The Saint Augustine’s University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to remove the interim status from Dr. Everett B. Ward’s title and name him the 11th president of Saint Augustine’s University effective immediately.

Ward is the third alumnus to hold the post in the 148-year history of Saint Augustine’s University.

“We are pleased with the direction in which the university is headed under the leadership of Dr. Ward and feel confident that he is the best person for this job,” said Rodney E. Gaddy, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “We are impressed with the amount of change that Dr. Ward has been able to affect in such a short period of time. The stability and restoration of faith in the institution that he has achieved is evident and we are looking forward to what’s next.”

Dr. Everett B. Ward was appointed interim president on April 23, 2014. Under his leadership, the university has identified and focused on four academic areas: Mass Communication and Journalism, Criminal Justice, Public Health and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“I would like to thank the members of the Board of Trustees for their vote of confidence in naming me president,” Dr. Ward said. “As a proud son of Saint Augustine’s University, I know firsthand the rich history of our beloved institution as well as the University’s mighty contributions to this community and state. The legacy of my family and Saint Augustine’s University are forever linked.”

In addition to his undergraduate degree from Saint Augustine’s University, Ward holds a master’s degree from North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. from North Carolina A&T State University.

Prior to Saint Augustine’s University, Dr. Ward served as the director of the Historically Black Colleges and University/Minority Institutions of Higher Education Program for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. In that role, he worked with university chancellors and presidents, faculty and staff in the areas of transportation curriculum development, research initiatives and student development.

As a dedicated servant leader, Dr. Ward serves on several national, regional and statewide boards to advance opportunities for citizens throughout the nation. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) where he serves as vice chairman of the DNC Black Caucus. He is also former co-chairman of the Credentials Committee and a former member of the DNC Rules and By-Laws Committee. As a result of his political achievements, Dr. Ward made history in 1989 as the first African-American executive director of the North Carolina Democratic Party.