UNCF President Michael L. Lomax to Retire in 2027

Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, has announced his intent to retire in June 2027.

“Few leaders have shaped an institution as profoundly as Dr. Lomax has shaped UNCF,” said Milton H. Jones, Jr., UNCF board chair. “For more than two decades, he has elevated HBCUs on the national stage, expanded educational opportunity for hundreds of thousands of students, strengthened our member institutions, and positioned UNCF for enduring success. We celebrate his extraordinary legacy while looking forward to the organization’s next chapter with great confidence. Thanks to Dr. Lomax’s vision and leadership, UNCF is stronger than ever and exceptionally well positioned for the future.”

Dr. Lomax began his presidency at UNCF in 2004. Among other accomplishments throughout Dr. Lomax’s tenure, the organization has raised more than $4 billion in support of students and HBCUs, helped more than 300,000 students pursue and complete college degrees, and increased its endowment nearly tenfold, rising from $60 million to a projected $600 million in 2027.

“Serving as president and CEO of UNCF has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said Dr. Lomax. “Everything we have accomplished has been made possible through the extraordinary partnership of our board of directors, our member institutions, our dedicated team members, our donors, our philanthropic partners, and the countless champions who believe deeply in our mission. Together, we have expanded opportunities for hundreds of thousands of students and strengthened the institutions that have transformed generations of lives.”

Before his current position, Dr. Lomax served as president of historically Black Dillard University in New Orleans. In addition to faculty appointments at Morehouse College and Spelman College in Atlanta, he has held roles in public service, including director of research and special assistant to Maynard H. Jackson, the first Black mayor of Atlanta. He also had stints as the first African American chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and as president of the National Faculty, an Atlanta-based organization dedicated to connecting higher education scholars with K-12 teachers.

Dr. Lomax holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Morehouse College, a master’s degree in English literature from Columbia University in New York, and a Ph.D. in American and African American literature from Emory University in Atlanta.

Five Things United Negro College Fund is Doing for Students

[SOURCE] Michael Lomax is the head of the United Negro College Fund. On Sunday in Atlanta, the UNCF holds its 36th annual telethon. Lomax sees the event as part of a greater effort to recruit a new generation of African-American stars to donate to the organization, which distributes millions in aid annually to historically black colleges and universities and provides scholarships to racial and ethnic minority students to attend all types of institutions. Here are five things to know about the UNCF, based on an Associated Press interview with Lomax:

KOCH DONATION

The UNCF faced criticism from some areas for taking the Koch donation. But Lomax said that for seven decades — stemming from a 1944 campaign started by oil baron John D. Rockefeller — UNCF has sought donations from people of all political persuasions. “We have always, always said our cause is universal and all Americans should support it,” Lomax said.

The UNCF got 1,800 applications for 44 positions in a Koch-funded entrepreneur program in a matter of weeks.

Lomax said he doesn't discuss politics with the Kochs. “What we talk about is the one thing we share a belief in, that young people should be given support to get a good education, and by the way more of them should be given the opportunity to become entrepreneurs,” he said.

RECRUITING NEW GENERATION OF DONORS

The telethon has raised hundreds of millions, and Lomax said a new generation has stepped up to replace entertainers such as the late singer Lou Rawls, the longtime host.

Lomax said contributions are now coming from people like comedian Kevin Hart, musicians Pharrell, Trey Songz and Usher and NBA superstar Chris Paul, and other entertainers who may or may not have attended historically black colleges and universities but whose parents did.

FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PLAN

Lomax was not a fan of the Obama administration's idea to make community college free, which would cost billions of dollars. He said Congress should instead strengthen the Pell Grant program to help low-income students attend all types of institutions.

There are hundreds of thousands of students who don't want to go to community college “and they should have the same resources and the same advocacy from the federal government,” he said.

The administration's community college plan may help middle-class families who might not critically need it, “and I'm not for that when there are people out there who are desperate,” Lomax said.

PROPOSED RATINGS SYSTEM

The administration is developing a college ratings system designed to look at access, affordability and outcomes so students and their parents will have a better idea about which institutions provide the best value.

Lomax said the focus on ratings has been a “great distraction” from discussions about how to better get money to students to pay for school. He said there are already plenty of ratings of colleges available.

What it's not addressing is “once I make my choice, how do I pay if I'm low to moderate income?” Lomax said.

WHY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES?

Lomax sees a bright future for historically black schools despite tightening budgets. These schools produce almost 1 in 5 of all African-Americans with bachelor's degrees, according to the organization.

“We think we're doing more with less,” he said. “We could do even more with greater advocacy that we have earned.”