFlorida Atlantic University’s new ban on electronic transportation devices in residence halls has frustrated many students, arguing it creates unnecessary burdens. Announced by the Department of Housing and Residential Education in the Summer 2024 Move-In Guide, the policy was enacted to prevent safety hazards and property damage, according to the 2024-2025 Community Guide. However, the...
- Marching Owls: How the FAU band prepares preflightIf you have ever attended a Florida Atlantic University football game, there is an electric atmosphere of hyped-up fans and players — and a key part behind this energy is the Florida Atlantic Marching Owls. The man behind the magic is Marc Decker, the associate director of bands and an associate professor of music at...
- Non-FAU ministry members host ‘Jesus March’ on Boca Raton campusNon-Florida Atlantic University individuals marched at the Boca Raton campus on March 20 as part of the “Jesus March Tour,” held by Revival Florida, a Christian ministry based in Port Saint Lucie, Fla. FAU was the first stop, where the ministry aimed to fill the campus with evangelism to spread Christianity, a religion based on...
- Vinny’s Café: A local favorite turned viral sensationLocated 15 minutes from Florida Atlantic University, Vinny’s Café has become a staple in Boca Raton’s food scene for both locals and FAU students alike. Frances Alexandre, a junior majoring in exercise science and health promotion, shared how social media played a key role in putting Vinny’s Café on the map. “It’s very cool to...