The Talladega College Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Gregory Vincent as its 21st President effective June 1, 2022.
A seasoned educator, prior to joining Talladega College Dr. Vincent was Professor of Educational Policy and Law, Inaugural Executive Director of the Education and Civil Rights Initiative, and Program Chair of the Ph.D. Senior Diversity Officer Specialization at the University of Kentucky. Vincent, “…rose to prominence as a result of his robust defense of the University of Texas at Austin’s affirmative action case that was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 and 2016. At the time, Vincent, was Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement at UT Austin and served as the university’s spokesperson in that nationally recognized legal case.” Vincent also served as the W.K. Kellogg Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and held a number of executive leadership positions and professorships at several flagship universities.
According to Mrs. Rica Lewis-Payton, Talladega College Board of Trustee member and search committee chair, Dr. Vincent's proven record of exceptional leadership and measurable results in public service, business, academia, and community sealed the deal. “Dr. Vincent’s unique position and values resonated.”
Dr. Vincent served as President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York. Although his tenure was short-lived due to an allegation of plagiarism, Dr. Vincent resolved the issue and has continued a successful career in higher education. His ability to address the situation and to move on is an example of leadership and determination.
Gregory Vincent was born in Harlem, NY, and was inspired to attend law school by Thurgood Marshall who was a parishioner at the same church he attended as a young person. His interest in civil rights was sparked at an early age. However, according to Vincent, “Everything has been around this moral compass of doing the right things the right way, living up to the ideals of our democratic society, which is why I moved into education,” Vincent said. “The thought was that if I moved into education, I could begin to work on … issues before the harm even occurred. That’s been part of my inspiration.”
Gregory Vincent eared his J.D. from the Ohio University Moritz College of Law. He earned his EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. According to his bio, he was an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Ohio Attorney General where he successfully argued several major civil rights cases before the Supreme Court of Ohio. He was later appointed Director for Regional and Legal affairs for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and vice president and lead counsel for Bank One. He also founded an Ohio-based law firm focusing on civil rights, education, and employment, and co-founded a global diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm.