Conyers appointed S.C. State interim president

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Retired U.S. Army Col. Alexander Conyers has been appointed acting president of South Carolina State University.

Conyers has served as the Orangeburg university’s vice president for strategic alliances and initiatives since May 3. The university’s board of trustees unanimously approved his appointment on Tuesday.

“The vote is evidence that the board has full confidence in his leadership ability and in his capability to manage the university as it makes this important transition,” Board chair Rodney C. Jenkins said in an article on the school’s website. “The board looks forward to working with Col. Conyers to continue advancing the university in pursuit of its mission to provide access to a quality education for promising students.”

Conyers served more than 28 years in the Army with tours at the Pentagon and in South Korea, Canada, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. In his capacity as the Army’s deputy assistant secretary, he led the Army Review Boards Agency, and he also led more than 3,600 soldiers and civilians across four military installations: Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; and Fort Drum, N.Y.

A graduate of S.C. State, Conyers has been a member of the university’s board of visitors and chair of the SCSU National Alumni Association’s student relations committee. The Manning native holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from S.C. State, a master’s degree in corrections from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in public administration from Troy University.

Conyers is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the University of North Carolina’s Leadership, Excellence and Development program.