JACKSON – Beginning his first spring semester at the helm of Jackson State University, President Marcus L. Thompson, Ph.D., has announced six top appointments to his cabinet and senior leadership team: Kylon Alford-Windfield, Vice President of Enrollment Management; Alla Jeanae Frank; Special Assistant to the President and Chief Transformation Officer; Van Gillespie, J.D., Chief of Staff; Onetta Starling Whitley, J.D., General Counsel; ConSandra McNeil, Ph.D., Interim Vice President of Research and Economic Development; and Mitchell Shears, Ed.D., returns to the role of Executive Director of Title III.
Shears returned to his role on Dec. 1; Gillespie started his new role on Dec. 1; Alford-Windfield started his new role on Jan. 16; Frank, McNeil, and Whitley will begin their new roles on Feb. 1. President Thompson fondly describes himself and the character of his administrative team as servant leaders. He expressed his excitement to continue to grow his team through these first critical appointments.
“I’ve had the pleasure to observe and work with these talented individuals during various seasons of my career, and I am excited about the professional acumen and tenacity they will bring to their respective roles,” said Thompson. “Jackson State University is tasked with cultivating our scholars into leaders who will impact our global society. Their success begins with the work of our talented faculty, staff, and administrators. Combined with the knowledge and passion of my existing cabinet members, this is the genesis of an incredible dream team to execute a strong pathway to success for JSU’s future.”
New Appointments:
Kylon Alford-Windfield, Vice President of Enrollment Management
As VP of Enrollment Management, Kylon Alford-Windfield provides leadership and support in advancing the overall enrollment goals of the university and overseeing the departments of admission, financial aid, and recruiting. Alford-Windfield comes to the University from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he served as vice president for enrollment management. Under his guidance, the institution experienced a notable increase in enrollment, showcasing his strategic approach and deep understanding of the intricacies of enrollment management. His professional journey includes key roles at Rust College, where he began his higher education career as an admissions counselor and recruiter; and Mississippi Valley State University, where he served as an admission counselor/recruiter and was promoted to director of alumni relations and later executive director of enrollment management.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Alford-Windfield received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mississippi Valley State University. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the executive Ph.D. program in urban higher education at Jackson State University. He is a dedicated member of the National Advisory Committee for the College Board’s annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities Conference, where he actively contributes to the broader dialogue shaping the future of education.
Alla Jeanae Frank, Special Assistant to the President and Chief Transformation Officer
As Special Assistant to the President and Chief Transformation Officer, Alla Jeanae Frank is responsible for providing strategic leadership and support for the President’s initiatives and priorities, working closely with other senior administrators and promoting the administration of university programming, policies, and procedures. Frank returns to Jackson State University after serving as the assistant commissioner of operations for the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). She was responsible for agency-wide administrative, strategic planning and overseeing campus operations, including Information Technology, Human Resources, Facilities and Construction Management, Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS) and other agency support offices. Previously, Frank worked as assistant director of Auxiliary Enterprises at JSU, with purview over campus-wide services, including dining services, college bookstore, postal services, on and off-campus vending, as well as creative and leadership direction for business marketing campaigns, human capital development projects, and brand initiatives. She also spearheaded various economic development, environmental management, and exercise programs, such as the Jackson State University COVID-19 Campus Reopening Task Force and the Annual Sweetness 5k Run/Walk.
A proud native of Memphis, Tenn., Frank earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in public policy and administration with a concentration in environmental management planning and policy from Jackson State University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the executive Ph.D. program in urban higher education at Jackson State University. An advocate for community outreach and advancing sustainability, she currently serves as vice president on the Board of Directors for the National Environmental Outreach, Inc. (NEO).
