President Aaron Walton has assembled a superb Executive Leadership Group to support Cheyney University’s mission of equipping and empowering students of diverse backgrounds to be visionary leaders in their chosen fields.
Our Executive Leadership Group members represent a broad range of disciplines and experience, with each bringing a unique set of skills to the table. Together, they make up an exceptional team, all committed to one goal: the success of Cheyney’s students.
Leadership Team
Clifton Anderson
Senior Advisor and Chief StrategistClifton Anderson has been working with Cheyney University since August 2017 as a Senior Advisor to the Office of the President. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Florida A&M University. He advises the President’s Executive Leadership Team on organizational and financial strategy, organizational development, and cultural transformation.
Dr. Derrick Gilmore
Chief Administrative and Operational OfficerDr. Derrick C. Gilmore, serves as the Chief Administrative and Operations Officer for the institution and provides oversight for Business and Finance, Facilities Management, Logistics, Public Safety, and Environmental Health and Safety. Prior to his appointment at Cheyney, he served as the Executive Vice President at Stillman College, in his role he supported the tripartite approach to higher education by focusing on teaching, research, and service. During his tenure, he has supported infrastructure and systems integration for academic and operations efficiencies. Dr. Gilmore was responsible for community engagement and served on the United Way annual fundraising committee, the Tuscaloosa Business Exchange, and the board for Arts n’ Autism. Nationally, he served on the Southern Regional Education Board, Executive Committee to support stability and sustainable growth for minority-serving institutions. As a 2022 fellow for the Appalachian Regional Commission, Gilmore promoted education, economic, and workforce development for all 13 states that constitute the Appalachian region.
Before his appointment at Stillman, he served as the Associate Provost at Kentucky State University, where he also served as the staff representative on the Board of Trustees. He has extensive experience in sponsored research administration having served at two 1890 land-grant institutions (Kentucky State University and Alabama A&M University) for over 15 years. Serving as a sponsored research administrator and principal investigator for numerous federal agencies, state governments, and private foundations he has supported institutional efforts accounting for over 400 million dollars in both applied and basic research during his career.
Dr. Denise Pearson
Provost and Chief Academic OfficerDr. Pearson has over 30 years of experience in higher education and leadership. She comes to us from the Office of the Chancellor where she served as the
inaugural Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) since 2020. Dr. Pearson was instrumental in transforming the function where she secured a $9 million allocation from the Pennsylvania General Assembly; executed the first-ever systemwide Climate Survey for students, faculty, and staff; oversaw the annual systemwide DEI Summits, initiated systemwide DEI training for students, faculty, and staff; and launched an online dashboard that publishes critical DEI metrics at the system and university levels. She also has many experiences as Vice President of Academic Affairs at State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), Interim Provost and Assistant Provost at Winston-Salem State University, and Associate Academic Dean at the University of Denver. Dr. Pearson holds a Ph.D. in Administration & Supervision of Education (Emphasis: Higher Education) from Marquette University; an M.S. in Education Administration (Emphasis: Higher Education Leadership) from Concordia University; an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from the University of Denver and B.A. in Human Services from Pace University, New York.
Clarence Williams
Chief Advancement OfficerDr. Sue Mukherjee
Chief Enrollment Officer and Information OfficerSue Mukherjee, Executive Director of Enrollment Management, Information Technology and Special Projects, joined Cheyney in May of 2022. She holds a B.Ed. from University of Ranchi, India and a BS, Economics from University of Kolkata, India. She also holds a Master in Public Administration from Shippensburg University and earned her Ph.D. in Administrative Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She provides leadership and oversight of Admissions, Financial Aid Bursar, and Registrar, as well as the Information Technology function (via Ellucian). She will also serve as the strategy lead on the OneSis (Banner) implementation and play an integral role with the University’s Strategic Plan and retention initiatives.