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www.mississippilink.com VOL. 26, NO. 17 FEBRUARY 13 - 19, 2020 50¢ Connecting the dots: Players in massive IHL Board of Trustees welfare embezzlement case got millions names Thomas Hudson as JSU’s acting president from taxpayers, but helped few Jackson State University The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning named Thomas Hudson as Act- ing President of Jackson State University at its meeting held Monday in Jackson, effective immediately. Hudson currently serves as special assistant to the president and chief diversity of- fi cer at Jackson State. Davis Smith New New McGrew Dibiase As special assistant to the president and chief diversity of- fi cer, Hudson has served on the By Anna Wolfe Hudson expenditures show. states broad discretion to spend that barely acknowledged peo- executive cabinet and provided Mississippi Today “Our main goal is getting the money – about $130 million ple walking by asking for help,” guidance to senior leadership on As chief operating offi cer, A downtown Jackson re- them off TANF,” Will Lamkin, a year in Mississippi. said state Rep. Chris Bell, D- all topics related to the univer- Hudson implemented cost- source center funded by mil- operation coordinator for the In 2018, the state used just 5.4 Jackson. sity’s future. saving measures that resulted lions of state welfare dollars was center, said Wednesday morn- percent of the money on cash as- By the end of fi scal year 2018, “We are extremely pleased in a 10 percent decrease in the quiet Wednesday morning. Blue ing, referring to the Temporary sistance – historically known as Human Services had paid Mis- that Thomas Hudson has agreed university’s operational budget, bins labeled “fresh produce” in a Assistance for Needy Families welfare – for poor families. sissippi Community Education to serve as acting president,” coordinated academic and ad- mock farmers market sat empty. cash-assistance program. In recent years, Human Ser- Center roughly $30 million. In said Hal Parker, president of the ministrative restructuring efforts Monitors in the computer lab Hours later, law enforcement vices funneled large amounts the same time frame, the non- Board of Trustees of State Insti- resulting in an annual savings of were black and toys in the chil- agents would arrest the non- of its TANF funding to New’s profi t had helped 94 people com- tutions of Higher Learning. “As $4 million and led institutional dren’s playroom sat neatly on profi t’s owner, Nancy New, and organization to run a statewide plete a resume and 72 people fi ll both an alumnus and a current efforts that changes a projected their shelves. former Human Services director program called Families First out job applications in addition staff member, he has a deep love year-end defi cit to an approxi- Families First for Mississip- John Davis, in the largest public for Mississippi. The program to the educational classes it con- for and understanding of the mate $3 million cash balance. pi’s recently-opened State Street embezzlement scheme in state faced criticism over the last year ducted, according to outcome campus and all it means to the Appointed as the inaugural center, run by the nonprofi t Mis- history, according to the offi ce from advocates and lawmakers reports it sent the state agency. students, faculty, staff, alumni chief diversity and Equal Op- sissippi Community Education of the State Auditor. who questioned the large con- The reporting contains many and the state.” portunity offi cer at Jackson Center, promises to lift families New and Davis allegedly stole tracts and unclear objectives of errors, such as year-to-date fi g- Hudson served on the execu- State, Hudson received the Pres- out of poverty. Human Services millions from the federal TANF the operation. ures declining in certain months. tive cabinet and provided guid- idential Creative Award Grant has granted the nonprofi t ap- program intended to provide ba- “They were fudging the num- “There weren’t proper controls ance to senior leadership on all for efforts to design a program proximately $53 million since sic assistance and work supports bers by saying they were help- and monitoring in place to topics related to the university’s to bring awareness of interper- the beginning of fi scal year 2018 to the nation’s poorest residents. ing so many people and you had future course and trajectory. sonal violence prevention to Embezzlement reportedly to do just that, state The federal government gives an offi ce that was barely open, With the Division of Human the student body and designed Continued on page 10 Resources and Offi ce of Gen- and implemented the fi rst uni- eral Counsel under his purview, versity-wide training designed Hudson oversaw institutional to eliminate implicit bias for EEO and Title IX implementa- search committees. tion and collaborated with other In addition, he developed Just like he arrived; he leaves executive