Van Gillespie, J.D., Chief of Staff
As Chief of Staff, Van Gillespie, J.D. is responsible for providing strategic leadership and support for the president’s initiatives and priorities, serving as the lead support person in the day-to-day operation of the President’s Office. Gillespie joined Jackson State University after serving for more than 20 years in various roles at the State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). He worked within the Attorney General’s Office at the Executive Office of the Board of Trustees of IHL for over 11 years. During that time, he served as legal counsel to the Board of Trustees, the Commissioner of Higher Education, Alcorn State University, Delta State University, and Mississippi Valley State University. In 2010, he was hired by the Board of Trustees to serve as the assistant commissioner of Legal Affairs and as general counsel to the Board of Trustees. Most recently, he served as the senior associate commissioner of Legal Affairs and Risk Management.
Gillespie’s 25+ year higher education career includes work on university and university system legal, finance, real estate and facilities, academic affairs, student affairs, communications, risk management and legislative issues. Gillespie graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He resides in Brandon, Miss. with his wife of 26 years, Angie, and their two daughters, Mary Beth and Emma Cate.
Onetta Starling Whitley, J.D., General Counsel
As General Counsel, Onetta Starling Whitley manages the efficient operation of the Division of General Counsel and serves as the University’s lead in‐house attorney. Whitley formerly served as deputy attorney general for the State of Mississippi, where she was the first woman and second African American to hold the position. She served as deputy for Attorneys General Mike Moore and Jim Hood. In addition to being a member of the management team, she served as chief of the office’s State Government Licensing and Regulatory Division providing legal representation, including but not limited to, general counsel and advice, representing agency staff in administrative hearings related to licensure, employee discipline and equal opportunity employment compliance.
After retiring from state service in 2020, Whitley joined the W T Consultants governmental relations team advocating for the legislative and governmental interests of a variety of government, nonprofit and corporate clients as a registered lobbyist.
Whitley received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Tougaloo College and her Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College School of Law. Whitley says that above all, her best job is being “MeMaw” to Lela, Caleb and Allen.
ConSandra McNeil, Ph.D., Interim VP of Research and Economic Development
As Interim Vice President of Research and Economic Development, ConSandra McNeil, Ph.D. oversees Research, Sponsored Programs, Research Compliance, Technology Transfer and Commercialization, Federal Relations and JSU Global. McNeil is an action-oriented researcher, grant writer and scholar whose work brings together scholarship, engagement, and community. Most recently, she served Jackson State University as assistant provost, focusing on research engagement; activity director of the Institute for Social Justice & Race Relations; and professor of sociology. From 2018-2020, she served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow with the National Science Foundation. As part of her fellowship, McNeil worked with a team on evaluating NSF Sexual Harassment Term and Condition, Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She also has experience in policy oversight and implementation, compliance with laws and regulations that govern federal-sector EEO and civil rights in the grantee community.
McNeil has received numerous awards and accolades for her academic and community outreach accomplishments, including the IHL Diversity Leadership Award in 2021. She was selected to participate in the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Leadership Institute at Wellesley College. McNeil earned her master’s degree in sociology, alcohol and drug studies from Jackson State University and a graduate certificate in homeland security-disaster management from Texas A&M University. She received her doctoral degree in sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Mitchell Shears, Ed.D., Executive Director of Title III
As Executive Director of Title III, Mitchell Shears, Ed.D., serves as the chief liaison to the University leadership, the University community, and the United States Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education. He oversees Title III federal funds granted to JSU through the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program, Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act Program, and Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGI) Programs. Shears joined Jackson State University in 2017 and has served as associate vice president for Student Success since 2019.
Shears brings over 24 years of experience as a K-12 and community college academician and successful grant writer, totaling over $44 million in competitive grants. At JSU, he spearheaded the return of TRIO programs to JSU with 16 competitively funded programs – the most in the state and most on an HBCU campus. He has served on the National Association of HBCU Title III Administrators, Inc. Executive Board and serves as the co-chair of the Annual Technical Assistance Workshop. He also serves as president of the Mississippi Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP), which helps to provide support and professional development to programs that broaden accessibility and education opportunities to income- challenged, first-generation, and students with disabilities.
Shears graduated from Alcorn State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in mass communications and master’s degree in education. He earned his specialist and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from Mississippi College.