Nationwide — The Tougaloo College Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Corey Wiggins, a Mississippi native and nationally recognized public policy leader, as the 15th president of Tougaloo College, effective July 1. He succeeds the current president, Dr. Donzell Lee, following a comprehensive national search led by the Board of Trustees that engaged trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community stakeholders.
Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, chair of the Tougaloo College Board of Trustees, expressed confidence in the Board’s selection.
“Dr. Corey Wiggins is a visionary leader whose commitment to academic excellence, student success, and institutional integrity aligns deeply with the historic mission of Tougaloo College,” Davis said. “After a rigorous national search, the Board is confident that Dr. Wiggins possesses the leadership, experience, and passion necessary to guide Tougaloo into its next chapter of growth and impact.”
Wiggins currently serves as Federal Co-Chair of the Delta Regional Authority, an independent federal agency that supports economic development across 255 counties and parishes in eight states throughout the Mississippi Delta and Alabama Black Belt.
A presidential appointee confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate, Wiggins oversees initiatives that have directed more than $300 million in infrastructure, workforce development, and small business investments across the region.
Prior to his federal appointment, Wiggins served as Executive Director of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, where he led statewide campaigns focused on civic engagement and criminal justice reform, tripled the organization’s revenue, and mobilized more than 11,000 volunteers across Mississippi.
He previously served as Senior Vice President at HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Credit Union, and Hope Policy Institute), where he helped advance initiatives focused on economic mobility, financial inclusion, and community development across the Deep South.
A seasoned educator, Wiggins has also held faculty appointments at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson State University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he taught courses on health policy, strategic management, and the social determinants of health.
A native of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, Wiggins is a graduate of Alcorn State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in biology, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned both a Master of Science in public health and a Doctor of Philosophy in health promotion.
He also holds a certificate in nonprofit leadership from Boston College and has completed fellowships with the Kaiser Family Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Founded in 1869, Tougaloo College is one of Mississippi’s historically Black colleges and played an important role in the civil rights movement, serving as a meeting place and organizing center for activists.
Wiggins said he is honored to lead the historic institution.
“It is an honor to be selected as the next president of Tougaloo College, an institution with a profound legacy of academic excellence and social transformation,” Wiggins said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader Tougaloo community to advance the College’s mission and strengthen its future.”
Dr. Wiggins is married and the father of three sons.
Additional details regarding campus transition events and opportunities for the Tougaloo community to welcome Dr. Wiggins will be announced in the coming months.
About Tougaloo College
Founded in 1869 by the American Missionary Association of New York (AMA), an integrated abolitionist society, Tougaloo College is recognized as a leading liberal arts institution with a predominantly African American student body. It is the only institution in Mississippi directly linked to the original 1831 proposal for the first college intended for African Americans, which was to be established in New Haven, Connecticut, near Yale College, and to the La Amistad incident of 1839. Tougaloo College played a pivotal role in the modern American Civil Rights Movement by serving as an integrated meeting place and organizational center for movement leaders. The college is historically affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
For press inquiries, contact:
Dr. Blondean Y. Davis
Chairwoman, Tougaloo College Board of Trustees
bdavis@sd162.org
708-710-8864
Dr. Donzell Lee
President, Tougaloo College
dlee@tougaloo.edu
601-977-7732