A group of individuals connected to Jackson State will aid in the university’s search for a new president.
Officials are working to fill the vacancy left by former Jackson State president Dr. Marcus Thompson, who resigned from his post amid litigation pending against him. Dr. Denise Jones Gregory, the university’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, has taken Thompson’s former office in the interim.
The State Board of Trustees of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning announced Thursday that it approved five individuals with direct ties to the university to be a part of the search process. The individuals include:
- Dr. Nicholas J. Hill — Dean, College of Business, JSU
- Dr. Candice L. Jackson — Secretary, JSU Faculty Senate, and Associate Professor, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Speech Communications, Jackson State University
- Dr. Deidre L. Wheaton — Associate Dean, College of Education and Human Development, JSU
- Brigadier General (Ret.) Robert Crear — Advisory Board, JSU Development Foundation
- Patrease Edwards — President, JSU National Alumni Association
The slate was presented by Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Al Rankins Jr. and Dr. Steven Cunningham, who also serves as the chair of the board’s search committee, which includes all of the state’s trustees. The Board of Trustees voted at its Oct. 16 meeting to authorize Rankins and Cunningham to develop the field of candidates for service on the advisory committee. Members of the search advisory constituency will assist the board search committee in vetting applicants.
In September, the board of trustees tapped Washington, D.C.-based AGB Search to assist in finding quality candidates to assume a seat in Jackson State’s president’s office.
The state will formally seek prospective applicants beginning in December, following the completion of a leadership profile. The profile will provide applicants with an overview of Jackson State, along with information regarding opportunities and priorities presented during listening sessions recently held on the school’s campus.