Two accomplished men who both hold degrees from “Tuskegee Institute,” now known as Tuskegee University, will now sit on the university’s board! Get more information on the two in the release from Tuskegee below.
Earlier this month, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced she had appointed two new members to the Tuskegee University Board of Trustees: Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice John H. England, Jr. and John Douglas Chambers. Each individual (appointed to a four-year term) brings more than three decades of experience in the management and governance of post-secondary institutions of higher learning. In addition to these new appointments, Governor Ivey reappointed Henry Davis, Jonathan Porter, and Pebblin Warren to another four-year term as state-appointed trustees.
“Both Judge England and John Chambers are two great additions to the Board of Trustees,” said Norma Clayton, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “They both are strong supporters of higher education, specifically in the state of Alabama, and will lend their talents in the strengthening of Tuskegee University as we engage in carrying out our new five-year strategic plan.”
The Honorable John H. England, Jr. graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 1969 with a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1969. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Alabama Law School in 1974. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Tuskegee University in October 1999. After serving on the Tuscaloosa City Council, Judge England was elected to the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County in November 1994, where he served until he was appointed by Governor Don Siegelman to the Alabama Supreme Court in September 1999. After serving on the Alabama Supreme Court from September 1999 until January 2001, he returned to the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County and was re-elected in November 2002, 2008, and 2014. In January 2021, he retired from the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County after serving for more than twenty years.
Judge England currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Alabama System, and has held leadership positions in numerous civic, professional, and social organizations on the local and state level, including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Jaycees, Tuscaloosa Exchange Club, and the Tuscaloosa Civitan Club, to name a few. In addition, he currently serves or has served in the past on the Board of Directors of the following organizations: Boys and Girls Clubs, Barnes Branch YMCA, Easter Seals West Alabama, Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, West Alabama Aids Outreach, Elizabeth Project Care, Indian Rivers Mental Health Board, A Plus and the UAB Health System Board.
John Douglas Chambers received his B.S. in Sociology and M.Ed. in Student Personnel Services / Guidance and Counseling from Tuskegee Institute in 1971 and 1972, respectively. A two-time Tuskegee alumnus, he began his career in higher education as the director of student recruitment at Tuskegee University. He subsequently left Tuskegee to begin a twenty-year tenure with the Chattahoochee Valley Community College (CVCC) in Phenix City, Alabama. While at CVCC, he served as a student counselor, psychology instructor, associate dean of student development, and dean of student development. He served in the role as dean until his appointment as the executive assistant to the president of the College. In 1997, the Alabama State Board of Education selected him as the president of J. F. Ingram State Technical College, where he served until his retirement in December 2011.
Mr. Chambers’ involvement in civic, community, and professional organizations reflects his commitment to education and the improvement of life for others. He is a member of the Tuskegee National Alumni Association (TNAA), and is a proud Eminent Associate at Tuskegee University. He is a Life Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He has provided valuable services to the Alabama community by serving on the Phenix City Board of Education, Habitat for Humanity, 100 Black Men Association of Greater Montgomery, where he served as mentor on the education committee.
Additional biographical information about each trustee can be located at https://www.tuskegee.edu/about-us/board-of-trustees.
