HBCU-MSI Federal Advisory Council: Council Members

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland is a corporate affairs and business executive acknowledged for building best-in-class organizations that consistently achieve aggressive revenue and profit objectives. She is a NACD certified and dedicated board member to industry, educational, and community organizations, bringing new strategies and processes to enhance effectiveness. Her broad background includes: P&L management, strategic planning, economic development, communications, auditing, accounting, treasury, M&A integration, customer service and operations. During her career she combined operating success leading the largest operations with financial, employee and customer excellence while collaborating to build alignment with government, regulatory and key stakeholders. Her board experience includes: Trustee North Carolina A&T State University and prior Board Chair; Prior Chair & Board member North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges; Independent Board Director RTI International-Vice Chair and Chair of Audit & Risk Committee.

Dr. Beverly Wright is an environmental justice scholar, advocate, author, civic leader, professor of Sociology, and the founder and executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice.  She is also a founding co-chair of the HBCU-CBO Gulf Coast Equity Consortium and the HBCU Climate Change Consortium. She received a BA from Grambling College and an MA and Ph.D. in Sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

She has received distinguished awards and co-authored numerous works highlighting the injustices of environmental hazards on communities of color.

Dr. Wright is a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and serves on the Justice40 Initiative Workgroup and the Carbon Management Committee under the Biden-Harris Administration

Heather Himmelberger is a registered professional engineer with over 38 years of experience working with water and wastewater utilities. Her work has taken her to all 50 states and the 5 territories of Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and USVI so she has an excellent perspective of the similarities and differences in water and wastewater across the country. She works in a wide variety of activities for water utilities, including financial, technical, managerial, asset management, infrastructure funding, and workforce.

Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval has a deep commitment to the Central Valley as President of Fresno State, –he is also doubly homegrown, having grown up in the region, and having started at Fresno State as a professor. He has a deep faith in the potential of Fresno State’s gifted students and works tirelessly to promote their growth and success. He is proud of Fresno State’s status as a national leader in recruiting, supporting, and graduating students from diverse backgrounds, and that the region is critical to our national security –producing 25% of our nation’s food.

Dagot’ee, Angelina Adams, is an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona and was raised on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona. She lives and works among a diverse population of 125 federally recognized tribes in Lawrence, Kansas. She is a United States Air Force veteran who served this great country for ten years and is proud to continue my service with guiding and developing the future leaders of tomorrow.

Mike Hoa Nguyen, PhD is Assistant Professor of Education at New York University. He is the principal investigator of the Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) Data Project, a research and resource initiative with the mission to advance greater understanding of MSIs and their unique contributions to postsecondary education.  In addition to his academic work, Dr. Nguyen has extensive professional experience in federal government, having served as a senior staff member in the United States Congress.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE) and was appointed by the Governor of Colorado to the History, Culture, Social Contributions, and Civil Government in Education Commission and by the Mayor of Denver to the Denver Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission.

C. Gail Bassette is the Director of Economic Development and Strategic Engagement, reporting to the President, at Bowie State University. In this role, she is the primary business development liaison between the university and external entities to foster and promote meaningful and equitable strategic relationships and partnerships with government, industry, businesses and academia to enhance the university's research, economic development, and entrepreneurial programs.

Ms. Bassette has successfully spearheaded significant initiatives that have heightened the university’s future integration of sustainability climate change goals in the university’s infrastructure and academic programs that has enhanced the campus environmental awareness and have provided invaluable hands-on learning experiences for staff and students, preparing them to be the next generation environmental leaders. In addition, she has a strong affiliation with the HBCU-MSI community and continues to build a strong HBCU-MSI network through collaborations and partnerships in the federal, state and local research grant and contract ecosystem.   

Ms. Bassette holds an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, Master’s in Technology and Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland College Park, and a BS in Communications Media from Bowie State University.

Dr. Jerryl Briggs was selected unanimously by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board to serve as Mississippi Valley State University's 8th President on October 17, 2017.  His higher education leadership experiences span over 35 years, with 24 of those years serving in executive-level positions which included working at four of our nation's HBCUs.  As a lifelong supporter of education, Dr. Briggs truly understands the importance of knowledge attainment for our communities and broader society.  He is invested in seeing our HBCU and MSI institutions survive and thrive.  As a higher education professional passionate about student success, Dr. Briggs hopes to contribute to many students' success, instilling in them that education is the key to opportunities for professional and personal growth.

