HBCU advisory council

The core components of the HBCU Initiative are shaped and defined under the guidance of the HBCU advisory council of current and former HBCU presidents and chancellors.

Peter Bahr
Vice president of employer engagement and managing research director of the Strada Institute for the Future of Work

Aristide Collins Jr., Ed.D.
Executive vice president, chief administrative officer, and chief of staff

Holly Custard
Senior director, data ecosystem partnerships and innovation, clear outcomes

Leonard Haynes
Former U.S. assistant secretary for postsecondary education, Former Acting President Grambling State University

Nicole Thorne Jenkins, Ph.D.
John A. Griffin Dean of the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia
Kimberly Johnson
Vice provost of undergraduate education and student success, University of Oregon

Michael D. King
Vice president and general manager, global education industry (retired), IBM

Heather McKay
Senior vice president of employer engagement and executive director of the Strada Institute for the Future of Work

Erik I. Moreno
Executive vice president, corporate development and M&A, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Rev. Gerard (Gerry) J. Olinger, C.S.C.
Vice president for student affairs, University of Notre Dame

“We want them to have that sense that generations before had — that you’re here, and you can have an impact. As we look to the future, I think that’s where we really need to be.”
— Aminta Breaux, co-chair, Strada HBCU advisory council

“Part of the responsibility of higher education is obviously to help young people get a job and begin a career. Another key function of higher education, though, is to prepare leadership for the next generation.”
— Marshall Grigsby, co-chair, Strada HBCU advisory council