Debra Clark Jones has been selected to serve as interim executive vice president for institutional advancement at Bennett College, a historically Black liberal arts educational insttutiton for women in Greensboro, North Carolina. She previously served as acting president at the college. More recently, she was associate vice president for community health at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Jones is an alumna of Bennett College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science. She holds a master’s degree in data analytics from the University of Maryland.
Thaddeus Fairley Sr. has been named special assistant to the dean for operations in the College of Agricultural and Applied Sciences at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. His background includes experience in government, agriculture, nonprofit leadership, and economic development. In 2021, he became the first African American to serve as state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Mississippi.
Fairley holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from Mississippi Valley State University and a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from Louisiana State University-Shreveport.
Brendan Johnson has been named director of bands at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. He comes to his new role from Darlington High School, where he was director of bands for a decade. Under his leadership, the band grew from 75 to 225 members, making it one of the largest high school bands in South Carolina.
Dr. Johnson earned bachelor’s degrees in music education and liberal studies from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He holds a master’s degree in education from Anderson University and a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Samantha Hutchinson has been appointed vice president for business and finance at Savannah State University in Georgia. Her background includes nearly two decades of experience in finance in public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, she has been serving as assistant vice president and controller at Fort Valley State University in Georgia.
Hutchinson holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in economics from Fort Valley State University and an MBA in finance from Walden University.
Robert T. Muhammad has been appointed executive director of student financial aid and scholarships at North Carolina A&T State University. For the past five years, he has served as director of financial aid at Howard University in Washington D.C. Earlier, he spent nearly a decade as director of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.
Muhammad holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and an MBA from Winston-Salem State University.
Damian D. Thomas has been named associate vice chancellor for student affairs at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. He most recently served as executive director of TRIO programs at Hinds Community College at Utica in Mississippi. Previously, he was director of the Center for Student Engagement and Leadership at Jackson State University in Mississippi.
Dr. Thomas holds a doctorate in educational administration and supervision with a concentration in higher education from Jackson State University.
Rick Jackson has been named chief communications officer at Talladega College in Alabama. He comes to his new role from the Birmingham Water Works Board in Alabama, where he was the public relations manager. Earlier in his career, he was a morning news anchor and reporter at WIAT-TV, CBS 42, in Birmingham.
Jackson received his bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Auburn University in Alabama.