Dr. Mark Brown was appointed the tenth president and CEO of Tuskegee University. His tenure began on July 1, 2024. Dr Brown's selection was the first time in Tuskegee's nearly 143-year history that an alum was selected to lead the university. This retired Air Force Major General agree to take the helm after the retirement of Dr. Charlotte P. Morris, the university’s ninth president. His extensive executive experience includes the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Academy for Urban School Superintendents, now hosted at the Yale School of Management. Dr. Brown served as Deputy Commander of Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. AETC recruits, trains, and educates Air Force personnel. Dr. Brown expanded his educational service as the chief operating officer of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid, which had a lending portfolio of $1.7 trillion equivalent to that of the nation’s five largest consumer lending banks. As COO, he was responsible for all of the nation’s Title IV funding. Most recently, he has served as president and chief executive officer of the Student Freedom Initiative based in Washington, D.C. As the first President and Chief Executive Officer, he and his staff provide four components to 63 HBCUs, which also includes two Tribal Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions. The capabilities include agreements to fund any educational attendance requirements beyond what is paid for through Federal programs, such as Pell Grants, Work-Study, and Federal Student Loans. SFI is also focused on elevating the communities around its school by providing critical resources such as access to highspeed broadband, cybersecurity upgrades, affordable living spaces and solar energy.

Abre' Conner, Esq. is the Director of the Center for Environmental and Climate Justice and oversees the strategy and collaboration across the NAACP to dismantle environmental racism. She has taught Education Law and is currently faculty in the Environmental Policy and Management Program at the University of California-Davis. She currently sits on the Board of Governors for the American Bar Association and the Board of Trustees for Earthjustice and was the previous General Counsel and Environmental Justice Chair for the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. She has worked at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, the Investigations Subcommittee for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and other civil rights and environmental justice organizations. She was featured in the Archon by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and Forbes magazine and has been named a top 40 under 40 Nation's Best Advocates by the National Bar Association and On the Rise top 40 Attorney by the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

Dr. Darryl Ann Lai Fang has a passion for excellence and a proven track record of transforming organizations from good to great. She serves as the Assistant Vice President, Institutional Support at the United Negro College Fund, Institute for Capacity Building. She is responsible for designing and executing strategic supports for HBCUs to improve their outcomes. Dr. Fang is a United States military veteran who served in the Air Force during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. She understands the value of discipline, hard work, leveraging each of these qualities when propelling institutions towards transformational change.

She has a Six Sigma Green Belt, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management, and a Doctor of Ministry from the Interdenominational Theological Center

Michael Johnson, Chief of Staff for Propel, is an accomplished higher education leader with a proven track record of driving innovation and positive change. His expertise spans strategic enrollment management, technology integration, and student success, with notable achievements, including an 18% enrollment increase at Miles College. As a first-generation college graduate with a Master's in Higher Education from Indiana University and ongoing doctoral studies at USC, Michael is deeply committed to expanding access and student achievement in higher education. Selected as a Fellow for the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute, Michael now brings his visionary leadership and strategic acumen to Propel, advancing its mission to transform the educational landscape for HBCU students through technology. 

Dr. Sharon A. Jones is a professor of engineering and policy at the University of Washington Bothell where she also serves as the chief academic officer. Dr. Jones holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Columbia University, an M.E. in civil engineering from University of Florida, an M.P.A. in public works policy from California State University Long Beach, and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in engineering and public policy. She served as tenured faculty at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Lafayette College, was dean of the Shiley School of Engineering at University of Portland and joined University of Washington Bothell in 2019. Her research portfolio includes applying decision-making methods to evaluate sustainability policies, engineering ethics, broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and bridging engineering and the liberal arts. She is an American Society for Engineering Education Fellow, an American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists Board Certified Environmental Engineer (sustainability), a licensed professional engineer (CA), an ISI Envision Sustainability Professional, and is SimaPro User Certified.

Dr. Andrew Kozich, after growing up in the Detroit area, moved to the Upper Peninsula in 2007 for graduate school at Michigan Tech University. Through a master's and Ph.D. program, he studied human dimensions of environmental science and completed research involving wetland policies/management and motivations for household water conservation.  In 2010, Andrew came to KBOCC to study Native American history and culture as well as environmental worldviews and values.  Since becoming the Environmental Science department chair, he incorporated all of the above aspects in his teaching and community-based research.

