Florida A&M University Board of Trustees

Chair Solomon L. Badger, Ed.D. is currently retired from a career in education. During his career he worked as a community college counselor, campus dean of Student Affairs and District Dean of Student Affairs. He has also served as an adjunct professor for graduate research at Nova Southeastern University and as a professor in the School of Teacher Education at Edward Waters College. In 2003, Badger was selected by the Florida Supreme Court from a list of three candidates to fill one of two seats reserved for public members on the Florida Bar Board of Governors.  After completing an enlistment in the United States Air Force he earned bachelor's and master's degrees from FAMU in 1963 and 1969, respectively. In 1975 he earned a doctorate in Higher Education/Behavioral Studies from Nova Southeastern University.  He lives in Jacksonville, Fla. Email: solomon.badger@famu.edu VIce Chair Spurgeon McWilliams has maintained a private practice in the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology in Tallahassee since 1975. He has served on numerous boards and commissions including the Florida Commission on Ethics and the Tallahassee Community College Board of Trustees. McWilliams was the first state consultant to the Florida Medicaid Program. He has been a member of the executive committee of the Florida Obstetric and Gynecologic Society since 1966. In 2002-2003 he served as president of the Florida Obstetric and Gynecologic Society and simultaneously served as president of the Florida State Medical Association. McWilliams earned a bachelor’s degree from FAMU, and graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Email: spurgeon.mcwilliams@famu.edu

Torey L. Alston serves as Chief of Staff to Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief.  He previously served as Executive Director for Florida's Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) and Interim Executive Director for the state's Council on Efficient Government.  In 2009, he served as Vice-Chair of the Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys.  Alston, a FAMU graduate, received his bachelor’s degree and an MBA with a concentration in marketing and management.  While at FAMU, he served in various roles including Class President (two terms), Student Senator and President of the FAMU Student National Alumni Association.  Alston is a Life Member of the NAACP and the FAMU National Alumni Association.  He resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Email: torey.alston@famu.edu

Glenton "Glen" Gilzean Jr. is the vice president of Step Up For Students, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to students in grades K-12 who come from low-income families. On January 23, 2012, the Governor appointed Gilzean to the Pinellas County School Board. Gilzean also served as regional field director for the Florida Department of Education. He acted as the chief liaison between local communities and the Office of the Education Commissioner.  Gilzean founded an educational nonprofit called Educate Today, Inc., which is designed to uplift, encourage and motivate today’s at-risk youth.  Gilzean received his bachelor of science degree in biomedical sciences from the University of South Florida. He also has a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from the University of South Florida’s Center of Entrepreneurship.

Email: glen.gilzean@famu.edu

Michael Jefferson is the president of the Student Government Association (SGA) at Florida A&M University.  Originally from Indianapolis, Ind., he is a graduating senior majoring in environmental sciences. He has served as the vice president of SGA, 2012-2013; SGA chief of staff, 2010-2011; SGA secretary of Academic Affairs and the 2011-2012 president of the Presidential Ambassadors. He is a 2009 Life-Gets-Better Scholar and a member of the Alpha Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He is the son of Michael Sr. and Tammie Jefferson and a proud big brother to three sisters: Mikailah, Mikiyah and Miyah Jefferson.

Email: michael1.jefferson@famu.edu

William "Bill" Jennings retired as the executive director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. He served as co-chair of the campaign for the FAMU Law School Building Fund and the FAMU Scholarship Fund.  He was also instrumental in generating community support for the selection of Orlando as FAMU's Law School site. His family has a long history of support for FAMU; his mother and three aunts are FAMU alumnae. Jennings continued the family tradition by receiving his B.S. from FAMU in 1969. He lives in Orlando, Fla.

Email: william.jennings@famu.edu

Kelvin Lawson is a national client service director with Acosta Sales and Marketing. In this role, he provides cross-functional leadership, direction and strategic planning to select clients to ensure maximum business results.  He has managed the corporate relationships  with large multinational organizations such as Kraft Foods, Starbucks and Diamond Foods.  Prior to joining Acosta, he spent 17 years at Johnson and Johnson.  During his tenure at Johnson and Johnson, he held positions of increasing responsibility including director of customer development and director of national accounts dealing with large retailers such as Wal-Mart, Costco, and Lenscrafters. Lawson is an active member of the Jacksonville (Fla.) community and serves on the board of a local non-profit as vice president of fundraising.  Recently, he was appointed to the board of the Hubbard House of Jacksonville, Fla.  He is a Florida A&M University graduate of the School of Business and Industry.  He resides in Jacksonville, Fla.

