About Us
Mission
We exist to strengthen your HBCU alumni association through leadership development, organizational support, strategic partnerships, and professional resources, empowering you as alumni leaders to advance your organizations and communities.
Vision
We envision a future where every HBCU alumni association has the resources necessary to engage alumni, grow leaders, and deliver community programs that preserve the enduring legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Purpose
Why This Mission Matters
HBCU alumni associations play a vital role in supporting their institutions through advocacy, alumni engagement, student recruitment, community involvement, and financial support. Yet many alumni organizations operate with limited resources, volunteer leadership, and inconsistent access to training, professional development, and operational best practices.
NHBCUAAF exists to support you in addressing those challenges.
How We Support the HBCU Ecosystem
As the only national organization focused exclusively on alumni association development, we help you strengthen your leadership and your association through leadership training, governance resources, organizational development, and networking opportunities. Through our membership program, you gain access to a network of individuals and organizations committed to advancing HBCUs, along with tools, resources, and peer learning opportunities that help your association operate more effectively.
NHBCUAAF also serves as a national convener through its annual HBCU Alumni Leaders Conference, where you can connect with alumni leaders, professionals, partners, and stakeholders to share ideas, build relationships, and explore solutions that strengthen the HBCU alumni network. Through thought leadership initiatives, such as the Speaker’s Bureau, you can engage in meaningful dialogue and gain expert perspectives on leadership, governance, engagement, and organizational excellence.
In addition, we cultivate partnerships with businesses and service providers that offer valuable resources and solutions to you and your association, helping you access the support needed to grow and thrive.
Our work helps you build stronger leadership, strengthen your operations, and become a more effective partner to the colleges, universities, and communities you serve.
Our History
Leadership
HBCU Directory
How We Began
The National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Associations Foundation (NHBCUAAF) was founded in 2016 by HBCU alumni leaders who recognized the need for a national organization dedicated to supporting alumni associations across the Historically Black Colleges and Universities community.
Meet Our Leaders
Ty Couey
President
Richard D. Smith
Vice President, Strategic Development
Walt Weatherington
Treasurer
Donna T. Keating
Marketing Director
LaMonte Leath
Chief Technology Officer
Sharon Pitts
Membership & Legal Counsel
Donald Thigpen
General Counsel
Jacqueline Beatty-Smith
Program Advisor
Founding Members
- K. Bernard Chase: Delaware State University
- Ty Couey: National Organization of College Parents
- Deidra L. Fryer: Spelman College
- Sheryl Good: Benedict College
- Venita Hawkins: Kentucky State University
- John Jolley: North Carolina A&T State University
- Valerie Maholmes: Howard University
- Michael McCrimmon: Virginia Union University
- Richard Smith: North Carolina Central University
- Robert Warren: Florida A&M University
- Samuel L. Williams: Fisk University
- Michael Woodard: University of the District of Columbia
Since its founding, NHBCUAAF has worked to connect alumni leaders, share best practices, promote civic engagement, expand leadership development opportunities, and strengthen HBCU alumni associations.
Through programs, conferences, partnerships, and professional development opportunities, NHBCUAAF continues to build a national network committed to empowering HBCU alumni leaders.
HBCU History and Directory
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established primarily to provide educational opportunities for African Americans during a time when segregation and discrimination limited access to higher education. These institutions became centers of academic excellence, leadership development, and cultural advancement within Black communities across the United States.
For more than 150 years, HBCUs have produced leaders in business, education, government, science, healthcare, the arts, and social justice while fostering leadership, cultural pride, economic mobility, and community engagement that strengthen families and communities for generations. Although HBCUs represent only a small percentage of America’s colleges and universities, they continue to produce a significant number of Black professionals and community leaders.
Strong alumni associations play a vital role in preserving this legacy, supporting institutional success, and ensuring that HBCUs continue to thrive for future generations.
About Us
National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Associations Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
EIN 81-2540752
Contact Us
2350 Deckman Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20906
(301) 537-3917
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© 2026 National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Associations Foundation, Inc.
