Incumbents and New Members: A Commitment to Excellence

Alabama A&M University (AAMU) confirms the appointments of four Board of Trustee members, two new members and two incumbents. New Board members are Robert “Bud” Cramer and Reggie Sylvain with returning members Attorney Tiffany Johnson Cole and Dr. Scherrie Banks Pickett.

Each individual brings a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to excellence for AAMU. They will assist with moving the university forward as it marks its 150 years of existence in 2025 and continues to reach new heights in enrollment, funding and infrastructure improvements. New Trustee members are:

Robert “Bud” Cramer
Former United Stated Congressman Robert “Bud” Cramer served Alabama’s fifth Congressional district for eighteen years. While in Congress, he was a member of the Appropriations, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Science and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. While on the Intelligence Committee, he was Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Prior to Washington, DC, Cramer was the elected District Attorney for Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a juris doctorate from the University of Alabama and an honorary doctorate of law from the University of Alabama.

Reggie Sylvain
Sylvain is President and CEO of RAGS Enterprises, LLC, a real estate holding company founded in June 2004. Additionally, he is the proprietor of Sylvain Funeral Home and Cremation Services in McDonough, GA, established in 2019. He serves on the Stockbridge Citizens Police Advisory Board and the Henry County Development Board and is a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. Sylvain holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture (Animal Science) from Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA and a master’s degree from Alcorn State University.

Tiffany Johnson Cole
Tiffany Johnson Cole is an attorney with the Law Offices of Robert Simms Thompson, PC in Tuskegee, Alabama. Attorney Cole manages cases pertaining to automobile products liability, negligence, wrongful death, trucking litigation, fraud and breach of contract. She was the first female appointed to serve as Municipal Court Judge in Tuskegee and the Town of Jackson’s Gap, Alabama. She is a member of the North Florida Child Development Center Board, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, the Alabama State Bar Association, the Alabama Association for Justice, the Macon County Bar Association, the Alabama Lawyers Association, the Links Incorporated, and Jack and Jill of America. Attorney Cole holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Spelman College and a Juris Doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. She is licensed to practice law in Alabama and Georgia.

Dr. Scherrie Banks Pickett
Dr. Pickett is a native of Midway, Alabama and is currently employed with the Alabama State Department of Education. She is a member of the Narrow Lane Road Church of Christ, a Life Member of the Alabama A&M Alumni Association, the Bullock County Voters’ League and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Alabama A&M University, a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Tennessee State University and a doctorate degree in Educational, Policy and Law from Alabama State University.

About Alabama A&M University (AAMU)
Founded in 1875 by former slave, Dr. William Hooper Councill, Alabama A&M University (AAMU) is the largest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Alabama. As a traditional 1890 land-grant institution, “The Hill” is a dynamic and progressive institution with a strong commitment to academic excellence and is the state’s largest producer of minority STEM graduates. Additionally, it is student-friendly and community-focused and functions as a teaching, research and public service institution, including extension. AAMU provides more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs and concentrations, a diverse international faculty, 50 plus student organizations, and an extensive alumni network comprised of politicians, educators, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, authors, artists, and more, many of whom are change agents on the local, national and international stage.