Marva Johnson's Bio

Marva B. Johnson, J.D., MBA, is the thirteenth president of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) — among the Top 100 public universities in the nation and America's top-ranked public Historically Black College and University. Confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors on June 18, 2025 and assumed the helm on August 1, 2025, President Johnson’s tenure began at a defining moment in FAMU’s institutional history, bringing with her a record of transformative leadership, policy mastery, and an unrelenting commitment to expanding opportunity.

A nationally recognized architect of education policy, President Johnson served on the Florida State Board of Education beginning in 2014 and was elected chair in 2015 — guiding one of the nation's largest and most complex state education systems. Under her leadership, the Board advanced sweeping reforms in student outcomes, performance-based funding, and institutional accountability. She has been a fierce and consistent voice for closing achievement gaps and ensuring that every student — regardless of zip code or background — has access to a world-class education. Her influence further extended to Florida's Constitution Revision Commission in 2018, where she chaired the Education Committee and helped shape the foundational law of the state.

Beyond the halls of government, President Johnson has been a driving force in the private sector. As Group Vice President of State Government Affairs at Charter Communications, she led efforts to bring broadband connectivity to underserved communities across nine southern states — understanding, long before it became a national priority, that digital access is an education access issue. Her work bridged the divide between policy, technology, and community in ways that produced lasting and measurable impact.

At FAMU, President Johnson is charting a bold course — accelerating the University's trajectory toward Carnegie R1 research classification, deepening federal partnerships, and positioning FAMU as a national hub for agricultural innovation, health equity, and workforce development. Her vision is grounded in FAMU's historic mission and propelled by the urgency of the present moment: a university poised not merely to serve its students, but to shape the nation and the world.

Her service on the boards of the Florida Scholars Academy, Florida Virtual School, and the Pace Center for Girls reflects a personal covenant with youth development and the power of education to transform lives. President Johnson holds a Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law, an MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University. A proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she leads with purpose, principle, and the unshakable conviction that FAMU's greatest chapter is still ahead.