Dillard University, a historically Black educational institution in New Orleans, Louisiana, has recently announced two new additions to President Monique Guillory’s executive leadership team.
Darvelle Hutchins is the new vice president for institutional advancement. In this role, he will oversee the HBCU’s fundraising activities, community and government relations, marketing, alumni relations, and strategic partnerships.
Before his new position, Dr. Hutchins was vice president of social impact and culture for GMB Management LLC, the parent company of the New Orleans Saints football team and the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team. Earlier in his career, he taught communication studies at California Polytechnic State University and cultural intelligence courses for the U.S. Army. As a scholar, he has studied culture, power, and stigmatized identities, focusing on how organizations bridge differences and cultivate trust during times of transition.
Dr. Hutchins holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Ottawa University in Kansas. He earned a master’s degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee and a Ph.D. in organizational communication from the University of Missouri.
Dexter I. Odom is the new vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer. He will lead all aspects of Dillard’s fiscal management.
Odom comes to his new role from another HBCU, Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he also served as chief financial officer. Under his leadership, Tuskegee’s cash reserves and net assets more than doubled, long-term debt was significantly reduced, and the university achieved consecutive years of surplus operating budgets. Odom has also held senior finance roles at Fort Valley State University, Hiram College, Jarvis Christian University, and Morris Brown College.
Odom holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Valdosta State University in Georgia and an MBA from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management
