Business and civic leader Tony Allen named provost at Delaware State University

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Business and civic  leader  Dr. Tony Allen has been named provost at Delaware State University.

Allen will be the Chief Academic Officer leading a faculty of 212 professors and 21 academic departments serving more than 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students.

Allen has bachelors and doctoral degrees from the University of  Delaware He was a long-time executive and spokesperson for Bank of America in Wilmington.

Allen’s appointment comes as DSU works to build on its gains in enrollment and academic standing under Williams.

“His substantial educational background, coupled with a successful career in the private sector and extensive public service credentials make him an excellent fit to be the No. 2 executive leader at DSU and to lead the institution’s academic transformation,” DSU president Harry Williams said. “Dr. Allen’s leadership will put student success first and support the continued growth in the scholarship, research and community service that distinguishes our institution.”

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Currently, Allen is the Head of Corporate Reputation for Bank of America. He works to enhance the bank’s brand among influential external audiences including media elites, national social justice advocates, academics, and elected officials at the federal and local levels.

Allen was a key advisor to retired Vice Chairman David Darnell, led corporate communications for three of the company’s largest businesses and co-chaired the Diversity & Inclusion Council for Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs.

“Tony and I have worked together for 13 years,” said Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Chairman and Bank of America Market President Chip Rossi.  “I know his commitment, his expertise and his passion for people.  He went about his work here with a diligence and savvy that has served our company quite well and has helped me lead Bank of America in Delaware with a focus on our teammates and the communities they call home.” 

In 2012, Rossi and Dr. Allen led the donation of a 450,000-square-foot facility to the Longwood Foundation to build a campus of city schools, primarily focused on eliminating the achievement gap for 2,500 students of color and their mainstream counterparts.  Rossi continued, “Tony’s departure is a bittersweet moment for us, but we are all very proud of him and know that this next step in his journey will serve DSU’s students, faculty, staff — and Tony — well.”

He previously served as  Executive Vice President with MBNA and the founding President of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Allen also spent several years working for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden as a speechwriter and special assistant.

 In 1994,   Allen began his career as the co-founder of Public Allies Delaware, a leadership development organization for young adults interested in full-time public service careers.  Since that time, more than 600 “Allies” have graduated from the program, contributing nearly 1 million hours of volunteer service to Delaware communities.  

He has also  been active in efforts to turnaround the Wilmington school system.

Biden commented on Dr. Allen’s appointment:  “I have known Tony for 20 years. When he worked for me, he was a full-time staffer, pursuing his doctoral studies, raising a family and serving on just about every board or committee of consequence in the state.  In the past few years, he has proven to be a tireless advocate for the overlooked, underserved or ignored, 100 percent committed to making this a better, more hospitable, opportunity-filled place to live and raise a family. 

“Del State is a perfect fit for Tony.  He embodies the school’s ideals of providing the highest quality education for all, regardless of what you look like, where you come from or who you love.  The University is lucky to have him, and the state of Delaware is lucky to keep him, right here, where I am sure he will continue to serve our communities with passion and purpose.”

Allen joins DSU at a time when state resources that support the university are under pressure from a nearly $400 million budget deficit.

Allen will continue several of his ongoing commitments to Delaware communities, most notably his Chairmanship of the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, which was created to strengthen public education for low-income students of color throughout Delaware.

Allen said, “I am extraordinarily grateful to President Williams, the Search Committee and the entire Delaware State University community for this tremendous chance to join an institution I have watched undergo an unmistakable transformation under President Williams’ leadership.”  

Allen will begin his tenure with Delaware State University on August 15.  

 

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