FAMU announces new CFO, surprising current CFO who has been in position for mere 7 months
Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson recently named Rebecca Brown as the next chief financial officer (CFO) and vice president for finance and administration — effective immediately.
The change comes after former CFO Gloria Walker’s short seven-month term in the role, which she started in June 2022.
The sudden replacement also makes Brown, a FAMU alumna who received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, the sixth appointment to the position under Robinson since 2019 when former CFO Wanda Ford was forced to resign.
Previous coverage:Wanda Ford, FAMU's CFO and vice president for administration, resigns effective immediately
More:Former Florida A&M CFO and others file whistleblower complaint against university
Prior to becoming the new CFO, Brown has been serving as assistant vice president for finance and administration in charge of business and auxiliary services — a position she held before being the interim CFO from July 2021 to June 2022 ahead of Walker’s arrival to the university.
But with Brown’s permanent return to the CFO role, this means Walker will no longer be with the university, which is a decision she says she "was not privy to” before the official announcement was made Monday.
Efforts to retrieve information on what prompted the changes within the role have been unsuccessful, as the university does not comment on personnel decisions, according to a FAMU spokesperson.
“Whatever happens is in God's will,” Walker told the Tallahassee Democrat Tuesday.” All I know is (FAMU) is a great place to work, the people are fantastic and the institution is rising to the top 100, so I'm hoping and praying that they're successful and I'm sure that they will be. The president is fantastic, so I can say nothing but good about the whole institution.”
Walker also says she has been on medical aid for about a week before returning to Tallahassee recently. Before joining the Rattler community, she served as the University of New Orleans’s CFO for over two years.
While Brown takes on the CFO position, this comes after she was one of the finalists for the permanent role during the national search that led to Walker joining FAMU to fill the vacancy.
Related news:FAMU names Gloria Walker vice president, chief financial officer
More:W. Rebecca Brown named interim chief financial officer at FAMU
Robinson’s appointment of Brown — who takes on the role during her 24-year tenure with the university — comes along with high praises about what makes her a good selection.
“Rebecca Brown has the qualifications and commitment to serve FAMU in this important role,” Robinson said in a prepared statement. “She ably demonstrated this as interim CFO/VP during those rugged early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are looking forward to her continued leadership as we forge a new era of excellence at Florida A&M University."
As CFO, Brown reports to Robinson directly and goes back to overseeing departments that include Human Resources, Facilities Planning and Construction, the Budget Office and Business and Auxiliary Services.
“I’m happy for the confidence placed in me,” Brown said in a university release. “We will bond together and get the job done.”
Her previous position of assistant vice president for finance and administration in charge of business and auxiliary services has not been filled yet, said a FAMU spokesperson.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU President Robinson names Rebecca Brown chief financial officer
