Corey Wiggins, a Hazlehurst native and federal co-chair of the Delta Regional Authority, will be the next president of Tougaloo College effective July 1.
He will be the 15th president in the school’s 157-year-history, succeeding Donzell Lee.
Tougaloo’s Board of Trustees appointed Wiggins as president Friday after a yearlong national search.
Wiggins “is a visionary leader whose commitment to academic excellence, student success and institutional integrity aligns deeply with the historic mission of Tougaloo College,” board chair Blondean Y. Davis said in a news release. 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 could not immediately be reached for comment. In the news release from Tougaloo College, he said he was honored to be selected as the college’s next president.
In his current role, Wiggins oversees an independent federal agency that supports economic development across 255 counties and parishes in eight states throughout the Mississippi Delta and Alabama Black Belt.
Wiggins graduated from Alcorn State University with a B.S, in biology. He 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.
Dozens of alumni and supporters of the historically Black university, including U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, shared congratulatory posts on social media.
Thompson, a 1968 graduate, said because of his work, he has seen “firsthand the kind of leadership he brings to the table.”
“As an HBCU alumnus himself, he understands the mission and legacy of institutions like Tougaloo and the critical role they play in shaping future leaders,” Thompson said of Wiggins in an emailed statement to Mississippi Today. “His experience in leadership and his commitment to service will position Tougaloo College and its students to continue building on the school’s strong foundation. I look forward to working with him in the years ahead.”
Donzell Lee, who has led Tougaloo since previous President Carmen Walters stepped down in 2023, said he was the director of Alcorn State’s honors curriculum program when Wiggins was a student there. Lee remembers Wiggins as a highly organized student.
Lee said he met with Wiggins Wednesday, and they discussed initiatives Lee took on as president, including strategies for growing enrollment, raising research and institutional funds and redeveloping nearly 500 acres of land on campus for economic growth.
“He certainly understands people and processes and is someone keen to take the institution further,” Lee told Mississippi Today. “It’s clear his leadership ability is solid, based on his numerous work experiences.”
“I am confident and convinced the things I’ve done were always in the best interest of the institution,” Lee said. “I’m sure Wiggins is keen to listen to those constituents’ concerns, and it is something we as an institution are all keen on engaging with our stakeholders.”
