FAMU Board of Trustees nears completion after DeSantis appointment of Natlie Figgers

Florida A&M University’s Board of Trustees is now just one vacant spot away from being complete after Governor Ron DeSantis appointed lawyer and FAMU alumna Natlie Figgers to the board.

The appointment followed a Florida Board of Governor’s meeting that was held on the university’s campus Wednesday morning, where board members appointed FAMU alumnus and Amscot consultant Deveron Gibbons to be a new trustee.

While Gibbons replaced former Board of Trustees Vice Chair Kimberly Moore, who stepped down after her second term ended in January, Figgers replaces former Trustee David Lawrence Jr., who resigned from the board in February 2022.

The appointments mean that former Trustee Thomas Dortch Jr.'s seat on the board is still left to be filled following his recent death in February.

“Students always think about how they'll be able to come back and help their university after graduating,” Figgers, 33, told the Tallahassee Democrat. “I’m very grateful that I'm able to come back in a position where I'm able to actually provide the assistance we think about giving when we're leaving college.”

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Figgers — an Orlando, Florida native of Haitian descent who is currently based in Parkland, Florida — earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from FAMU in 2013 and her juris doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2017.

She is the owner and founder of The Law Office of Natlie G. Figgers LLC, a firm she established in 2018 to take on cases ranging from personal injuries to business law and family law.

Figgers is also the wife of telecommunications executive Freddie Figgers, owner of Figgers Communication — the only Black-owned telecommunications company in the U.S., providing services to over 80 other countries around the world, according to the company's site.

Freddie Figgers, a Gadsden County native, is also a member of the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors.

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On top of Natlie Figgers's role of owning her own law firm, she is also chief human resources officer of her husband's company.

In addition, she is secretary and treasurer of the Figgers Foundation and was also named Florida Memorial University’s Most Ardent Community Advocate in 2022. Florida Memorial University is an HBCU located in Miami Gardens.

She says it feels amazing to have the opportunity of serving her alma mater, where she can build a relationship with the board members.

“The first thing I'm looking forward to is just making some positive changes at FAMU,” Natlie Figgers said, referring to her new trustee position. “The university is doing well, but I know there's still a lot of things that need improvement, and I'm just glad that I'll be a part of that change.”

Although FAMU Board of Trustees Chair Kelvin Lawson does not know Natlie Figgers personally, he highlighted how her expertise from running her own law firm and having a chief position at a technology company will be an effective contribution to the board.

“I have heard some tremendous things about her,” Lawson said. “Based on her background, I'm very much looking forward to her knowledge, insights and critical review of some of our internal processes and how we move initiatives forward.”

Natlie Figgers's appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that FAMU's Board of Trustees is now complete after Natlie Figgers's appointment. There is still one vacant seat on the university's board since former Trustee Thomas Dortch Jr.'s spot has not been filled yet.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Natlie Figgers appointed as FAMU trustee by Gov. Ron DeSantis