Six Black Administrators Appointed to New Roles in Higher Education

Brandon Toliver has been appointed special assistant to the president for facilities and construction at Tuskegee University in Alabama. A civil engineering, strategist, and Navy veteran, he has over two decades of experience in defense policy, infrastructure resilience, and military program management. Throughout his career, he has directly managed more than $2.4 billion in global construction and engineering projects.

Dr. Toliver received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Florida A&M University, an MBA from American Intercontinental University, a master’s degree in international relations and and national security studies from Troy University in Alabama, and a Ph.D. in engineering from George Washington University.

Brandon Nzekwe is the new executive director of planning, institutional effectiveness, and research at the College of Southern Maryland. In this role, he will focus on making the college’s data more accessible and understandable. Prior to his new appointment, he was associate director of data analytics for the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Dr. Nzekwe holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a doctorate, all from Florida State University.

Kenyatta Shamburger has been named chief operating officer of Grambling State University in Louisiana. He comes to his new role from Talladega College in Alabama, where he was senior vice president and chief operating officer. Earlier, he held leadership appointments at Philander Smith University in Little Rock, Arkansas, Iowa State University, Clemson University in South Carolina, and Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Shamburger is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston. He holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Iowa State University.

Christa Burgess has been appointed senior associate athletic director at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Most recently, she was athletic director at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. Before her transitioning her career to higher education, she taught health and physical education and directed athletics at JC Nalle Elementary School in Washington, D.C.

Burgess holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Trinity Washington University and a master’s degree in elementary education from Grand Canyon University.

Eric Stokes has been appointed vice president for enrollment management at Tennessee State University. With over 20 years of professional experience, he most recently served as assistant vice provost for strategic enrollment management at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. There, he successfully led the enrollment program that produced the largest freshman class in the university’s modern history.

Dr. Stokes received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

J. Lee Brown has been named vice chancellor and chief of staff at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. His background includes experience in academic affairs, enrollment management, strategic planning, and workforce development. Most recently, he was founding dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina. Earlier, he had a stint as interim provost at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.

Dr. Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University, an MBA from Strayer University, and a Ph.D. in strategy and international business from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Leave a Reply

Related Articles

Get the FREE JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News