Head and Heart Philanthropy Taps HBCU Leaders for Inaugural Presidential Cohort
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Posted By: Reginald Culpepper on June 14, 2023 Head and Heart Philanthropy - the philanthropic arm of Mosaic Genius committed to connecting and convening leaders working at the intersection of wealth building and social impact - hosted their inaugural Presidential Cohort for HBCU Presidents at the Greentree Foundation in Manhasset, NY. The event marked the first for the two-year initiative centered around creating more sustainable institutions and learning best practices that will improve the fiscal capacity for HBCUs. This inaugural class of the HBCU Presidential Cohort initiative is comprised of collective of presidents, vice-presidents and other leaders representing some of the most renowned historically Black colleges and universities in the country including: Roslyn Clark Artis, Benedict College – (Columbia, South Caroline), Suzanne Walsh – Bennett College (Greensboro, North Carolina), Dr. Melva K. Williams, Huston-Tillotson University (Austin, Texas), Bobbie Knight, Miles College (Fairfield Alabama), Rodney Trapp, University of the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) and Dr. Reynold Verret - Xavier University (New Orleans, Louisiana). Facilitators for the two-day session included: Gathering at Greentree Foundation Board Chair, Kofi Appenteng; Chief Operation Officer, Trident Aron Betru; Wellness Guru of Brace Life Studio Robert Brace; and Mosaic Genius/Head and Heart Philanthropy founder Christal M. Jackson. At the gathering at Greentree, Ms. Jackson said, “HBCU Presidents have their finger on the pulse of the reality facing African Americans on a daily basis. They understand the needs and challenges of the future, the importance of working to build equitable K-12 education systems and much more. It is unimaginable to think what the world would be like without the commitment of HBCU presidents to building and nurturing future generations. With this program, we want to serve them and their needs as best we can. We owe these leaders our support and best effort.” Future Cohort gatherings will be hosted in Accra, Ghana and Martha’s Vineyard later this year. Under the theme of “creating sustainable institutions,” Head and Heart Philanthropy will invite cross-sector leaders and philanthropists interested in supporting HBCUs and collaborating to advance solutions to address equity gaps facing HBCUs and solutions to these challenges. Conceived by Jackson – who is also a staunch social impact advocate- the Presidential Cohort for HBCU Presidents was designed to create an actionable agenda around alternative investing in education as a pathway to opportunities and improving outcomes for HBCUs. During the global pandemic, Jackson was struck by the glaring inequities in education and their damaging impact and was inspired to create the concept for the cohort. “ I knew I had to do something. I was raised on the love and genius of HBCUs and would not be half of the leader that I am, had it not been for the nurturing and guidance of these beloved institutions. I am a descendant of an educator turned administrator who had the courage and determination to make things better,” said Jackson. “I was energized by the possibility of what we could achieve collectively.” As an example, she cites a recent study conducted by the philanthropic research groups Candid and ABFE that determined that historically Black colleges and universities received 178 times less funding from philanthropic foundations compared to Ivy League institutions on average in 2019. She continues: “The study really underscores for me the realities of what we are dealing with and the importance of this Presidential Cohort. One of the things the report found is that the Ivy Leagues received $5.5 billion in donations compared to $303 million at HBCUs between 2015 and 2019. That is an insanely and dangerously disproportionate difference. Some HBCUs also received more philanthropic dollars than others. Ultimately, HBCUs are left with less than ideal resources to support their operations and programs and the leaders of these institutions are faced with immense challenges. But I think we can turn things around if we work together to help. This first event is only the first major step in what we have planned. We are committed to effecting real change!” Partnering organizations for the inaugural Presidential Cohort for HBCU Presidents include: HBCU VC, Howard University PNC Entrepreneurship Program, LinkedIn and HBCU 20x20. THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL COHORT FOR HBCU PRESIDENTS Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis Dr. Artis was unanimously appointed by the Board of Trustees as the 14th and first woman President of Benedict College in 2017. Previously, Dr. Artis served as the 13th and first woman President of Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, Florida. Intentional, professional, and thoroughly committed to the proliferation and transformation of colleges and universities that serve underrepresented men and women of color, Dr. Artis’ leadership has been recognized locally and nationally. In 2018, she was named “Female HBCU President of the Year” by HBCU Digest. In 2019, Dr. Artis was named to Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s “Top 35 Leading Women in Higher Education.” In 2020, Dr. Artis was named “President of the Year” by Higher Ed Dive for her leadership in navigating the unprecedented challenges of 2020. Under Dr. Artis’ leadership, Benedict College was awarded the 2019 American Council on Education (ACE) Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation. The award recognizes institutions that have responded to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieved dramatic results in a short period of time. Benedict was also named 2019 HBCU of the Year by the HBCU Digest. Dr. Artis is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political science from sister HBCU, West Virginia State University. The consummate professional, Dr. Artis also holds a Certificate of fundraising Management from Indiana University and a Certificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment from DePaul University. Bobbie Knight – Miles College In August 2019 Bobbie Knight was elected as the fifteenth president, and first woman to serve at the helm of Miles College. Knight, who is a Birmingham native, retired in 2016 after a successful career of more than 37 years with Alabama Power Company. Throughout her career Knight held various executive and leadership positions, including Vice President of the Birmingham Division (Alabama Power’s largest division), Vice President of Public Relations, and General Manager of Supply Chain. Although retired from her professional career, Knight continues to use her business acumen as CEO of her own company, Bobbie Knight Consulting, LLC. