The Alabama State University Board of Trustees has selected the Honorable Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr. to serve as the 15th President of the University.
The vote came during the Board’s meeting on Friday (Sept. 8), and the final vote was unanimous (14 in favor of Dr. Ross with one member absent).
President-elect Ross was one of four finalists who visited the campus in August, meeting with Board members, students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community.
ASU Board of Trustees Chairwoman Alfreda Green said the next step is for the Board to negotiate Dr. Ross's contract with him.
“I am elated about the entire process,” said Green. “I think that the Presidential Search Committee did a great job in coming up with a matrix and a process; and executed that process very well. I think they did very well in coming up with the final four candidates that led to their successful interviews, leading to our selecting Senator Ross to be our new Alabama State University President," Green added.
Chairwoman Green indicated that the Board could meet again on Sept. 29.
ASU Trustee Brenda Brown-Hunter served on the Presidential Search Committee and said being united as "One-ASU" is essential to the continuing success of the Hornet Nation's University family.
“Those nine free slaves (ASU's founders) had to make decisions that led to the first 113 students in 1867,” Brown-Hunter said. “We likewise are doing this not for ourselves, but for the students and to preserve this historic institution.”
ABOUT PRESIDENT-ELECT DR. QUINTON T. ROSS, JR.
The Honorable Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., is a celebrated alumnus of Alabama State University, having earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science in 1992, a Master of Arts in Education in 1995 and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership, Policy and Law in 2010.
A veteran educator and administrator, Ross began his career as an instructor of English in the Montgomery Public Schools system. He earned progressive positions of leadership, becoming an assistant principal of Booker T. Washington Magnet School in 1998 and principal of that prestigious high school in 2000. Ross also served as an Educational Specialist at the Montgomery Public Schools’ Central Office from 2003-04.
In 2004, Ross began a 10-year tenure in higher education as the director of Adult Education at H. Councill Trenholm Community College in Montgomery. In that position, he worked as a member of the president’s cabinet, establishing and overseeing the Adult Education Division and developing and sustaining community partnerships to advance the literacy needs of Montgomery’s adult population.
In 2015, Ross assumed the position of manager of UniServ Organizing and staff consultant for Postsecondary Education with the Alabama Education Association. Ross managed the Northern and Southern Postsecondary UniServ staff, which is responsible for 25 two-year colleges, as well as 11 public colleges and universities.
A dedicated public servant, Ross has served as a member of the Alabama State Senate for the past 15 years. During his legislative tenure, Ross was one of seven African-American members of the Senate, was the first African-American male to serve as Senate Minority Leader and was the first Minority Leader elected to a four-year term. Ross also served on several legislative committees, including Banking and Insurance, Confirmation, County and Municipal Government, Finance and Taxation, Education, Transportation and Energy, Military Affairs and Education Youth Affairs (vice-chair).
Ross has received numerous awards for his professional achievements and public service, including the Montgomery Advertiser’s 2003 King Spirit Award; the 2005 Dare to Make a Difference Award; the 2005 Young Legend Award; the 2009 Alabama School Board Association’s Power of One Award; the 2012 Alabama Adult Education Director’s Association Champion Award; the 2016 Beloved Community Award presented by the Alabama State University Friends of the Theater; and the 2017 Business Champion Award from the Business Council of Alabama.
Ross was born in Mobile, Ala., and raised in Pontiac, Mich. He has been a resident of Montgomery for more than 20 years.
Ross is married to J. Kelley Ross, and they have two sons, Quinmari T. Ross and Quinton T. Ross, III. He is a member of Hutchinson Missionary Baptist Church and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Wednesday, September 20th 2017 at 7:28PM
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