Three African Americans Taking on New Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Wayne Martin is the new vice president of government affairs at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He was the regional head of government affairs for Starbucks Coffee Company, where he led the company’s government and external engagement for its Southeastern, mid-Atlantic, and North Atlantic regions. He also served as senior manager of external affairs for Comcast NBC/Universal in the Atlanta.

Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Morehouse College in Atlanta. He holds a master of public administration degree from Arkansas State University.

Taunita V. Stephenson was named the head of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for the division of recreation and intercollegiate athletics and wellness at the University of Pennsylvania. Stephenson has spent the past three years at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where she was associate director of athletics and also and was in charge of DEI efforts.

Stephenson is a 2009 graduate of Delaware State University, with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. She earned an MBA and a master’s degree in sport business management from the University of Central Florida.

Lynda Batiste was appointed senior vice president of finance and chief operating officer at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is the former vice president and chief financial officer at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis. Earlier in her career, Dr. Batiste was the assistant vice president for finance and comptroller at Alabama A&M University.

Dr. Batiste holds bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University in Mississippi.

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