Dr. Melva K. Wallace President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University Results, stability, and forward planning define the leadership of Dr. Melva K. Wallace, Seventh President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, a nationally ranked private liberal arts historically Black college and university (HBCU) and the third oldest business in the city of Austin, Texas. Her career spans more than 20 years in senior leadership across public and private higher education. Since she took the helm in 2022, Huston-Tillotson University has advanced measurably in national prominence, fundraising, enrollment strategy, and academic innovation, including expanded international, graduate, and online offerings. Most notably, Huston Tillotson secured a historic $150 million philanthropic investment from the Moody Foundation—the largest gift in HBCU history—and the top 30 largest gift to any university in the country. Dr. Wallace is widely regarded for her innovation, advocacy on AI use at our nation’s HBCUS, disciplined financial management and strategic execution. Prior to her presidency, she held senior executive appointments within the Southern University System, the only HBCU system in the nation. Her service as vice chancellor and chief of staff included system-level oversight of multiple campuses and complex operations. Earlier academic leadership roles included service at Centenary College of Louisiana, where she contributed to student retention initiatives and now serves on the Board of Trustees. Nationally, Dr. Wallace is recognized for her perspective on HBCUs and higher education leadership. As a Presidential Leadership Scholar, she studied leadership under former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush. Her honors include the ATHENA Leadership Award, recognition by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as a leading minority woman in higher education, designation as one of Texas’ Top 100 Influential Texans in Business, and the Austin Chamber’s Top CEO award for 2026. Her academic preparation includes degrees from Grambling State University and a Ph.D. from Jackson State University. She is married to Dr. D. L. Wallace, who is the CEO of an ed tech company and pastor who has been on the cover of Money magazine and Global Millionaire. They reside in the Dallas, Texas area.