Dr. Vann R. Newkirk, Sr., is the 23rd president of Wilberforce University, the nation’s first private historically Black college university (HBCU). He holds a Master of Arts degree in history from Winthrop University, Master of Science degree from North Carolina Central University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in History from Howard University. He previously served as interim associate vice president at Alabama A & M University and as president of Fisk University. Currently, Dr. Newkirk is writing a history of African Americans in Alabama and working on improving the long-term viability of HBCUs.

Dr. Eric O'Rear's areas of expertise include energy/environmental policy analysis, energy system modeling, as well as building sustainability and resilience. Prior to joining Rhodium, Dr. O’Rear was a Lead Economist with the MITRE Corporation, where he conducted economic research for a wide range of federal sponsors. Before that, he worked as a Research Economist in the Applied Economics Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he assisted in the development of tools capable of gauging the sustainable performance of U.S. residential and commercial buildings. Eric has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics with a specialty in Energy and Natural Resource Economics from Purdue University.

Lena T. Rodriguez, Ph.D., is the senior vice president for policy and government relations at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). She is responsible for addressing, developing, and evaluating legislation affecting 600 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and 413 Emerging HSIs. Dr. Rodriguez serves as the direct liaison with government officials, federal agencies, and other educational organizations to help develop policies and positions that support the educational success of the 5.3 million students educated and served by HSIs. She has over 20 years of experience in higher education and the nonprofit sector, serving in management and leadership roles that have focused on data-informed initiatives. Lena earned her bachelor’s in business and a master’s in public administration from Arizona State University, and a doctorate in business from the University of Nebraska

Ray B. Shackelford is a Native Houstonian passionate about creating equity for the Black community and ensuring that future generations are better positioned to be successful. He is the Principal and Founder of Ozark Street Consulting, a social impact firm that provides a variety of services related to community education, advocacy, public policy and leadership training. Over the past 5 years, he has been able to train hundreds of community members and reach millions through the 2020 Census, “Get out the Vote” (GOTV) and various issue-based advocacy campaigns. His most significant policy work to date is representing his client the Houston Area Urban League (HAUL) in the Senate Bill One (SB1) lawsuit on voting rights.

Ray now serves as the Vice President of Equitable Justice & Strategic Initiatives for the National Urban League. His responsibilities include co-leading the NUL "Reclaim Your Vote" campaign, civics education, as well as leading or supervising policy issue areas such as anti-hate/political violence, gun violence, police accountability, criminal justice reform, cannabis equity, environmental justice, and others. 

His education consists of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration-Finance from Morehouse College, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston and a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University.

Ray wears a lot of hats, but none is more important than being the proud father of a fourteen-year-old daughter, Jordan.

Dr. Melva K. Wallace is the seventh President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, a top private liberal arts HBCU in Austin, TX. Known as a national advocate and leader in higher education, she has successfully increased enrollment and fundraising, amassing over $20 million in grants and gifts. A Presidential Leadership Scholar and recipient of the ATHENA award, Dr. Wallace has been recognized for her innovative contributions to education and community service. She co-teaches "The Business of Trap Music" with rapper T.I., and her leadership has been featured in major publications like Forbes and Billboard.

Phil Weilerstein has led VentureWell since its founding in 1996 and today serves as President and CEO. By developing and expanding VentureWell's programs on a national and global scale, he has guided VentureWell in its mission to solve global challenges through science- and technology-driven innovation and entrepreneurship. He accomplished this goal by designing and overseeing a suite of programs that encourage and support the deeper engagement of higher education and research institutions in curricular innovation, developing and strengthening innovation communities and supporting emerging science and technology innovators. Phil is committed to sharing VentureWell’s learnings and resources to support the creation of inclusive and more equitable pathways for innovators to succeed in venture creation. Under his leadership, VentureWell has partnered with key science funding agencies, major philanthropies, and hundreds of universities to train and support thousands of emerging students, researchers and faculty innovators. After celebrating VentureWell's milestone 25-year anniversary in 2021, he has accelerated work to fortify the broader innovation ecosystem and the launch of groundbreaking innovations.

Phil attended the University of Massachusetts where he was a co-founder of a biotechnology company developing naturally occurring pest control products. He is a Founder and Past Chair of the ASEE Entrepreneurship Division, and a recipient of the 2008 Price Foundation Innovative Entrepreneurship Educators Award, the 2014 Engineering Entrepreneurship Pioneers Award from ASEE, and the 2016 Deshpande Symposium Award for Outstanding Contributions to Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education.