Board to Hold In-Person Interviews Oct. 2

The Alabama A&M University Board of Trustees will reconvene at 8:50 a.m. Saturday, October 2, 2021, to conduct in-person interviews of Presidential Search Finalists and to discuss matters related to the selection of the 12^th president of Alabama A&M University.  President Andrew Hugine, Jr., will retire from the post on December 31, 2021.  Among the finalists are Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, president of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Tex., and Dr. Daniel K. Wims, provost and vice president for academic affairs and for research at Alabama A&M University, in Huntsville, Ala.

This meeting will be reconvened at the Board's regular meeting location in Clyde Foster Multipurpose Room of the College of Business and Public Affairs.  Board members may be physically present at the meeting to interview three candidates for President in person, or they may participate on-line consistent with the requirements of applicable law and the Proclamations of the Governor of the State of Alabama.  The purpose of the meeting will be to receive information and consider all matters related to the selection of a new President for Alabama A&M University, including the interview of finalists for this position and deliberations by the Board, and any other matters to properly come before the Board at that time. 

The interview schedule is as follows: 

Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette ............................................. 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.   Burnette's Vita
Dr. Daniel Wims ...................................................................... 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.    Wim's Vita

The reconvened Board meeting will be conducted in accordance with all requirements of the Open Meetings Law as set forth in § 36-25A-1 et. seq, and in particular § 36-25A-5.1, of the Code of 
Alabama, as modified by the Proclamations of the Governor of the State of Alabama in connection with the current emergency. Because of public health concerns, no members of the public will be admitted to the meeting room itself. 

As always, persons are invited to attend and observe the proceedings of the meeting of the Board. The public will be allowed to simultaneously view this meeting through the following link: www.aamu.edu-BOT.    See full AGENDA.

 

- The Finalists -

COLETTE PIERCE BURNETTE

Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette is the first female president of the merged Huston-Tillotson University and only the second female president in the institution’s 140-year history.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Pierce Burnette is an experienced leader in higher education with a deep commitment to student success. In 2012, she served as interim president at Pierce College in Puyallup, Wash., leading the college within a district environment and working collaboratively with executive leadership to serve more than 30,000 students each year. Dr. Pierce Burnette had an extensive career at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, from 1999 – 2012 that scaled to vice president for administration and CFO, where she provided financial, analytical, physical plant, auxiliary services, capital construction and human resources leadership to achieve mission-based goals. Additionally, at Central State University, Dr. Pierce Burnette served as vice president for information technology and chief information officer.

She earned her Master of Science degree in administration with honors from Georgia College in Milledgeville, Ga., in 1983 after completing a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and systems engineering from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, in 1980. In 2003, Dr. Pierce Burnette was accepted and graduated from the Harvard Graduate School’s Education Management Development Program. She earned an Ed.D. degree in higher education administration at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Pierce Burnette is the mother of two children: Daarel II, a journalist in Memphis, Tenn., and Daana, a public relations professional in New York, N.Y.  She is married to Dr. Daarel Burnette, a proficient administrator and consultant in higher education finance and fiscal leadership.  She is affiliated with many organizations and has membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

 

DANIEL K. WIMS

Dr. Daniel K. Wims has over 20 years of progressive administrative experience in various governmental and higher education organizations. Dr. Wims is currently the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and for Research, and Professor of Agricultural Sciences at Alabama A&M University. He formerly served as the Executive Vice-President and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, and Professor of Agricultural Sciences at The Fort Valley State University.

Other positions held include Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Professor at South Carolina State University, Director of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Associate Professor of Agricultural Sciences at Florida A&M University, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment and Assistant Professor of Agricultural Sciences at Alcorn State University, Director of the Small Farm Research and Resource Development Center and Assistant Professor of Agricultural Sciences at Southern University.

Dr. Wims received the B.S. degree in agronomy in June 1987 from The Fort Valley State College, and the M.S. degree in agricultural extension and education with an agronomy concentration from The Ohio State University in 1989. He earned the Ph.D. degree from the University of Maryland-College Park in agricultural extension and education with a cognate in higher education administration.