The Next President of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas

The board of trustees of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, has announced the appointment of Colette Pierce Burnette as the educational institution’s sixth president. The historically Black university enrolls about 1,000 students and women make up 53 percent of the student body. When she takes office on July 1, Pierce Burnette will be the first woman president of the combined Huston-Tillotson University.

Pierce Burnette served on the staff at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, from 1999 to 2012 in such roles as vice president for administration, chief financial officer, vice president for information technology, and chief information officer. In 2012, she served as interim president of Pierce College in Puyallup, Washington. Since that time, Pierce Burnette was completed work on an educational doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. She is scheduled to receive her degree in May.

Pierce Burnette is a graduate of Ohio State University. She holds a master’s degree in administration from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville.