Kentucky State University Board of Regents Tap Clara Ross Stamps to Serve as Acting President
Kentucky State University Board of Regents today confirmed the resignation of Dr. M. Christopher Brown II effective immediately. In 2017, Brown was named the 18th president of Kentucky State, after serving in leadership roles at leading HBCUs in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Brown’s resignation was accepted today at a special called Board meeting. The Board named Clara Ross Stamps, Kentucky State’s senior vice president for Brand Identity and University Relations, as acting president.
“The Board accepts Dr. Brown’s resignation and supports the current administration as they ready to engage with students, parents and campus stakeholders for the fall semester,” said Dr. Elaine Farris, chairperson of the Board. “We anticipate a cordial, collaborative and seamless transition and wish Dr. Brown well as he follows his interest in other professional endeavors.”
Stamps, who also serves as the University’s official spokesperson, was unanimously selected to serve as acting president to assure continuity of operations.
The Board will discuss details regarding the search process for the University’s next president at its September quarterly meeting. In other Board business, Stamps introduced Gregory Rush as the institution’s next vice president for Finance and Administration/CFO. In 2015, Rush served as Kentucky State’s vice president of business affairs. He has an extensive background in financial stewardship of human, financial, and physical resources. He returns to Kentucky State after serving as Senior Fellow and Legislative Liaison for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.
“As the Kentucky State University community comes together, with a renewed appreciation for our collegiate campus atmosphere and a commitment to our core mission and values, I am humbled and energized by the opportunity to serve our students and community following what has certainly been a time of unprecedented change. I pledge to labor with our faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters, and will be accessible, transparent, accountable, and communicative, so together we can positively impact the lives of our students and society while advancing Kentucky State onward and upward,” said Stamps.
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ABOUT CLARA ROSS STAMPS
An experienced leader in strategic planning, branding, community engagement, Stamps brings 25 years of experience in organizational administration, leadership, change management and higher education communication. An award-winning marketing professional with extensive certifications, she received her B.S.B.A. from Mississippi College, and is pursuing a Doctorate in Education at Morehead State University in Adult and Higher Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Governance and Policy Studies. She joined Kentucky State in 2017 and has a demonstrated record of success in bolstering Kentucky State’s brand identity, development efforts and enhancing its overall university relations program.
ABOUT KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
Kentucky State University is a public, comprehensive, historically Black land-grant university committed to advancing the Commonwealth of Kentucky, enhancing society, and impacting individuals by providing quality teaching with a foundation in liberal studies, scholarly research, and public service to enable productive lives within the diverse global economy.