Email: kelvin.lawson@famu.edu

Rufus Montgomery is the managing director for Hall Booth Smith, P.C. government affairs and a member of the Government Affairs Practice Group. As a leading governmental affairs principal, Montgomery has provided strategic advice and achieved success for clients ranging from non-profits, counties and cities to Fortune 500 companies.  His experience in the private sector and federal, state and local government ranges from active duty wartime service in the U.S. Army to civilian experience in the disciplines of electoral politics, business, higher education, health care administration, urban renewal and public policy. He serves a strong client base with varied interests in the executive, legislative and local branches of Georgia government. He is a member of numerous organizations including the Atlanta History Center, Atlanta Young Republicans, High Museum of Art, and life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Montgomery graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in psychology and a master’s degree in applied social science.

Email:  rufus.montgomery@famu.edu

Narayan Persaud is professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Florida A&M University (FAMU). He received his education at the Inter-American University in Puerto Rico, Ohio University, Kent State University and Florida State University. Prior to joining the faculty at FAMU, he taught at the University of Guyana and the University of the Virgin Islands. He also served as a senior policy analyst with Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability, and as the higher education analyst with the Florida Senate. From 1996-2004, he served as director of FAMU’s Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program, and he is a founding advisor for the Progressive Black Men on campus. Currently, Persaud serves as president of the FAMU Faculty Senate.

Email: narayan.persaud@famu.edu

Belinda Reed Shannon serves as vice president of compliance, EEO, diversity and employee relations for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).  She is based in GSK’s Research Triangle Park, North American headquarters.  In her current role, Shannon leads the company’s efforts in the areas of employment compliance, employee relations, diversity and inclusion, and other EEO-related matters.  Previously, Shannon managed all U.S. based employment litigation for GSK.  As in-house counsel, she provided strategic employment advice and counsel to the company’s executives for matters related to employee conduct and performance, internal investigations, restructurings and reductions in force, and human resources processes and communications. Shannon served as chair of the GSK Legal Functions Global Diversity Steering Committee.  Shannon belongs to a number of professional and civic organizations and is a founding member of the Next Generation of African American Philanthropists. She is a Florida A&M University graduate with a degree in marketing and a MBA.  She earned her juris doctor from Wayne State University Law School.

Email:  belinda.shannon@famu.edu

Marjorie Turnbull is a consultant specializing in working with non- profit organizations in the areas of board and staff development and fund raising. Turnbull previously worked with Penson Associates, Inc. as a specialist associate.  Turnbull chairs the Community Advisory Committee of the Knight Foundation as well as a founding director of the Prime Meridian Bank and serves on the institutional review board of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. She was recently awarded the Lifetime Leadership Award by Leadership Tallahassee. Turnbull received her master’s degree in international relations from the University of Georgia, a bachelor degree in political science from the University of Florida, and an associate of arts degree from Agnes Scott College.

Email: marjorie.turnbull@famu.edu

Cleve Warren is the president of Essential Capital Finance, Inc., in Jacksonville, Fla.  He is a former banker and financial advisor, and has served in state and local government as executive director of the Florida Black Business Investment Board under former Gov. Bob Martinez, and as chief of Economic Development for the City of Jacksonville under former Mayor Ed Austin.  He currently serves on the board of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville Civic Council, and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.  Warren also serves on the boards of several charitable and civic organizations, and is co-chair of the Jacksonville Urban Education Symposium.  He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, and an alumnus of both Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida. Warren earned his bachelor's degree in banking and finance from the University of North Florida and his master's degree in business administration (MBA) from Jacksonville University.  He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership at the University of North Florida.

Email: cleve.warren@famu.edu

Karl E. White is the managing principal of Gracián & Co., a boutique advisory and consulting firm specializing in the hedge fund and private equity industries. He was previously appointed to the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees where he served as vice chairman of the board and chairman of several committees. He received a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Florida A&M University and received a MBA from the University of Chicago. His previous experience includes service as executive director of the MBTA Retirement Fund, Pension Fund and he has also held investment management positions with Putnam Investments, Scudder Kemper and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Email: karl.white@famu.edu