I am pleased today to announce two new members of my executive cabinet, Dr. Joseph M. Stevenson, University Provost/Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and Dr. Anna Hammond, Chief of Staff.

Dr. Joseph M. Stevenson

Dr. Stevenson comes to The Valley from Jackson State University where he most recently served as director and founder of the Executive Ph.D. Program/Jake Ayers Institute for Research in Urban Higher Education. Dr. Stevenson founded the institute in 2004, after serving as JSU’s provost and vice president for academic and student affairs from 2001 to 2004.

While on sabbatical last year, he was visiting provost-in-residence for the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO). Among his accomplishments was the crafting of the first national research and policy agenda for NAFEO and HBCUs throughout the United States. Previously, he served as a Kellogg Leadership Fellow at NAFEO as a part of a minority-serving institutional leadership development program. His presidential mentorship for this fellowship was completed at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Stevenson was campus provost and chief executive officer at Golden Gate University–Sacramento and Central Valley campuses from 1997 to 1999. He also served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at York College, The City University of New York.

His impressive dossier includes stints as associate vice president for academic affairs at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and as executive assistant to the president at Middle Tennessee State University.

Dr. Stevenson currently lecturers on transformational leadership at Tuskegee University; strategic planning and budgeting for diversity at Stanford University; future higher education trends at Tougaloo College; and future academe at the University of Georgia. 

The Valley’s new provost earned a doctorate degree in educational policy and management from the University of Oregon in 1986. He holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction leadership with emphasis in K-12 education, also from the University of Oregon. Dr Stevenson holds three degrees from California State University, including a master of arts degree in social science education with an emphasis in government, a master of arts degree in education administration with an emphasis in higher education, and a bachelor of arts degree in government.

Dr. Anna M. Hammond

I am equally pleased to have Dr. Anna Hammond join my executive team as chief of staff. Dr. Hammond and I have worked closely together at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida, where she was associate provost and dean of the college. We also worked together at Bennett College where Dr. Hammond was associate vice president for academic affairs, academic officer and associate professor of education. Currently Dr. Hammond serves as the Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs at Edward Waters College.

Dr. Hammond brings expertise in the areas of continuing education, faculty and staff training, program and curriculum development, strategic planning, Board staffing, student recruitment and retention and strategic tactical planning.

While at Bennett College, Dr. Hammond was responsible for the design and development of a college-wide retention plan and developed, coordinated and implemented the comprehensive student academic assessment system for enrolled students. She led the revitalization of the college’s athletic program and directed the development of the new academic advising handbook.

Prior to joining Bennett College, Dr. Hammond was director of the University Centers for Academic Development at National-Louis University in Chicago, Ill. As director, she managed more than 40 professional and support staff who served more than 7,000 students and provided academic support services and course work to students at the University’s five Illinois campuses and five out-of-state campuses.  Dr. Hammond also served as the first African American President of the National Learning Centers Association (NLCA).

Dr. Hammond holds an Ed.D. degree in adult and continuing education from National-Louis University in Chicago, Ill., a master’s degree in extension education from the University of Illinois; and a bachelor of science degree in secondary education from Chicago State University.

Please extend a warm welcome to each of them just as you did for me!