DeSantis appoints two new members to FAMU Board of Trustees
By Andrew Skerritt
FAMU Office of Communications
Two alumni were named to the FAMU Board of Trustees, with the appointment of Otis Cliatt II and Michael Dubose to serve on the 13-member Board by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The appointments, which were announced late last Friday, have to be confirmed by the state Senate.
“Florida A&M University is fortunate to have these two talented, hardworking and visionary alumni join our Board of Trustees,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson. “They bring a wealth of experience and the tools to assist the University as we navigate current challenges and forge a prosperous future.”
Cliatt of Dove Canyon, Calif., has been president of Pacific Harbor Line since 2012. The FAMU Bachelor of Science graduate has more than two decades of experience in the railroad industry specializing in railroad operations, safety and labor relations.
A military veteran, Cliatt served with the U.S. Army’s elite Special Forces Command and with the Special Operations Command. In 2019, the former football player was honored by the National Alumni Association as Distinguished Alumni.
Dubose, of Alpharetta, Ga., is the president of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Previously, he held leadership positions with W.W. Grainger, Staples, Alliant Foodservice and Baxter Healthcare. Dubose has volunteered his time with the National Sales Network, Boy Scouts of America, Executive Leadership Council and the Community Achievement Center of Atlanta.
Dubose, who earned his bachelor’s degree at FAMU, is also president of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity National Foundation where he administers a $10 million scholarship fund.
Under his leadership, as part of The Just Project, Thermo Fisher Scientific donated $2.5 million in supplies and equipment to enable FAMU to set up a COVID-19 testing lab that will serve students, faculty and staff from FAMU and Florida’s other three Historically Black Colleges and Universities that includes Bethune Cookman University, Edward Waters Colleges and Florida Memorial University
