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BY KIMBERLEI DAVIS HBCU EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
it the nation’s most diverse cohort of future HBCU leaders.
M onths after announcing she would not seek a second term, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has begun a new journey as an honorary fellow with a first-of-its- kind program designed to recruit and develop multidisciplinary skills among high-potential candidates for service at over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The HBCU Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University (ELI at CAU) is funded in large part by the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation, which contributed $1 million toward the effort. The inaugural cohort of ELI at CAU comprises representatives from a variety of industries such as law, finance, arts, education, and public affairs, among others.
Bottoms, a former judge, and Florida A&M University alumna, is proof-positive that HBCUs produce leaders of extreme caliber.
“For more than 150 years, HBCUs have not only played an important role in American higher education, but also in building stronger communities and world-class leaders in every sector of society,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in a press release. “As a proud graduate of Florida A&M University, I am excited to accept this honorary fellowship and support HBCU ELI’s efforts to ensure this legacy continues.” “Mayor Bottoms is experienced, intelligent, and has a strong commitment to the next generation of women leaders,” said Dr. George T. French, Jr., president of Clark Atlanta University. “As an alumna of Florida A&M University, she continues to remind us that HBCUs can indeed create leaders who help solve society’s most pressing challenges, even in the face of crisis.”
15 women help make up the impressive 26-person roster, making
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