MSU Trustee Vassar makes history to chair board after split vote

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees made history on Wednesday with the election of Trustee Rema Vassar as the new chair — the first Black woman to lead the board and among the few trustees who have lived outside Lansing elected to serve in recent memory.

Vassar, a Wayne State University education leadership and policy professor who lives in Detroit, prevailed over fellow nominee Trustee Renee Knake Jefferson in a 5-3 vote with a vote from Trustee Brianna Scott. The two nominees are Democrats on a board with a 7-1 Democratic majority.

Afterward, the board unanimously elected Republican Dan Kelly as vice chair for a third term.

Vassar and Kelly will serve two-year terms.

Vassar, who has served on the board since 2021, called her election "historic." There have been 124 MSU board members, four of whom have been women of color, three of whom were Black, including herself and Scott. The late Dorothy Gonzales, who was Latina, served as chair when she was on the board from 1993-2008. But no Black woman has served as chair before Vassar.

"This moment is historic," Vassar said. "To have me ... the granddaughter of Hattie, the daughter of Robin, sitting in this seat today is pretty remarkable. I appreciate you all giving me that trust, and I appreciate an opportunity to make history today.

"I anticipate a resurgence of collegiality and I am excited about what we will do together as a cohesive team," Vassar added. "I look forward to the transformative leadership of this board and a bright green year ahead of us."

Vassar's election as chair also signals a new direction since many of MSU's board chairs "have been Lansing insiders," said Valerie von Frank, founder of POSSE (Parents of Sister Survivors Engage), a group of parents with daughters who survived the sexual abuse of the now-incarcerated Larry Nassar.

Prior to Vassar's election, MSU board chairs have included Dianne Byrum, who founded a communications firm in East Lansing; Brian Breslin, son of the late MSU administrator Jack Breslin and retired retail executive who has lived in Alto and Williamston; and Joel Ferguson, a Lansing developer who served as chair in 1992, 2007, 2010 and 2013.

Vassar and Knake Jefferson were both good candidates with each promising more transparency and communication, said von Frank.

"The difference is that Rema ... really talked about transformation and a new way of doing business at MSU," said von Frank. "There's (going to be) a whole different perspective on the world and power structures. It really is a historic day for the university."

Voting for Vassar were trustees Kelly Tebay, who nominated her; newly elected trustee Dennis Denno, Kelly, Scott and Vassar. When Scott was called for her vote, she hesitated for nearly a minute before voting for Vassar.

Scott apologized for the delay in casting her vote and said she had to say a prayer before voting.

"I always try to do what I think is best for our university," Scott said. "I think this is a way to move us forward. I have all confidence that Trustee Vassar is going to lead us extraordinarily into this next phase as we go into some very important decision-making with the new presidential search and other things."

Voting for Knake Jefferson, a law professor who splits her time between East Lansing and the University of Houston Law Center, was Byrum, who nominated her, along with Knake Jefferson and Sandy Pierce, appointed last month by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to replace Republican trustee Pat O'Keefe.

O'Keefe resigned in November over concerns of transparency and cultural change since the scandal involving Nassar.

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com