Talladega College
On January 1,2008,he became the 20th president of Talladega College. [1] During his time at Talladega,Hawkins sought to bring the college out of debt and increase enrollment. He began partnering with companies based in Talldega,including Honda,and the state of Alabama's work release program,to secure volunteers and staff to help maintain and care for the college grounds. The project included renovations of every campus building - the first in twelve years. Hawkins also relaunched the school's sports programs after ten years. The college has won seven national championships since Hawkins relaunched athletics. He also helped the school regain its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and created the Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art. [3]
In 2017,the Talladega College band performed at the inauguration of Donald Trump. Funds for the performance were crowdsourced,including support from Bill O'Reilly. Hawkins experienced a backlash,including calls to be fired,however,student band members and the board of trustees supported the performance. [3]
Hawkins serves as a board member of the United Negro College Fund and is a member of the White House Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). [3] In 2020,he was named one of the 10 most powerful HBCU leaders in the US by the HBCU Campaign Fund. [4] He retired on June 30,2022. [5]