administrators on strategies for increasing the matters of curriculum, guide- number of female faculty mem- lines and practices. bers in STEM disciplines, re- He also established collab- sulting in a 30 percent increase under a cloud of suspicion orative partnerships with the in hiring of women in these University Veterans Center and disciplines over a three-year pe- Offi ce of Disability Services to riod. address the underrepresenta- Hudson holds a bachelor’s Bynum out at Jackson State University after arrest tion of employees from these degree in political science from groups. He also served as the Jackson State University and a By Othor Cain the board chose not to honor the proval rate (of your presidency).” president’s liaison for the Divi- law degree from the University Editor recommendation made by the To which Bynum responded: sion of Athletics. of Mississippi. Amid widespread criticism, representatives of the administra- “Let’s cut to the chase. I may Hudson conducted university- Before joining the staff at William Bynum Jr., 57, was tion, faculty, staff, students, foun- not be your choice and you have wide labor utilization analysis to Jackson State, Hudson founded named the 11th president of dation, community and alumni. every right to an opinion of who determine areas of improvement his own law practice and served Jackson State University in 2017 However, our love and dedica- you want. But the board made as it relates to the university af- as an EEO specialist for the De- by the Board of Trustees of the tion for Jackson State University the choice and I’ve made the de- fi rmative action plan and reor- partment of Homeland Security/ Institutions of Higher Learning. is not diminished. Remember that cision to accept. Watch me. You ganized the Staff Development FEMA in Clinton. This appointment was met leaders will come and go, but we don’t have to depend on the opin- Center and assisted in develop- Hudson serves as co-chair- with harsh criticism and much will forever be the alumni of Mis- ion of others,” Bynum said. ing courses in employee rela- person on the JSU Strategic disappointment. Among those sissippi’s urban university. We Jauan Knight, a senior (then) at tions, development and compli- Planning Committee and vice expressing grave concerns at the Bynum will always be committed to our JSU, challenged Bynum: “If the ance. chairperson of the university time of the preferred candidate alma mater and will do all that IHL asks you to do something “As a Jackson State alum- system’s Chief Diversity Offi - announcement was the former Advisory Committee (who was we can to ensure that our dear counterproductive to the univer- nus and senior-level cabinet cers’ Council. He is a member of president of the national alumni dismissed May 8) and the board’s old college home emerges from sity, such as merge the state HB- member, Thomas Hudson is the Margaret Walker Alexander association for JSU, Yolanda application of the policy is a dis- this transition even stronger than CUs (Historically Black Colleges committed to the success of Center Board of Directors and Owens. She wrote at the time, honor to the spirit of the process before – standing as a leader in and Universities), how would the university and extremely the JSU Athletics Hall of Fame “With the announcement of the and ultimately the entire Jackson higher education throughout the you respond?” knowledgeable about all fac- Foundation Board of Directors. preferred candidate for president State University community. In state and the nation. After all, We “I have no interest in that,” de- ets of the campus,” said Alfred He served as the Bias and Policy of Jackson State University, the my opinion, the board policy as Are Jackson State Univversity.” clared Bynum. “I will do things Rankins Jr., commissioner of Lead for the National Science Institutions of Higher Learning it relates to the search process is Others also expressed concerns in the best interest of the univer- Higher Education. Foundation Advance Grant at Board of Trustees elected to de- signifi cantly fl awed and should during a campus-wide listening sity.” A member of the Jackson Jackson State from 2013 to 2017 part from the established 20 step be thoroughly revised before the session. Knight continued his question- State staff since 2012, Hudson and served as chairperson of the process outlined on its website. next IEO search in the State of DeAndrae Powell addressed ing: “When you were selected, has also served as chief operat- Director of Disability Services The decision on the preferred Mississippi. Bynum: “I’ve spoken with stu- it was almost without hesitation ing offi cer/chief diversity of- Search Committee in 2016. candidate was made without in- As an alumni family, we are dents and alumni at the Valley Hudson and his wife, Phy- Bynum fi cer, chief diversity and EEO put from the Interview Search enormously disappointed that and I have received a low ap- landria, have two daughters.