Benedict College names new chief of staff

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Benedict College has named Verna Orr as the school’s new chief of staff.

Orr, who previously served as special assistant for planning and institutional effectiveness, will be responsible for directing the operations of the president’s office while also serving as an advisor and advocate for operational services, according to a news release.

“Dr. Orr brings a variety of rich experiences to the chief of staff position with her work as a strategic leader and her impeccable ability to deliver exceptional operational results,” Roslyn Clark Artis, president and CEO of Benedict College, said in the release. “Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to equity-minded decisions and championing collaborative problem-solving.”

Orr will manage critical priorities and projects that represent the interests and priorities of the president, lead and manage the office of human resources, and oversee the college’s strategic plan.

“I am excited to ascend to a new level of leadership at Benedict College and I am proud to work with some of the most amazing colleagues and professionals in higher education,” Orr said.

Orr holds a bachelor’s degree in music education, a master’s degree in education and a doctorate of educational policy and administration from Howard University. She also holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and completed a post-doctoral research appointment at the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment.

She is a former music teacher and administrator in Washington, D.C. public schools, and co-founded the HBCU Collaborative for Excellence in Educational Quality Assurance.