The Edward Waters University board of trustees announced May 15 that it unanimously approved a new seven-year contract for President and CEO A. Zachary Faison Jr., securing his continued leadership through June 30, 2032.
“I am profoundly grateful to Chairman Zanders and the collective Edward Waters University Board of Trustees for their unwavering confidence in our leadership and for their steadfast support in advancing our institution," Faison said in a news release, referring to board Chair Bishop Marvin Zanders II.
"Together, we have laid the foundation for an era of unparalleled growth, and I remain deeply committed to ensuring that our university continues to ascend as a premier institution of higher learning," Faison said.
Seven years ago, Faison, then 37, became the nation’s youngest HBCU president.
The university said that under his leadership, Edward Waters has transitioned to university status, launched new academic and athletic programs, achieved record-breaking enrollment, garnered unprecedented philanthropic support, spearheaded tens of millions in campus capital improvements, and implemented transformative institutional programming solidifying EWU’s standing as one of the nation’s most ascendant HBCUs.
At its 2025 commencement May 10, the university awarded 210 diplomas, the largest graduating class in 25 years.
“President Faison’s visionary leadership has transformed Edward Waters University, elevating it as an emerging model of excellence in higher education. His unwavering commitment to academic innovation, student development and success, and overall institutional advancement has ignited a profound era of progress — one that will shape EWU’s legacy for generations to come,” Zander said in the release.