As Dr. Henry N. Tisdale prepares to retire June 30 after 25 years as president of a transformed Claflin University, the historically Black institution announced Monday that he will be succeeded by another HBCU president.
Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, president of Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri for the last five years, has been appointed by Claflin’s board of trustees as the ninth president of the 150-year-old school in Orangeburg, S.C.
Accompanied by his wife and daughter, Warmack appeared Monday at a brief news conference at Claflin, where his appointment was publicly announced. He expressed enthusiasm and optimism, praising Tisdale’s leadership and pledging to continue Claflin’s rich tradition.
“Claflin is an amazing institution and is doing some great things, and what I hope to do is build on the outstanding legacy that is here,” he told Diverse later in a telephone interview.
Board chairman James K. Lehman said Warmack was the unanimous choice of trustees who believe that “he will continue Claflin’s upward trajectory, keeping the university among the nation’s leading institutions of higher education. He brings a brand of leadership that is inclusive, transparent and inspires teamwork.”
Warmack, who takes office Aug. 1, said he aspires “to honor President Tisdale’s amazing legacy by continuing the Claflin standard as a beacon of excellence in higher education for future generations to come.”
Warmack, who recently was selected an Eisenhower Fellow, was senior vice president for administration and student services at Bethune-Cookman University prior to arriving at Harris-Stowe. Earlier, he served as associate dean of students at Rhodes College, where he oversaw student affairs and administration, and held positions at Delta State and Western Carolina universities.
