Darrell T. Allison is the 12th Chief Executive Officer and Chancellor of Fayetteville State University (FSU) –– the second oldest public college in the University of North Carolina (UNC) System. Chancellor Allison’s career as a transformational leader in education spans several decades. Before he was appointed FSU Chancellor, he served as the Vice President of Governmental Affairs and State Teams at the American Federation for Children. There, he worked to expand educational opportunities for disadvantaged students nationwide. On the UNC Board of Governors, he chaired the Board’s inaugural Historically Minority-Serving Institutions (HMSI) Committee. He advocated for more equitable funding, plus program and research dollars for HMSIs. Chancellor Allison also served as Chair of the UNC System’s inaugural Racial Equity Task Force and on several fundamental committees where he drove support for multi-million-dollar technology upgrades and ushered in cost savings. Furthermore, he proudly served on the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Board of Trustees and the NCCU Chancellor Search Committee. In 2017, he endowed a scholarship fund at NCCU in honor of his late father, Thomas Allison. A responsive and results-driven leader, Chancellor Allison has led FSU to an impressive array of achievements and accolades, which have positioned the university for substantial influence and long-standing impact. During his tenure, he has bolstered stakeholder and community engagement with benefits accruing to the university and the broader Sandhills region. Additionally, he has successfully worked to boost institutional resources, ushering in widespread campus advancements. In 2021, Chancellor Allison led FSU to a historic $164 million state budget appropriation, strengthening institutional infrastructure and programs. This funding facilitates a multi-year campus revitalization effort, including a College of Education building, a parking deck, relocating the University Health and Wellness Center to campus, and establishing the Bronco One Stop to centralize student services in one convenient on-campus location. Chancellor Allison is also keenly focused on improving college affordability and access to maximize student success. He secured FSU’s participation in the NC Promise Tuition Plan, which leverages state dollars to subsidize the cost of tuition for all enrolled students. Additionally, he used COVID relief funding to clear $1.6 million in student debt amassed during the pandemic. Plus, his 30-60-90 Summer School Program optimizes on-time graduation by providing scholarships to FSU students for summer school classes. Chancellor Allison works diligently to broaden FSU’s reach with targeted student populations –– providing more effective outreach, services, and resources to adult learners and military-connected students –– making FSU a national leader among the latter. To that end, FSU was the top-ranked ‘Best for Vets' college among all four-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), according to the Military Times 2021 ranking. The Military Order of the Purple Heart has also designated FSU as a Purple Heart University in recognition of its support of veterans and their families. FSU is the first of sixteen UNC System schools to receive this honor. In addition to strengthening institutional infrastructure and programs, Chancellor Allison is dedicated to building stakeholder engagement and deepening FSU’s community impact. During his first year in office, he raised over $2 million in private philanthropy support from critical university stakeholders. A known bridge-builder, Chancellor Allison has also established vital community partnerships and investments. Notably, he negotiated the debt-free acquisition of Bronco Square, which includes space to support small businesses and local entrepreneurs and serves as an engine for enterprise in the Fayetteville area. A proud North Carolina native, Chancellor Allison holds a Juris Doctor degree from UNC Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree from NCCU. He and his wife La Nica are the proud parents of two daughters.