Dr. Willie L. Todd Jr., president-select of Talladega College, has announced the appointment of Dr. A. Clifton Myles as the new provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Myles brings over 32 years of leadership from Pre-K to higher education. He most recently served as provost and executive vice president at Denmark Technical College where he led transformative initiatives that redefined institutional success and student achievement. His academic and artistic backgrounds reflect a deep belief in the transformative power of education and the arts.
“Dr. Myles is a proven change agent whose leadership has consistently elevated the institutions he has served,” said Todd. “His passion for academic excellence, commitment to equity, and ability to build strategic partnerships will be instrumental as we continue to position Talladega College as a national leader among HBCUs.”
“I am honored to join the Talladega College family and contribute to its rich legacy of excellence,” said Myles. “Together, we will build on the College’s historic foundation to create a future defined by academic excellence, innovation, inclusion, and impact. My goal is to usher in a transformative era of academic innovation, institutional advancement, and student-centered excellence at Talladega.”
As provost and executive vice president, Myles will lead the College’s academic enterprise, champion student success, and drive strategic initiatives that align with Talladega’s mission and vision. His appointment marks a bold step forward in the College’s journey to empower the next generation of leaders, scholars, and change-makers as the incoming president works to “Reimagine Liberal Arts Education.”
Myles’ career also includes higher education roles as provost and executive vice president for more than five years. Additionally, he has served as associate provost, director of assessment, director of student support services, director of theater and faculty member at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions in South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky. His leadership has generated millions in new revenue, expanded academic offerings, and it has forged collaborations with industry, government, and philanthropic organizations. At Denmark Tech, Myles’ efforts led to the creation of a Security Operations Center, the Clean Tech Apprenticeship Program, and a $10 million clean energy grant in partnership with the HBCU Community Development Action Coalition, Smartville USA, and the Department of Energy. Over the past five years, Myles has managed nearly $100 million in grants and contracts.
Myles is a fellow of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ HBCU Contracting Competitiveness Academy and the youngest serving president of the National Association of Speech and Dramatic Arts, Inc., the nation’s oldest Black educational speech and theater association. He is also the founder of the HBCU Learning Ecosystem, a visionary initiative designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and excellence across historically Black institutions. Myles has worked in various capacities with institutions to assist with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and AdvancED, contributing to accreditation and institutional effectiveness across multiple institutions.
He is a recipient of the Lynne Chidley Academy District Scholarship from the Impacting the Future Now Foundation and a member of the International Learning Forward Academy. Myles is a proud member of 100 Black Men of America and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and he has contributed to higher education policy as a member of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Policy Task Force.
Myles holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), a master’s in education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from North Carolina A&T State University.
