Renzo Downey
Since October, Gov. Ron DeSantis has named three Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University alumni to serve on the school’s Board of Trustees.
In a flurry of appointments issued late Friday, the Governor tapped Michael Dubose and Otis Cliatt Jr. to the board, which governs the school.
“Florida A&M University is fortunate to have these two talented, hardworking and visionary alumni join our Board of Trustees,” FAMU President Larry Robinson said in a statement. “They bring a wealth of experience and the tools to assist the University as we navigate current challenges and forge a prosperous future.”
Dubose, who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in music and business in 1979, is the president of Thermo Fisher Scientific. He previously held leadership positions with W.W. Grainger, Staples, Alliant Foodservice and Baxter Healthcare.
Under his leadership, Thermo Fisher is working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including FAMU, to establish on-campus COVID-19 testing programs as part of its Just Project. The company has donated $2.5 million in supplies and equipment for FAMU to test students, faculty and staff from the university and Florida’s three other HBCUs, Bethune Cookman University, Edward Waters Colleges and Florida Memorial University.
Dubose is also president of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity National Foundation where he administers a $10 million scholarship fund.
He has volunteered his time with the National Sales Network, Boy Scouts of America, Executive Leadership Council and the Community Achievement Center of Atlanta.
Cliatt graduated from the university with a bachelor’s in business economics in 1987. He has been president of Pacific Harbor Line since 2012. Previously, he held senior roles with Union Pacific Railroad and CANAC Railway Services.
The former scholarship football player served eight years in the United States Army’s Special Operations Command Airborne where he earned a Bronze Star for actions in Operation Desert Storm. Last year, he was named to FAMU’s Class of Distinguished Alumni.
Cliatt has also served on panels for the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, the General Electric Customer Advisory Board and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Dubose and Cliatt are the second and third alumni appointed to FAMU’s Board of Trustees in less than eight weeks. In October, DeSantis appointed Broughton Pharmaceuticals co-CEO Kenward “Kenny” Stone, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“I am so proud to join the Board of Trustees and give back to an institution that provided such a transformative experience,” Stone said in a statement that month. “Florida A&M provided a firm foundation for future growth across all aspects of my life – faith, family, business and community. I look forward to working with all stakeholders and delivering solutions that prepare FAMU for the future, while also maintaining the built-in characteristics that make the University so special.”
Thirteen members, including six appointed by the Governor to five-year terms, serve on the school’s Board of Trustees. That panel is now full, but the recent appointees are still subject to the Florida Senate’s confirmation.
