The Tougaloo College Board of Trustees recently announced their appointment of Mississippi native and Alcorn State University alumnus, Dr. Corey Wiggins, who has been named the 15th president of the College. He will begin July 1, succeeding Dr. Donzell Lee following a national search. HCF celebrates the historic appointment of Dr. Corey Wiggins.

“Dr. Corey Wiggins is a visionary leader whose commitment to academic excellence, student success and institutional integrity aligns deeply with the historic mission of Tougaloo College. After a rigorous national search, the Board is confident that Dr. Wiggins possesses the leadership, experience and passion necessary to guide Tougaloo into its next chapter of growth and impact.”

— Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, Tougaloo College Board Chair

Wiggins serves as federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, an independent federal agency supporting economic development across 255 counties and parishes in eight states. President Joseph Biden nominated him to the post in December 2021, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him unanimously in March 2022.

His career spans the public, nonprofit and academic sectors. He previously served as executive director of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, senior vice president of policy at Hope Enterprise Corporation and Hope Credit Union, and director of the Hope Policy Institute. He also held a faculty appointment as visiting assistant professor of health policy and management at Jackson State University.

“It is an honor to be selected as the next president of Tougaloo College, an institution with a profound legacy of academic excellence and social transformation. I look forward to working collaboratively with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni and the broader Tougaloo community to advance the College’s mission and strengthen its future.”

— Dr. Corey Wiggins, Tougaloo College President-Elect

“Dr. Wiggins brings a distinguished record of leadership, public service, and advocacy to the role of the President at Tougaloo College. We at HCF extend our congratulations to him, the Board of Trustees, and the Tougaloo College community. We are proud to support Dr. Wiggins as the institution’s 15th president. We are confident that his vision, integrity, and commitment to service will further advance Tougaloo College’s mission and guide it into its next chapter of excellence. We also look forward to witnessing the institution’s continued growth and success under Dr. Wiggin’s leadership. Congratulations, Dr. Wiggins, on this well-deserved appointment.”

— Demetrius Johnson, Jr., Founder, President & CEO, HCF

Wiggins earned a bachelor’s degree from Alcorn State University and a master’s degree in public health and a doctorate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also holds a certificate in nonprofit leadership from Boston College and has completed fellowships with the Kasier Family Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Founded in 1869, Tougaloo College is one of Mississippi’s historically Black college and play an important role in the civil rights movement, serving as a meeting placer and organizing center for activists.

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