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Managers for the Birmingham Times Media Group. In 2018 Knight was appointed to the Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA) and was immediately elected as Chair by her colleagues. She continues to serve as Vice Chair of the BAA. Knight has a B.S. degree from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and a Juris Doctorate from the Birmingham School of Law. She is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Executive Leadership Program. Knight is a woman of immense influence and is passionate about giving back to her community and mentoring young men and women to become leaders in their communities. She is married to Gary Burley, retired NFL player, local philanthropist, and founder of ProStart Academy. Rodney Trapp – Vice President, University of the District of Columbia Vice President for Advancement and the UDC Foundation Rodney Trapp is Vice President for Advancement for the University of the District of Columbia where he serves as the University’s chief fundraising officer and manages the University of the District of Columbia Foundation. A seasoned business development and philanthropy professional, Trapp has provided senior leadership and fundraising counsel to nonprofit organizations at the forefront of education access, arts education, cultural inclusion, and poverty alleviation for over 30 years. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wake Forest University, American University, University of Valencia in Spain, and Novancia Business School in France. Trapp is an advisor to the Williams-Franklin Foundation and Beautiful Ventures - a creative social enterprise. He is also a member of Black Benefactors – a giving circle in Washington, DC that prioritizes support for grassroots organizations led by Black people, the HBCU Philanthropy Forum Planning Committee and the Opportunity and Inclusion Committee in District II for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Suzanne Walsh – Bennett College Suzanne Elise Walsh became the nineteenth president of Bennett College on August 1, 2019. She was most recently deputy director of postsecondary success for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading and developing a team and a portfolio of over $70 million in postsecondary investments in institutional transformation in the United States. She previously served in leadership roles with the Lumina Foundation for Education and The Heinz Endowments. Ms. Walsh has received national recognition for her portfolio of work with organizations at the intersection of innovation, technology and learning. Education leaders with whom she has consulted praise her ability to create and work with cross-functional teams as a key driver in affecting flexible, personalized and affordable approaches to higher education, and other leaders have expressed their appreciation for her work on several viability and sustainability initiatives at HBCUs, analyzing complex situations, developing innovative action plans to address challenges and motivating teams. Ms. Walsh has been a frequent speaker and workshop leader at conferences such as the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Global Learning Council, of which she is an active member. She has published or edited several books and journal articles on the topic of educational transformation, and is the recipient of numerous awards, honors and fellowships. Ms. Walsh earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Cornell University, as well as a master’s degree in social work and a law degree from Case Western Reserve University. She is a member of the Ohio Bar. Dr. Melva K. Williams - Huston-Tillotson University Following a national search, the Huston-Tillotson University Board of Trustees today announced Melva K. Williams, Ph.D. as the institution’s seventh president and chief executive officer, effective August 15, 2022. Williams brings to HT her vast higher education experience as an innovative scholar in positions as chief of staff, vice chancellor and associate dean. Prior to coming to HT, Williams held numerous positions within the Southern University System (Louisiana) including, executive associate to the chancellor, assistant vice chancellor and vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at SU-Shreveport, vice chancellor at SU-New Orleans, and System chief of staff. A former associate dean of College at Centenary College of Louisiana, Williams has concurrently served as a professor, lecturer and board member at several colleges and universities. Recently, she served as the senior director of programming for the Clinton Presidential Center. Additionally, she is the co-founder of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (H.E.L.F.), a founding board member and board president for Magnolia School of Excellence, and is a national spokesperson for emotional intelligence (soft skills) development. Williams earned a doctorate in higher education from Jackson State University (Mississippi) and a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Grambling State University (Louisiana). Dr. Reynold Verret - of Xavier University of Louisiana Dr. Reynold Verret is the sixth president and second lay leader of Xavier University of Louisiana. Of the 107 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and 262 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States, Xavier is the only Catholic HBCU in the nation. Prior to acceding to the presidency of Xavier, Dr. Verret has served as provost at Savannah State University and at Wilkes University. He has also served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. As faculty in Chemistry at Tulane University and also at Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Verret took great pleasure and satisfaction in the education of students at the undergraduate and graduate level. For many years, Dr. Verret led the Department of Chemistry as its chair at Clark Atlanta University. During his tenure at Clark, he also joined Morehouse School of Medicine as an adjunct professor of immunology. As a biochemist and immunologist, Dr. Verret studied the functions of immune cells, especially the mechanisms of resistance to the lytic properties of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. He has published over two dozen scientific articles on various biochemical research. Throughout his career, he has dedicated effort to increase the number of students, especially those from underrepresented groups, pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines. He has served on many professional organizations and advisory bodies, including the Board of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the Georgia Coastal Indicators Coalition. He has received numerous awards and fellowships for teaching and scholarship. About Head and Heart Philanthropy Head and Heart Philanthropy is committed to connecting and convening the best and the brightest working at the intersection of wealth building and social impact. The organization work daily to reduce barriers to access and opportunities for under-represented leaders. Since its inception in 2011, Head and Heart has been supporting leaders and entrepreneurs committed to tackling complicated issues impacting Black and Brown people and reducing barriers to access and opportunities for under-represented leaders. Photo Credit: Kevin A. Richards If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Reginald Culpepper
President, Fulfillment and Web Services, HBCUCONNECT Clark Atlanta University class of 1998 Member Since September 2000 |
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