Professional Affiliation

President, Morris Brown College

Expert Bio

Dr. Kevin James serves as the 19^th President of Morris Brown College, a historically Black college located in Atlanta, Georgia founded in 1881. In this role he leads as the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of college operations. He is also responsible for the development and execution of the vision and strategic direction for the college, in concert with the Board of Trustees.

In his nearly 22-year career as a higher education administrator, faculty member, executive business leader, and motivational speaker, Dr. James is committed to improving his community through education and empowerment. He has served in various progressive executive-level roles in higher education and the non-profit sector.

Prior to his post as President, Dr. James served as Interim CEO of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., internationally headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The mission of 100 Black Men of America is to improve the quality of life and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans.

Dr. Kevin James was named College President of the Year by the Georgia Greater Black Chamber of Commerce, and one of Atlanta’s Most Powerful Leaders by Atlanta Magazine in 2021. Additionally, he received the 4 Brighter Futures Foundation, Inc. Chairman Award, was a Georgia Leadership Character Awards nominee, Mentor of the Year for 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., and Morris Brown College was named Top 10 Smaller HBCU that is Rising #4 by the HBCU Campaign Fund. Moreover, Dr. James and Morris Brown announced in early 2021 that it would partner with Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and the global investment firm CGI Merchant Group to develop a $30 million hotel at the institution. With this announcement, Morris Brown becomes the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) nationwide with both a flagged hotel and a hospitality management training program on its campus. While most thought it was impossible for Morris Brown to be restored, with a vote of approval in April 2021, Dr. James led Morris Brown College to become the first HBCU in history to accreditation candidacy status after a 20-year hiatus.

 

A native of Columbia, S.C., Dr. James attended South Carolina State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and Social Sciences from Winthrop University; a master’s degree in Business Management, Leadership, and Organizational Effectiveness from Troy State University; and a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He is also a graduate of the Higher Education Institute at Harvard University.