Xavier MAT Graduate Named President of Tougaloo College 

Tougaloo MS – The Board of Trustees of Tougaloo College has named Dr. Carmen J. Walter’s, a 1990 Xavier Master of Arts graduate, as its 14th President.

 Walters succeeds Dr. Beverly Wade Hogan, who is retiring June 30 after serving as president for 17 years. Walters is only the second first woman to lead the school.

 In making the announcement, the Board expressed confidence that Walters will bring a depth of executive-level leadership and knowledge in such vital areas as strategic planning in enrollment, facilities management, grant and budget management, workforce development, community and diversity relations and athletics management which will lead the historic college into the new era of higher education.

“This position is a dream come true for me,” said Walters said. “Tougaloo has such a rich and powerful history. You can feel it when you arrive on the campus and walk these hallowed grounds. It’s a great challenge and opportunity for me to help preserve that wonderful history but also carry Tougaloo forward so that it’s here another 150 years.”

 Walters has served more than 24 years in Community College education. She spent the past six years at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, where she is Executive Vice President of Enrollment Management, Student Success and Institutional Relations. Prior to that she worked 18 years at Delgado Community College in New Orleans.

Hogan said: “I am tremendously excited about the selection of Dr. Walters, and it will be my privilege to pass the baton of leadership to her. She brings a combined level of experiences, commitment and mature judgement that are useful in any leadership role. Her understanding and appreciation of the college’s history and mission, as well as her demonstrated commitment to faculty and student success, will be impactful in moving the college into its best years.”

Walters received a Bachelor of Science in accounting and business administration from Southern (La.) University in 1984, a Master of Arts degree in postsecondary counseling from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1990 and her PhD in Community College leadership from Mississippi State University in 2009.

She is married to Wayne Walters, and the couple has two grown daughters — Taeshau Walters and Tierra Walters Mackie.