A. Zachary Faison Jr.

A. Zachary Faison Jr. (born April 13, 1980) is an American academic administrator and attorney. He is the 30th President and CEO of Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida, which is distinctively the State of Florida’s first independent institution of higher learning as well as Florida’s first college/university established for the education of African-Americans. Faison previously served at Tuskegee University as General Counsel and Vice President of External Affairs. Faison assumed office in July 2018. Prior to serving as President at Edward Waters he was General Counsel & Vice President for External Affairs at Tuskegee University.

Biography

Faison was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the son of Alderman Faison Sr. and Dr. Jewel J. Faison. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Albany State University in Albany, Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English where he was an ASU Presidential & Foundation Scholar, ASU Velma Fudge Grant University Honors Program Graduate, ASU National Merit Scholar Graduate, an inductee of the Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society, and upon graduation was awarded for being the highest-ranking student in the University’s Department of English & Modern Languages.  He attended the University of Georgia School of Law (UGA) where he earned his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and was a member of the UGA School of Law Executive Moot Court Board & UGA Law Moot Court team. He is a licensed member of the State Bar of Georgia, Georgia Court of Appeals, Georgia Supreme Court, and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Faison has completed post-doctoral study as a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management (IEM) and was a Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI) Institute Fellow of the American Association of State Colleges & Universities (AASCU) & Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Additionally, he is a graduate of AASCU’s New President’s Academy and is a Gamma Cohort Fellow of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (HELF). Faison also holds the Certification in Fundraising Management (CFRM) designation from The Fundraising School of Philanthropy at Indiana-University-Purdue-University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Personal Details

Education: Albany State University (BA); University of Georgia School of Law (JD); Harvard University Graduate School of Education (IEM – Institute for Educational Management); Indiana-University-Purdue-University at Indianapolis-IUPUI (CFRM – Certification in Fundraising Management).

Administrative Experience

General Counsel & Vice President for External Affairs, Tuskegee University

Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, Virginia Union University

Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Marketing & Communications, Mississippi Valley State University

Chief of Staff & Special Assistant to the President for Legal & Legislative Affairs, Community Affairs and Economic Development, Mississippi Valley State University

Personal Life

Faison is married to Tyciee L. Faison who is also an educator and an ordained seminary trained minister. He is the brother of Dr. Morgan Z. Faison who is an Assistant Professor of education at the University of Georgia.

Honors & Awards

·       Jacksonville Business Journal – 40 Under 40 Top Business Leader

·       National Bar Association – Nation’s Top 40 Under 40 Lawyers & Legal Advocates

·       University of Georgia – Top 40 Under 40 UGA Alumni

·       Albany State University – Top 50 Under 50 ASU Alumni

·       Featured by Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Redefining the Narrative at Edward Waters College; Young HBCU Leaders Look to Carry the Torch.