Willie L. Todd, Jr., Ph.D.

22nd President, Talladega College

Dr. Willie L. Todd, Jr. is the 22nd President of Talladega College, a historic liberal arts institution founded in 1867 and located in Talladega, Alabama. A nationally respected higher education leader with more than 33 years of experience, President Todd has dedicated his career to advancing access, excellence, and opportunity within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Prior to his appointment at Talladega College, Dr. Todd served as President and CEO of Denmark Technical College in South Carolina, where he led a nationally recognized institutional turnaround. His leadership was marked by strategic vision, fiscal stabilization, strengthened academic programs, and a renewed focus on student success. Throughout his presidency, he cultivated a culture grounded in accountability, compassion, and innovation—expanding student leadership while building a campus-wide ethos of care and belonging.

Driven by a deep passion for the mission of HBCUs, President Todd is now leading Talladega College through a bold era of transformation anchored in his guiding framework, "Reimagining Liberal Arts Education." His vision emphasizes student-centered learning, experiential education, innovation, and institutional sustainability—while honoring Talladega's historic legacy as the "Alpha Lyrae Vega" among institutions of higher learning.

President Todd's distinguished leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including being named CEO/President of the Year by the South Carolina Association of Technical College Commissioners, a "Shining Star" Award from the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs, and the Diamond Award for excellence in education, leadership, philanthropy, humanitarianism, and community engagement from the Not Alone Foundation and the Academy of the Diamond. He also served as President of the Presidents' Council for the South Carolina Technical College System during 2023–2024, becoming the first Denmark Technical College president to hold that position.

His prior leadership roles include serving as president and also as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at Denmark Technical College; Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Wiley University; Vice Provost and also Associate Vice Provost at Norfolk State University, and various roles at Clark Atlanta University.

A committed servant-leader beyond the academy, President Todd is an active member of the Presidents' Roundtable of African American CEOs, the HBCU Learning Ecosystem, 100 Black Men of America, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., where he is a regional and national Life member. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Board for Talladega County and also a member of the Presidents' Advisory Board for the National HBCU Title III Administrators.

A native of West Point, Georgia, and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Dr. Todd holds a Ph.D. in English from Georgia State University, a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Regent University, and both a Master of Education in English Education and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Albany State University. He is the proud father of two daughters, Tatia and Jessica.

President Todd continues to lead his life and work grounded in faith and purpose, guided by two principles he first penned in his senior yearbook and still lives by today: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," and "The intention is not to see through one another, but to see one another through."

Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, JD, EdD

President, Benedict College

Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis made history twice as the first woman to serve as President of Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina and Florida Memorial University, in Miami Gardens, Florida. A bold and visionary leader, she is nationally recognized for her commitment to institutional transformation and sustainability for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

She serves on the Boards of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and the Council for International Education Exchange (CIEE). She also serves as a member of the U.S. Department of Education's NACIQI advisory committee to the U.S. Secretary of Education.

A prolific speaker and thought leader, Dr. Artis holds a doctorate from Vanderbilt University, a law degree from West Virginia University, and a bachelor's degree from sister-HBCU, West Virginia State University. She is a proud advocate for access, innovation, and the future of Black higher education.

Dr. Martin Lemelle, Jr.

11th President, Grambling State University

Dr. Martin Lemelle, Jr. serves as the 11th President of Grambling State University, leading with a steadfast commitment to academic excellence, fiscal stewardship, and the transformative power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A proud third-generation alumnus, his presidency reflects both generational legacy and a bold vision for Grambling's future.

An accomplished executive with extensive experience in finance and operations, Dr. Lemelle previously served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Over the course of his career — including leadership roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM, General Electric, Dean Foods, and Industry Retail Group — he has overseen complex financial and operational portfolios totaling approximately $6.5 billion.

Prior to becoming president, he served as Grambling State's Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, where he secured the university's largest corporate gift and strengthened its fiscal health by 200%. In 2025, he was appointed to a three-year term on the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity, and Impact and launched the Global and Experiential Education Endowment to expand global and experiential learning opportunities for students.

Dr. Lemelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Grambling State University; a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University; and a Doctor of Business Administration from SKEMA Business School in Paris, France.

