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Felton steps down as Wilberforce president

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WILBERFORCE — Herman Felton Jr., resigned as Wilberforce University president and will be replaced by current VP and provost Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard.

The board of trustees unanimously voted to make Pinkard the 22nd president in Wilberforce history after Felton announced Dec. 11 he was leaving to pursue another opportunity in the historically black college and university community.

“We are excited that Dr. Pinkard will lead us into the next phase of the legacy of Wilberforce University,” trustees chair Mark Wilson said. “He is a seasoned administrator who is uniquely qualified for the position as he has worked closely with Dr. Felton in developing the path forward for the university.”

Felton was named president in July 2016, taking over for the retired Algeania Warren Freeman, who helped the university escape show-cause status for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.

In a statement to the community, Wilson thanked Felton for the work he has done in his year and a half in Wilberforce, calling his work in Greene County “complete.”

“Under his leadership, Wilberforce has embarked on a bold path to reclaiming institutional prominence as defined by the Wilberforce Renaissance,” Wilson said. “President Felton has begun a significant transformation here at Wilberforce … “

A native of Miami, Fla., Pinkard holds a doctorate from Harvard University, a Masters from Howard University, and a BA from Morehouse College. Over his more than 40-year career, Pinkard has served as the founding executive director of the UNCF Institute of Capacity Building; executive vice president and chief operating officer at Johnson C. Smith University; associate provost at Dillard University; chief planning officer at Spelman College; and chair, Division of Social Sciences at Florida Memorial University. In addition, Pinkard had held faculty and administrative positions at Miami Dade College, Colgate University, the College of Wooster, and California State University-Long Beach.

Pinkard will begin his tenure March 1, 2018.

By Scott Halasz

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Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.