(Talladega, AL) Talladega College will confer three honorary degrees during its 146th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at 9 a.m.
Honorary degree recipients for the Class of 2021 include Executive Business Management (EBM) President/CEO Essye B. Miller, who previously served as principal deputy, Department of Defense chief information officer (CIO); acclaimed poet and social justice advocate Nikky Finney; and UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Senior Vice President Lodriguez Murray.
Essye B. Miller ‘85 is a seasoned executive with 35+ years of federal and Department of Defense (DoD) experience. She provides consulting and strategic advisory services focused on national defense issues related to information management, information technology, and cybersecurity. Ms. Miller is also a CIO Strategic Advisor Government Executive (SAGE) for Partnership for Public Service. During her tenure as principal deputy chief information officer, she served as primary advisor to the Secretary of Defense for information management, information technology, and information assurance. She oversaw implementation of the department’s Digital Modernization Strategy; set the strategic direction for DoD IT reform efforts in support of the National Defense Strategy; drove the Fourth Estate Network Optimization efforts; and successfully managed the Department’s $49 billion IT budget. As the DoD face to the Federal CIO Council, she influenced IT priorities and policies across government agencies. Ms. Miller was recognized by the Secretary of Defense for her Distinguished Civilian Service. She is also a 2018 recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for exceptional service and a staunch advocate for developing the next generation of technology and cybersecurity leaders.
Nikky Finney ‘79 holds two endowed chairs at the University of South Carolina, the University Distinguished Professor Chair and the John H. Bennett Jr. Chair in Creative Writing and Southern Letters. She is the recipient of the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets (2020), the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry from the University of the South (2020), the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award for the Arts in South Carolina (2016), the Benjamin Franklin Award for Poetry (2004), and the PEN American Open Book Award (1996). She has authored and edited numerous publications, including Head Off & Split, winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Poetry. Her newest book, Love Child’s Hotbed of Occasional Poetry, is a finalist for the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Her work is on display in the inaugural exhibition of the African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington, D.C. She is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets, a place for poets of color in Appalachia. She was recently elected chancellor of the American Academy of Poets.
Lodriguez V. Murray is a tenured executive federal lobbyist based in the District of Columbia, He specializes in representing diverse constituencies to policy and political leaders. He is highly skilled at procuring federal funding for the organizations he represents, due in part to his working knowledge of federal laws, departments, agencies, and programs. In addition to his ability to procure federal funds, Mr. Murray has proven capability in coordinating successful fundraising events and receptions. Key to his effectiveness as a lobbyist is his ability to develop strategic plans, analyze policies, and provide regular recommendations for program enhancements. His solid and trusting relationships enable him to effectively represent clients of members of Congress, congressional staff, and agencies. He is the youngest ever permanent member of the UNCF Leadership Team.
About Talladega College
Talladega College, Alabama’s first private historically black college, is consistently ranked among the best regional colleges and top HBCUs in the nation. It was founded in 1867 by two former slaves, William Savery and Thomas Tarrant, and is the home of the renowned Hale Woodruff Amistad Murals.