Dr. Paulette R. Dillard

18th President and CEO, Shaw University

Dr. Paulette R. Dillard serves as the 18th President and CEO of Shaw University, bringing a distinguished record of leadership in higher education, scientific research, and community engagement. Appointed in 2018, she previously held senior roles at Shaw University including Interim President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Associate Professor of Biology.

A champion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Dr. Dillard has led transformative initiatives at Shaw, including campus rezoning and redevelopment, major historic renovation projects, and the launch of The ShawU District. Her leadership reflects a commitment to innovation, academic excellence, and strengthening communities through education.

Recognized nationally for her influence, Dr. Dillard has received honors such as Zeta Phi Beta Sorority's Woman of the Year, the Bethune-Height Distinguished Educator Award, WRAL-TV Woman of the Year nomination, and the Dr. Alma S. Adams HBCU Leadership Award. She serves on numerous national and local boards, including as Chair of the CIAA Board of Directors and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, and as the Chair of the UNCF Governance Committee, member of the UNCF Institutional Board and NCAA DEIB Committee.

A native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Dr. Dillard is a three-time HBCU graduate with degrees from Barber-Scotia College, Tennessee State University, Belmont University, and a Ph.D. from Clark Atlanta University. She also brings more than 25 years of experience in clinical diagnostic medicine and pioneering research on prostate cancer disparities among men of African descent.

Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack

9th President, Claflin University

Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack became Claflin University's ninth president on August 1, 2019, and has since fostered a culture of "Elevation and Transformation" at South Carolina's oldest Historically Black College/University (HBCU) founded in 1869.

During his tenure, Warmack has achieved record fundraising, utilized innovative teaching and learning technologies, and accelerated faculty and student research, contributing to Claflin's upward trajectory as a premier liberal arts university. This included a $20 million transformational gift from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. A new student center to improve the quality of student life on campus and a modern facility with state-of-the-art technology to enhance Claflin's STEM programs. Claflin's STEM agenda received a major boost when S.C. Congressman James Clyburn secured $17.4 million. Subsequently, Claflin's endowment has grown to $72.9 million from $26.8 million, representing an incredible 172 percent increase, in less than four years.

Under Warmack, Claflin has maintained impressive national rankings, including a U.S. News & World Report's Top 10 Best Private HBCU for 14 consecutive years. The University has also been ranked No. 1 in Annual Alumni Giving at HBCUs, 7th Best Regional Liberal Arts Colleges in the South, 4th in Four-Year Graduation Rates, and a Top Performer on Social Mobility. The University's exceptional academic programs and insightful leadership were explicitly acknowledged in Claflin's Reaffirmation of Accreditation with no recommendations by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Claflin also established the Center for Global Education, which comprises The Center for Professional and Continuing Studies and Claflin Online, and opened its Downtown Center, affirming its leadership in the economic revitalization of downtown Orangeburg. Warmack and members of the Board of Trustees participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony in March 2024 that signaled the official opening of the New Student Center. Warmack fulfilled his promise to build the ultra-modern, three-story structure when he arrived in 2019.

Warmack has received numerous awards and committee appointments, including an Eisenhower Fellowship, and The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Cengage Inclusion Scholarship in recognition of his outstanding leadership in advancing liberal education. He was also selected for the 2024 All In President Game Changer Award by the National Collegiate Resources Foundation (NCRF) and the Black College Expo. Warmack was named the Times and Democrat Newspaper's Person of the Year for spearheading transformative change at Claflin since his arrival.

Additionally, Dr. Warmack serves on the NCAA Division II's Presidents Council and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Board of Directors and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Orangeburg County Development Commission. He earned his bachelor's degree in education and his master's degree in sociology at Delta State University, his doctorate in educational leadership with a specialization in higher education from Union University and has completed post-doctoral studies in educational leadership at Harvard University.

Dr. Warmack is married to LaKisha Warmack and they have one daughter, Morgan.

Dr. C. Reynold Verret

6th President, 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. As chief academic officer, he led the university initiatives to enhance the quality and diversity of academic programs, develop the faculty and promote interdisciplinary efforts especially between the humanities and sciences, and to create cooperative relationships with neighboring institutions and with other partners at the K-12 and higher education levels.

