Dr. Rochelle L. Ford, APR, announced the following individuals to serve as leaders in the Dillard University president’s cabinet, effective July 1, 2023:
- Dr. Charles Prince, Chief of Staff and Transformation Officer
- Dr. Ceeon D. Quiett Smith, Executive Vice President of Student Success and Operations
- Victoria Alexis, Director of Communications and Marketing
Additionally, President Ford announced that Constance Cannon Fraizer and Dr. Roland Bullard will begin serving as Special Assistants to the President on July 1.
Frazier will co-lead the provost search with Dr. Lovell Agwaramgbo, professor and chair of the School of STEM, and assist with marketing communications and developing new revenue streams. Dr. Roland Bullard will help develop globalization efforts in collaboration with cabinet members.
“I appreciate the institutional knowledge that Dr. Bullard provided during my first year as president. His international travel and engagement with the Melton Foundation as a board member have prepared him well for this special assignment,” said President Ford.
The cabinet consists of 12 Dillard University senior leaders who support and advise the president on university matters, operations, and the implementation of strategic goals.
Dr. Ceeon D. Smith, Vice President of Student Success and Operations
Ceeon D. Quiett Smith, Ph.D., will be responsible for the establishment of the new office of student success and operations. It will include the current student success division, athletics, and the chaplain. The focus will be on the implementation of President Ford’s vision for a living, learning, and serving communiversity. The new office will spearhead efforts and funding that advance healthy, safe, and innovative communities.
Raised in the New Orleans neighborhood, Pontchartrain Park, Smith said, “In my opinion, no other institution is better positioned to drive transformation in Gentilly, and around the world, than Dillard University — It’s in the Bleu Devils’ DNA!”
Dr. Smith is the Cleo Fields Endowed Professor/Chair of the Department of Mass Communication at Grambling State University (GSU). She is currently serving as an exchange detail in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), supporting the Division of Civil Rights (DOCR) with strategy development and program implementation efforts to enhance and increase civil rights compliance activities specific to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Implementation (BIL), with a focus on the technical assistance and contract equity for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
As one of the nation’s leading experts in crisis and risk management, Dr. Smith is the first African American to earn a doctoral degree from the Arizona State University (ASU) Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has been recognized by IE Magazine and Marquis Who’s Who as an emerging leader and selected as a Presidential Vocational Fellow for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).
“Dr. Smith brings a wealth of experience in higher education by working with leading HBCUs, private entities, and the federal government. We look forward to her strategic activation of bringing the communiversity model to reality,”said Ford.
Smith holds memberships with the HBCU Emergency Management Workforce Consortium, FEMA Region 6 Higher Ed Collaborative, Southwest Education Council for Journalism & Mass Communication Association (SWECJMC), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and The Links, Inc.
Dr. Charles Prince, Chief of Staff
Since January 2023, Prince has been responsible for the University’s strategic planning process, the UNCF transformation project, and leading student retention efforts as chief transformation and sustainability officer. “I appreciate the support the campus has provided me in the last six months. I look forward to the expanded role to serve the DU community,” said Prince. In his additional role as Chief of Staff, he will support the president and cabinet in cross-functional efforts to improve the University’s efficiency and effectiveness.
To learn more about Dr. Prince’s background: Dillard announces Dr. Charles BW Prince as transformation and sustainability officer
About Dillard University
Dillard University is a historically Black institution that cultivates leaders who live ethically, think and communicate precisely, and act courageously to make the world a better place. Located in New Orleans, Dillard is a private faith-based liberal arts university that offers 22 majors and two certificate programs. Ranked 5th on 2021 The New York Times Overall Mobility Index and 14th in 2022 by Academic Influence for Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship, Dillard’s call to future leaders is to Write Your Legacy. Find out more about Louisiana’s oldest HBCU by visiting www.dillard.edu.
