Ivory A. Toldson named Executive Director of the White House HBCU Initiative

Ivory A. Toldson has been named the new Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the U.S. Department of Education announced on Friday.

Toldson has been deputy director of the initiative since 2013. He replaces George Cooper, the previous executive director, who passed away in July.

Toldson brings to the position a wealth of experience, having served as an associate professor at Howard University, and a senior research analyst for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and editor-in-chief of “The Journal of Negro Education.”

According to the The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, in a written statement, said while congratulating Toldson, that “despite difficult circumstances, he and the initiative’s team have continued to remain focused on their work and the students they serve.”