Tennessee State University’s Board of Trustees tapped one of its own Friday to lead TSU after the resignation of interim President Ronald Johnson.
At a special-called meeting, the board named Dwayne Tucker, a TSU graduate and the CEO of LEAD Public Schools, as the new interim president of the university.
Tucker has served as a TSU trustee since April and will step down from the board as he takes over leadership of the university. The news comes just two days after Johnson announced his resignation. Johnson served as interim president for less than six months. On Friday, the board formally accepted Johnson’s resignation.
In the Friday special meeting, board members commended Tucker as a person who can help lead the university on a clear financial path.
Tucker, speaking before the board, said he hopes to unify a divided university and correct misinformation about the finances moving into the new year.
“We don’t want to start 2025 off by litigating the past,” he said.
Board chair: Tucker is a ‘uniquely capable’ leader for TSU
In a news release, TSU Board Chair Dakasha Winton said the decision to appoint Tucker aligns with the board’s vision to ensure a bright future for TSU, where the university can serve students, faculty and alumni for decades to come.
“This decision is in service of that priority,” Winton said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to Dwayne for making the sacrifice to serve TSU in this way. As a proud and accomplished TSU alum with proven leadership in addressing complex issues while developing innovative paths forward, he is uniquely capable of leading us through this important and challenging time.”
Since Tucker has resigned his seat on the board, Gov. Bill Lee will be tasked with appointing a replacement. Tucker will also take a temporary break from his role at LEAD, a network of public charter schools, to focus on TSU. LEAD Heads of Schools Ricki Gibbs and LaVoe Mulgrew will divide up Tucker’s responsibilities in his absence, a LEAD spokesperson said.
Tucker’s term as interim president will end June 30. The board plans to relaunch its search for a permanent president in January, with the goal of appointing a permanent president who will start July 1.
Tucker will not take a salary during his time as interim president.
“I am both honored and humbled by this appointment,” Tucker said in a statement. “As a proud TSU alum, I care deeply about securing the strongest possible future for my alma mater and for the students who entrust us with their education. This is why I have served all along. We have serious and important work to do, and I look forward to joining the board in doing that work transparently and with integrity. It’s the TSU way.”
More:What to know about Tennessee State University as Johnson resigns, finance issues continue
Johnson resigns as pressure mounts over TSU finances, Glover contract
Johnson did not explicitly say what led to his abrupt resignation, which took effect Friday, just two days after he announced it. In a letter posted to the official TSU Facebook page, Johnson thanked the university community for its dedication and passion and expressed hope for the school’s future.
“This decision is not made lightly,” Johnson wrote. “It has become apparent that there is a fundamental difference of perspective with the board on how best to move this institution forward.”
Winton, the board chair, said she met with Johnson a day before he submitted his resignation. While she did not explicitly say why he resigned, she told The Tennessean that Johnson signed off on part of former President Glenda Glover’s controversial $1.7 million pay package.
“As the appointed Board of Trustees for Tennessee State University, our job is to ensure the future strength of the school through thoughtful and decisive governance,” Winton said in a statement.
Noting his concerns about the prior leadership on Friday, Board Vice Chair Charles Traughber said Johnson frequently exceeded his authority by speaking with state leaders and other stakeholders about decisions that rested solely with trustees. He said Johnson also “arguably misled” the State Building Commission about his involvement with Glover’s continuing employment arrangement with TSU.
The resignation followed the board’s latest meeting in November that grew tense, at times, as board members pressed Johnson and his team for more details on how they plan to navigate TSU through dire financial straits. As of October, the school had laid off at least 100 employees, along with instituting budget cuts and freezes on hiring and nonessential spending.
At the end of the November meeting, the board unanimously voted to urge Johnson to end Glover’s contract. It’s not clear if her contract is still in effect or if she is still being paid in her role as president emeritus. Winton said the agreement is under legal review and referred questions to the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, which declined to comment on the matter.
Winton confirmed Johnson will not receive any more pay from TSU now that he resigned his interim contract.
Who is Dwayne Tucker?
Tucker was appointed to the TSU board of trustees in April after the legislature vacated the old TSU board and Lee appointed new members, all of whom are TSU alumnists. On the board, he chaired its finance committee. A new finance committee chair will be named in his place in the coming months. Tucker has served as the the CEO of LEAD Public Schools, a Nashville-based network of charter schools, since 2018.
He graduated from TSU with a Bachelor’s in business administration in 1980 and went on to build a diverse, career as a businessman. His business career began with starting two popular night clubs in Nashville in the 1980s before losing everything and starting over. As he rebuilt his career, he went from being a manager trainee at a Brentwood Pizza Hut to landing several high-level positions in Fortune 500 companies including First Data, Northwest Airlines and Alliance Data over the course of 40 years.
“His versatility has been invaluable to organizations facing transition where business courage, leadership, bench strength and scalability were needed,” Tucker’s biography on the TSU website reads. “Dwayne ‘speaks the language of the CSuite’ and is able to coach others in the art of influence that is critical to long term executive success.”
From 2018:The ‘unofficial Black mayor of North Nashville’ Dwayne Tucker’s climb out of poverty
In 2018, Tucker told The Tennessean he felt a draw to LEAD Public Schools after learning about its mission. The network, now home to five schools, began with a charter school on Heiman Street in North Nashville — just a few blocks from Tucker’s childhood home. He joined its board and eventually became its CEO.
According to the LEAD website, it serves a diverse population of more than 2,100 students and has anywhere between and 84-93% graduation rate across its campuses. Additionally, 100% of its graduates apply to four-year colleges and universities. The network places emphasis on empowering students of color, along with students who are economically disadvantaged or have limited English proficiency.
“Equality in education should not be about what part of town you live in,” Tucker said in a quote posted on the LEAD website. “All children, regardless of where they live or their socio-economic status, should have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. I believe we provide that in service to our students and families.”