Andre Payne has been appointed athletic director at historically Black Talladega College in Alabama. He will continue to serve in his current role as head coach of the women’s basketball team. Earlier in his career, he was director of athletics at another HBCU, Wiley University in Marshall, Texas.
An HBCU graduate, Payne received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Alabama A&M University. He holds a master’s degree in human performance and sports from New Mexico Highlands University.
Jessie Grant has been named assistant dean of student services for the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His background includes three decades of experience in higher education. He has held key leadership roles in student affairs at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Bemidji State University in Minnesota, Northwest Technical College in Minnesota, and the University of Alaska Southeast.
Dr. Grant holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Kent State University in Ohio, a master’s degree in counselor education from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. in higher education leadership from Western Michigan University.
Janel Forde has been appointed senior vice chancellor for operations at the University of Colorado Boulder. She most recently served as chief operating officer for the Denver mayor’s office. Earlier in her career, she was a partner in the Chicago office of the Boston Consulting Group.
Forde received her bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
