FAU Board of Trustees (BOT) Chair Brad Levine resigned at the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday. The BOT unanimously appointed Piero Bussani as the next chairman. Bussani was appointed to the board in 2022 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

“The university is poised to select a permanent president, a search that has been arduous and now must commence anew,” Levine said. “Unfortunately, I have personally become a part of this narrative. The selection of an experienced and visionary leader deserves no such distractions.”

“It has been a genuine honor to have served as chairman of this board with colleagues of your caliber.”

Levine submitted his resignation two weeks after the Board of Governors, the governing body of the State University System of Florida, issued a no-confidence vote on Levine. This came after Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody determined FAU’s failed presidential search violated state law.

After Bussani was named the new chair, he said it was one of the greatest honors of his career.

“This is a great university,” Bussani said. “It has done great things, and I’m so excited to continue to move this school forward.”

According to his university bio,

 Bussani spent his career helping corporations on issues where law and business intersect. 

Board members applauded his guidance and attitude, saying he could rely on the support of faculty and state officials.

“In the amount of time that I have served on this board and served with Trustee Bussani, he has demonstrated the utmost integrity and commitment to the institution in very difficult times,” said Kimberly Dunn, who is a trustee and the president of FAU’s Faculty Senate.

At the Thursday BOT meeting, the board also voted to extend Interim President Stacy Volnick’s contract as president for a second time.

The board agreed upon the first extension in November, extending  Volnick’s employment until a permanent president is appointed or until the end of 2024, whichever comes first.

The new extension gives Volnick a $75,000 bonus and a 5% raise. This increases her base salary to $525,000.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.

Jessica Abramsky is the Editor-in-Chief of the University Press. For more information on this article or others, you can reach Jessica at [email protected] or tweet her @jessabramsky.