FAMU NAA President Winds Down a Supercharged Tenure

FAMU NAA PRESIDENT CLARK

WINDS DOWN ‘SUPERCHARGED’ TENURE

BY [ Kathy Y. TIMES ]

Two-term FAMU National Alumni Association President Col. Gregory L. Clark.

Florida A&M University National Alumni Association (FAMU NAA) President Col. Gregory L. Clark’s likens the beginning of his tenure to driving a Corvette.

Elected to his first term in December 2015, Clark would take the steering wheel of his alma mater’s alumni association and board of directors with a mandate. He won the election with 90 percent of the vote.

“The membership was looking for me to take the wheels of the car,” said Clark. “When I became president, I had good people around me who just wanted guidance. I must give a lot of credit to my NAA board. Now, I’m grooming future presidents to come up through the ranks.”

Clark had more than 15 years of NAA leadership experience when he was elected president. He moved through the ranks as founding chapter of the Birmingham Metro FAMU Alumni Chapter in 1999 to first vice president in 2010.

“That’s what shaped me,” said Clark. “I had an opportunity to see things from the ground up and see areas that needed improvement.”

Clark sought re-election in in 2017, unopposed. His second term culminates on June 30, 2022. It has been much like a Tesla — supercharged.

NAA Southern Region President Yolanda Pinkard has known Clark for 17 years. She calls him a true leader who leads from the front.

“He is personable, dedicated, committed and recognizes the skills strength in others,” said Pinkard. “I was always comfortable in the background, but he has pushed me and others out of our comfort zone and allowed our strengths to be best utilized and shown. He believes in unity, doing what is right for “Mother FAMU” (even if not popular), celebrating those who have built this organization, have outstanding service in their community and careers and ensuring that we all understand the history of the Association, while continuing to move us forward and having fun!”

As an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, and owner of a financial services business in Birmingham, Alabama, Clark brought a unique set of skills to his position. Those experiences, a loyal board of directors and members, chapter leaders and staff at the Office of Alumni Affairs helped him fulfill campaign pledges and much more.

In 2015, he pledged to ■ accelerate membership growth, ■ strengthen the Association’s revenue streams, ■ increase alumni engagement, ■ support FAMU student recruitment efforts, ■ and establish an NAA Governmental Affairs Network.

During Clark’s first year in office, the NAA purchased association software that helped maintain membership information and seamlessly add new graduates into the system. It also paved the way for members to pay their chapter, regional and national dues online.

“We took the load off our local chapters’ financial teams,” said Clark. “They no longer have to accept checks, then mail them in, and then the checks were processed by the FAMU Foundation. Now everyone can pay their dues online. At the end of every month, we send chapters their local or regional dues payments electronically.”

The NAA’s membership grew from 2,000 in 2015 to its current roster of 3,800.

Clark focused on growing life memberships, which more than doubled from 1,200 in 2015 to a record high of 2,800 in October 2021. That equates to an additional $525,000 in the life membership endowment fund, which exceeds $2 million. Interest funds annual scholarships for FAMU students.

Clark is especially proud of a new source of scholarship dollars that pays outstanding University tuition or balances that can prevent FAMU students from registering for classes and receiving their diplomas.

In February 2016, the NAA launched his “signature” program, the Save Our Student (S.O.S.) Scholarship Fund. Clark thought of the initiative after a FAMU administrator shared a list of students with debt that exceeded $7 million. The average balance was $1,000.

By helping primarily juniors and seniors clear balances – mostly $500 or less – S.O.S. is a win-win for the University. FAMU’s graduation and retention rates are among key performance metrics the state uses to award the University millions of dollars.

“That’s what gave me the idea to alleviate some of this debt,” said Clark. “Once I understood how the State of Florida’s performance model was affecting FAMU, I saw how we as the alumni association could affect that number.”

In 2021, an S.O.S. scholarship cleared Alandra Mitchell’s student debt of $5,146.71.

Three years earlier, the international student had completed her studies to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy. She explained that she worked “multiple jobs and made numerous sacrifices,” but couldn’t pay the debt. Her financial situation changed when two family members were struck by chronic illnesses.

“I was caught in a revolving door with no exit,” said Mitchell. “The outstanding balance from my final semester prevented me from graduating and receiving my degree.”

Mitchell was having a tough time landing a job in her home country of Trinidad and Tobago. Today, she is a guest lecturer at the University of the West Indies.

