Valerie Kinloch Named President of Johnson C. Smith University

Johnson C. Smith University’s Board of Trustees announced the selection of Dr. Valerie Kinloch as the university’s 15th president. Kinloch is a graduate of Johnson...

October 26, 2023

Johnson C. Smith University’s Board of Trustees announced the selection of Dr. Valerie Kinloch as the university’s 15th president. Kinloch is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University (‘96) and a member of its Board of Trustees, giving her deep insight into the strengths and challenges of the 156-year-old college, founded to serve formerly enslaved Black people and now educating more than 1,100 students annually with 22 degree programs, including a Master’s in social work.

Kinloch served as Dean of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she oversaw 300 full- and part-time faculty and staff, and nearly 1,000 students. She has led academic transformation, recruited top faculty, exceeded fundraising goals, overhauled operations, and overseen more than $9 million in capital projects and renovations. Previously, she held positions as associate dean and professor at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and as a faculty member at Teachers College-Columbia University in New York City and at the University of Houston-Downtown.

“It’s a dream come true to be invited to lead one of the finest Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America – and at the same time come home,” Kinloch said. “My years at JCSU were some of the best of my life. This university set me on course to grow beyond anything I could imagine, so it is incredibly gratifying to return and give back to the institution that helped make me who I am.”

WittKieffer’s Christine J. Pendleton, Darrien Davenport and Jevon Walton led this search.

Read the full announcement.

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Valerie Kinloch Named President of Johnson C. Smith University

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