He has served also as 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, he led the Department of Chemistry as its chair at Clark Atlanta University.

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. Other areas of interest included fundamental properties of biological membranes and development and identifications of biosensors and biomarkers.

Throughout his career, he has dedicated effort to increase the number of US students pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines and continuing to advanced study, and to mitigate the shortage of qualified STEM teachers. He has served on a number of professional organizations and advisory bodies, including those of the National Institutes of Health, the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and Catholic Relief Services. He has received awards and fellowships for teaching and scholarship.

Dr. Verret received his undergraduate degree cum laude in biochemistry from Columbia University and the Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the laboratory of the late Har Gobind Khorana. To these degrees, were added postdoctoral experiences as fellow at the Howard Hughes Institute for Immunology at Yale and the Center for Cancer Research at MIT.

Ericke S. Cage, J.D., LL.M.

13th President, West Virginia State University

Ericke S. Cage, J.D., LL.M., is the 13th President of West Virginia State University (WVSU), a historically Black land-grant institution located in Institute, West Virginia. He was unanimously appointed by the WVSU Board of Governors on March 31, 2022, following his service as Interim President beginning in September 2021. In June 2024, he signed a new five-year contract, extending his leadership through 2029.

Under President Cage's leadership, WVSU is undergoing a transformative renaissance marked by innovation, optimism, and measurable impact. In November 2024, the university broke ground on a $50 million state-of-the-art Agricultural Research Laboratory, the largest single investment by the State of West Virginia in WVSU's history. At the same event, the University announced its largest cash gift in its history to support the establishment of the Purdy School of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. His administration has also launched WVSU's first doctoral program in Educational Leadership, opened a Cybersecurity Innovation Center, and expanded the University's presence in downtown Charleston through the new WVSU Center. These achievements are key components of Future State, the University's five-year strategic plan, and a historic capital campaign launched in 2024, the second in WVSU's history.

Prior to joining WVSU in July 2021 as Vice President and Chief of Staff, President Cage served as Executive Advisor to the President and Board of Visitors at Norfolk State University in Virginia. During the time at Norfolk State University, he played a pivotal role in securing the institution's largest state appropriation and authored a $2.7 million grant to enhance student access, retention, and success. His career also includes roles as Director of Government Affairs at Teach for America, State Policy and Research Director for the national presidential campaign, and Legislative Counsel on Capitol Hill. He has held appointments at the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and began his professional journey as a high school government teacher in Halifax County, Virginia, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 2004.

President Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, earning a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in leadership studies. He holds a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University Law School, where he served as Associate Editor for both the Women's Rights Law Reporter and the Rutgers Business Law Journal, a member of the Moot Court Board, and Third Circuit Governor for the American Bar Association's Law Student Division. He later earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in litigation and dispute resolution from The George Washington University Law School. His professional development includes graduation from the U.S. Air Force's Air Command and Staff College, the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, the Harvard University Seminar for New Presidents (2022), and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) New Presidents Academy.

Beyond campus, President Cage is an active national leader in higher education. He serves as Chair-Elect of the APLU 1890 Council of Presidents, Vice Chair of the 1890 Foundation, and as a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1890 Taskforce. He also sits on numerous regional and national boards including the Charleston Area Alliance, Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce, Advantage Valley, the Rotary Club of Charleston, the Truist Community Advisory Board, the Mountain East Conference, the West Virginia Start-Up Fund, the West Virginia State University Foundation, and the WVSU Research and Development Corporation.

A sought-after public speaker, President Cage has delivered keynote remarks for events such as the Salvation Army Celebration of Hope Dinner, the Healthy Grandfamilies Conference, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Black History Month Speakers Series, West Virginia American Water Inclusion Day, the Kanawha Valley Business Forum, the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Lecture at Marshall University, and numerous Rotary Clubs throughout the state.

President Cage is married to West Virginia State University First Lady Roa Cage. Together, they are passionately dedicated to advancing the University's legacy of excellence, access, and service to West Virginia and beyond.