“This award allowed me to finally embark on my dream of serving my community through preventive health education,” said Mitchell. “I am sincerely grateful to the FAMU National Alumni Association for giving me the chance to answer my calling to serve.”

As of June 2021, the S.O.S. fund has contributed more than $535,000 to assist 579 students with clearing outstanding student debts.

FAMU Board of Trustees Chairman Kelvin Lawson describes Clark as a “transformational leader” within the FAMU NAA and beyond.

“Other alumni associations look to us for how it should be done,” said Lawson. “I value his leadership. I value his ability to raise money. Greg has the most expensive breakfasts I’ve ever been to. He has truly created a legacy for any individual to follow in that role.”

Lawson also appreciates Clark’s unified front to supporting FAMU by working with trustees, the University’s Direct Support Organizations, Division of Student Affairs, the FAMU Foundation, Government Relations, the Marching “100” band, and other units on campus.

Clark’s Footprint is Most Visible in a Familiar Space: FAMU Athletics.

In 1987, he earned a baseball scholarship to FAMU and helped his team win three MEAC baseball titles. In 2019, the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame inducted Clark. He has helped raise funds for the baseball team as well as women’s and men’s sports team.

Realizing the football program is critical to the Athletic Department’s budget and success, he turned much of his attention during his second term to rallying alumni to donate funds for the football team’s infrastructure, personnel, and players’ academic success.

“A winning football team makes it easier to ask alumni to donate to the University,” said Clark.

After the football team’s loss to rival Bethune-Cookman University in 2017 at the Florida Classic, Clark was key to convincing Coach Willie Simmons to come to FAMU as the head football coach. There was a dilemma. The State of Florida caps the amount of state funds that can be used to pay a state university employee’s salary at $200,000. Simmons’ compensation at Prairie View A&M was $275,000.

“In the past, we would offer coaches $200,000 and say take it or leave it,” said Clark.

Clark called the presidents of FAMU Direct Support Organizations, including the FAMU Boosters, the Rattler F Club, and the FAMU Foundation. Their leaders committed a total of $50,000 to the $100,00 shortfall in Simmons’ compensation package. The NAA provided the rest of the funds — $50,000.

“It was collective teamwork,” said Clark. “I feel like a proud dad as I have watched FAMU Athletics progress. The reason for its success is the hard work by the University leadership and President Robinson to include the Direct Support Organizations. All of us are pulling in the same direction and because of this, FAMU Athletics will continue to be great!”

In 2018, the NAA also contributed $200,000 to help football players enroll in summer classes. That was the first of two years when Clark and FAMU Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, Carmen Cummings, embarked on a road trip with Coach Simmons. They traveled to major cities where alumni hosted events and raised $85,000 to help purchase new uniforms and equipment for the football team.

Before Coach Simmons arrived at FAMU, Clark, the NAA board and athletics booster organizations realized that the coach and players needed a new field house.

“Carmen and I are tied at the hip,” said Clark. “I couldn’t ask for a better person. If I were the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, she would be chief of staff. We have a genuine love of the University. She is a major cog in this wheel that makes this organization go. I’m going to miss that comradery and friendship.”

The NAA helped FAMU Athletics raise more than $500,000 in cash and provided $350,000 of the $1.1 million cost for the field house renovation. The work was completed in the summer of 2021.

“People give to people,” said Clark. “If you show them a vision, people are willing to give. I conveyed what we needed to do to move our Athletics forward. The relationships with alumni helped make the asks easier.”

Clark said he will continue supporting “Mother FAMU” after his term ends and wants the next NAA president to keep up the momentum.

“We can’t take our foot off the pedal,” said Clark. “FAMU needs us to be strong behind her to give our university and students a fighting chance. I’ve enjoyed the ride. I’ll never let FAMU fail.”

On Friday, April 29, Clark participated in his final charging ceremony at the Spring 2022 commencement, where he received the President’s Award from President Larry Robinson, Ph.D.

“Thank you for your long history of service, dedication, inspiration, and motivation you gave to our students, the FAMU National Alumni Association and the entire University while serving two terms as the alumni association president,” President Robinson said.

As of July 1, 2022, Col. Clark will retire from the U.S. Army Reserves after 33 years of service. He will preside over his final NAA Convention in Tallahassee June 2-5.

Col. Clark receives the leadership award from President Robinson at the Spring 2022 Commencement