USF News

TAMPA, Fla. (June 2, 2016) – Brian Lamb will serve as the new chair of the University of South Florida Board of Trustees, following his election by board members during a meeting on Thursday. Lamb, a USF alumnus who has served as the board’s vice chair since 2014, succeeds Harold “Hal” W. Mullis. Mullis will remain on the board.

“It’s a privilege to assume this leadership role during a transformational time in USF history,” said Lamb. “I will remain focused on the university’s primary goal of student success and preparing them for the competitive global workplace.”

Brian Lamb

Lamb is the regional president for Fifth Third Bank (North Florida). He joined Fifth Third Bank in December 2006 as the chief financial officer for Tampa Bay and later served as the head of Business Banking and Private Banking for the Tampa Bay market. Lamb is actively involved in several organizations in the community, including the Tampa Bay Partnership, Florida Council of 100 and Enterprise Florida. He has received numerous recognitions, including recently being inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from USF and is also a graduate of the Stonier Graduate Banking School at the University of Pennsylvania. His USF Board of Trustees workgroup assignments include chair of the Academic and Campus Environment workgroup, member of the Executive Committee, Finance and Audit workgroup and the Compensation Committee.

As chair, Lamb will preside over board meetings, appoint members to the board’s workgroups and committees, and is responsible for calling any special meetings of the board.

“I am committed to working alongside our Board of Trustees and key stakeholders as we advance towards becoming a Preeminent Research University, aligning USF to its long-term goal of AAU eligibility,” added Lamb. “I look forward to continuing the trajectory of success that President Genshaft and Chair Mullis have established for the university.”

During Thursday’s meeting, Jordan Zimmerman was also named the board’s vice chair.

Jordan Zimmerman

Zimmerman is founder and chairman of Ft. Lauderdale-based Zimmerman Advertising, the 14th largest ranked advertising agency in the country. A USF alumnus, Zimmerman’s philanthropic interests are about “paying it forward.” Education, public and private, is a priority for Zimmerman and he actively participates in the Florida Council of 100, the Florida Council on Economic Education and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance CEO Council, among others. Zimmerman is a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans and a trustee at Pine Crest School, the second largest independent school (Pre-k through Grade 12) in the country. In both Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, Zimmerman’s legacy is The Zimmerman Family Innovation and Technology Institute and the Zimmerman Family Innovation and Technology Program at Pine Crest School. The specialized program housed in the Zimmerman iLabs harnesses student-driven innovation and creative collaboration while creating a genuine and committed culture of innovation.

Zimmerman is a graduate of the Harvard taught Omnicom University. He received the 2013 Florida Atlantic University Business Leader of the Year Award and had the distinguished honor of being named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® in 2012. In 2015, Zimmerman donated $10 million to the USF College of Arts and Sciences, resulting in the naming of the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications. His USF Board of Trustees assignments include the Research, Innovation, Engagement, and Job Creation workgroup and chair of the Compensation Committee.

Lamb and Zimmerman will both serve two-year terms.

The USF Board of Trustees includes 13 members. Six trustees are appointed by Florida’s governor and five trustees are appointed by the Board of Governors. The USF System Faculty Council President and USF System Student Advisory Council President also serve as trustees.