Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Dr. Harry L. Williams serves as President & CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the nation’s foremost organization exclusively representing the Black College Community.

Leading TMCF, Dr. Williams oversees its 53 member schools, comprising America’s publicly supported Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), collectively educating 80% of students attending HBCUs.

Under his visionary leadership, TMCF has experienced unparalleled growth, witnessing a remarkable revenue expansion exceeding 250%. His strategic direction has elevated TMCF to not only serve as the premier representative of the HBCU community but also as a thought leader in equity, access, and inclusion.

Dr. Williams has successfully forged strategic partnerships with leading Fortune 500 companies, including The Boeing Company, Medtronic, Visa, Ally Financial, and Hennessy USA. His adept leadership has reimagined enduring partnerships with entities like Lowe’s, the NBA, and Wells Fargo, positioning TMCF as the foremost source for major employers seeking top diverse talent for competitive internships and corporate careers.

Emphasizing bipartisan collaboration, Dr. Williams has positioned TMCF to play a pivotal role in accelerating the legislative agenda for the sustainability of HBCUs. TMCF, under his guidance, has been at the forefront of significant national legislative victories, earning respect and trust from elected and appointed leaders on both sides of the aisle in Congress and the White House.

Formerly a distinguished HBCU president at Delaware State University, Dr. Williams utilized his tenure to increase student enrollment and foster groundbreaking public/private partnerships, securing multimillion-dollar investments into the campus. His commitment to institutional sustainability is evident through his efforts to enhance cooperation among TMCF member-schools, creating a supportive network for HBCU leaders to share best practices and act collectively.

In a forward-thinking move in 2022, Dr. Williams expanded TMCF’s impact by inviting Historically Black Community Colleges to join the membership, thereby supporting a diverse set of pathways to achievement.

Dr. Williams has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to higher education. His illustrious career includes senior positions at the University of North Carolina General Administration, Appalachian State University, and North Carolina A&T State University.

Dr. Williams earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Appalachian State University and a Doctorate from East Tennessee State University. Named President Emeritus of Delaware State University, he is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Dr. Williams is a devoted family man. Married to Dr. Robin S. Williams, they take pride in their two accomplished sons, Austin and Gavin, both Howard University graduates. Gavin, now a second-year law student at Southern University Law Center, carries on the family’s legacy of academic excellence. Dr. Williams is also a doting grandfather to Porter Rae, the daughter of Austin and his wife Reagan.

Download an official biography and photograph from the TMCF Press Kit.

Aisha Brown is the Chief Financial Officer at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. She oversees both operational and programmatic support of the organization and leads all aspects of the organization’s finances, including the development and management of budgets, preparation of financial statements and reporting to Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s board. Aisha brings with her nearly two decades of financial management experience in the private and nonprofit sectors, with a focus on developing policies and procedures to improve performance and productivity.

Before joining the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Aisha worked at the International Labor Rights Forum, a nonprofit that supports international labor rights, where she was the Director of Finance & Administration for nearly five years. As Director of Finance & Administration and member of the Executive Management Team, Aisha was responsible for all areas related to finance and accounting, human resources, administration, and information technology infrastructure. Aisha worked closely with the Board of Directors; she was also the lead staff member on audit and compliance issues.

Prior to ILRF, Aisha was a financial management advisor for several nonprofit organizations, including the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation and the Flavor and Extracts Manufacturers Association. As financial management advisor of NJAMF and FEMA, she defined their strategic directions, prepared new business plans, streamlined financial and procedural policies and created monitoring and accountability systems.

Aisha earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and studied Business Management and Finance at the Florida Institute of Technology.

David Sheppard joined the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) in January 2018 after having previously served as Vice President, Legal and Government Affairs & General Counsel at Delaware State University, a TMCF Member-School. In his role with TMCF, David manages all legal affairs for the organization, including business transactions, litigation, intellectual property, labor and employment and regulatory matters. David also oversees human resource matters for TMCF. In addition, David leads TMCF’s Government Relations team, which regularly engages with Congress and the Biden Administration on legislative and policy matters impacting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). During the 116th Congress, David and his Government Relations team was successful in facilitating the passage of the FUTURE Act, which, among other things, provides $850 million of mandatory Title III funding to HBCUs over the next 10 years, and in securing the passage of the HBCU PARTNERS Act which mandates the development of annual plans by federal agencies to increase their engagement with HBCUs and gives Congress oversight to ensure federal agency compliance with this effort. Finally, David serves as Secretary to the TMCF Board of Directors, and in this capacity is responsible for, among other things, the planning and execution of annual meetings of the Board of Directors, as well as periodic meetings of the standing Board Committees.

With over 20 years of experience in the law, David has developed expertise in various areas of the law, including litigation, business transactions, employment law and labor relations, intellectual property law, regulatory law and, most recently, Higher Education law. And beyond his current regular interaction with Members of Congress and Executive Branch administrators, David also has years of experience working in and around state and county government in the State of Delaware.

David earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame in 1995 and his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University School of Law in 1999. David is a native of Delaware, and he, his wife and son live in Wilmington, Delaware.

Dr. Clara Ross Stamps is the chief marketing and communications officer at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). She is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of all marketing, branding, events and communications strategies designed to protect, promote, and build the identity and reputation of TMCF. With more than a 30-year career as a leader in tourism and higher education, Stamps is a dedicated executive, marketer and educator. Her leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in the fact that she believes in people and possibilities. Stamps is truly passionate about creating opportunities for students to thrive and achieve their educational goals.

Prior to joining TMCF, Stamps served in roles as acting president and senior vice president of brand identity and university relations at Kentucky State University. During that time, she secured $33 million in funding from the Kentucky General Assembly in partnership with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education; established a $2.5 million nursing scholarship and internship partnership; collaborated with the university provost to streamline the adjunct and overload budget for a savings of $700,000; revitalized employee giving campus-wide through payroll deduction; and realigned Kentucky State’s brand reputation.

Before joining Kentucky State, Stamps was the vice president for marketing and communication at Alcorn State University, where she and her team worked to optimize Alcorn’s online presence and social media initiatives to create awareness and enhance knowledge of the Alcorn brand among key audiences, while enhancing the institution’s reputation. Her innovative efforts produced enrollment growth and significant positive media coverage of Alcorn’s people and programs.

Her accolades include senior administrator of the year awards at Kentucky State and Alcorn State. In 2012, Stamps was honored as a Top 20 leader under 40 by the Vicksburg Post and a member of Who’s Who in Black Mississippi for her educational leadership and service. While working in the tourism industry, Stamps was voted as the 2005 Mississippi Society of Associate Executives Outstanding Associate Member of the Year.

Stamps was recently nominated and selected to attend the 18th annual U.S. Army War College National Security Seminar. As a member of the class of 2024, she will actively participate in the Army’s center for strategic thought, examining current national security and defense issues and perspectives.

Stamps earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in marketing and emphasis in public relations from Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. She earned her Master of Science in business administration from the University of Phoenix. Stamps participated as a fellow of the Iota Cohort of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (HELF), on the executive-level administrator track. She earned her Doctorate in Education in adult and higher educational leadership with an emphasis in governance and policy studies from Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Stamps takes pride in being a mother of two sons, Damon Stamps Jr. and Damonte Stamps. Demonstrating her commitment to her community and community service, she is a dedicated lifetime member of the NAACP and an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Tamara Thompson serves as the Chief Programs Officer for The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). Tamara joined TMCF in March 2020 with a primary focus on driving programmatic activity including career readiness, scholarship support, and leadership development for students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Since joining TMCF, Tamara has led strategic efforts focused on TMCF’s Corporate Partnerships spanning the technology, health care, education and consumer goods industry sectors, including Apple, Boeing, Hennessy, Medtronic, Mondelez and Novartis as well as the TMCF Teacher Quality and Retention Program supporting K-12 educators. Prior to joining TMCF, Tamara’s career involved leadership in the financial, marketing, and product strategy arenas. Her career began in corporate accounting within the financial services sector and later expanded to product marketing and strategy. Tamara has led strategy and marketing efforts for product portfolios with values near $1 Billion, including L’eggs Hosiery, Hanes Underwear, and Bali Intimate Apparel brands. Tamara has always had a keen sense and passion for career development and being a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion across organizations. She is now focused on being that champion for the next generation of industry leaders

Tamara is a graduate of Duke University where she earned a BA in Economics and a certificate in Marketing and Market studies. She also earned an MBA, with a concentration in Marketing, from the

Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management, where she was a General Motors Scholar. Currently, Tamara resides in Winston-Salem, NC with her wonderful husband, Dwight and her two beautiful children, Victoria and Dwight Jr. (DJ).

Charrise Hart is a nonprofit executive with 15 years of experience dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for underserved populations. She specializes in fundraising, growth management, community engagement, and program development, leveraging her expertise to drive equitable and just systems.

As CEO of Ready for School, Ready for Life, Charrise led a nationally recognized initiative to reimagine cradle-to-career systems, improving healthcare and education access for nearly 20,000 children and their families annually. She also leveraged public and private funding to enhance the local early childhood collaborative and successfully guided the organization through rapid expansion.

Previously, as CEO of YWCA Lower Cape Fear, Charrise served as a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, created new racial justice initiatives, diversified funding revenue, and significantly increased volunteer engagement. As COO for YWCA Greensboro, she managed resource development and social justice projects, generating $4.5M from major initiatives.

Charrise combines hands-on service delivery with strategic executive leadership to create lasting impact for marginalized groups, inspire donors and partners, and drive success. She holds a Master of Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MBA from Wake Forest University.