Bonita Brown

Chancellor Bonita J. Brown made history on May 29, 2024 when she was appointed by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors as the 14th and first permanent female chancellor of Winston-Salem State University. Under her leadership, Winston-Salem State University has been recognized as the only university – public or private – in North Carolina to earn the distinguished designation of Opportunity College, by the Carnegie Classifications of Higher Education and the American Council on Education (ACE). This honor recognizes WSSU for its exceptional work in student access and success. As Chancellor, she has initiated landmark agreements with partner institutions, including one with Wake Forest University School of Law, which creates a direct pathway for WSSU students to matriculate into Wake Forest’s School of Law. She also initiated a first-of-its-kind Ramily Road Tour, which takes the WSSU story directly to high schools to increase the university’s enrollment. She is also a nationally recognized expert in student success strategies, strategic planning and higher education leadership. Before joining Winston-Salem State University, she served as interim president of Northern Kentucky University, where she also served as vice president and chief strategy officer and was responsible for the implementation of a strategic plan focused on student success. Her leadership experience also includes senior executive roles at Achieving the Dream and The Education Trust; the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; the University of North Texas; the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; Winston-Salem State University, Johnson C. Smith University and Livingstone College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Wake Forest University and a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law, and she is barred to practice in multiple jurisdictions, including the U.S. Supreme Court. She and her husband, Wesley Brown, are the parents of two children and one granddaughter.