Dr. Agenia W. Clark
President, Fisk University
Dr. Agenia W. Clark currently serves as the eighteenth president of Fisk University, Nashville’s oldest institution of higher learning, where she is leading a transformative vision for the university’s next 150 years. With a focus on sustained growth, Dr. Clark is committed to strengthening a campus culture of inclusion, intellectual exploration, and social responsibility. Under her leadership, Fisk continues to build on its legacy of empowering students to become agents of positive change, fostering an environment where diverse voices are uplifted, and the pursuit of justice and understanding is woven into the educational experience.
Throughout her career, Dr. Clark has been a powerful advocate for unity and community impact. In her 19 years as CEO of the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, she championed the development of young leaders by building a culture of empathy, collaboration, and respect—values she brings to her role at Fisk. Dr. Clark’s work reflects a deep-seated belief in the potential of education to bridge divides and create lasting, positive change.
In addition to her work at Fisk and with the Girl Scouts, Dr. Clark has served on the Board of Directors for First Bank for the past seven years. She has also been widely recognized for her contributions to the Nashville community, including being named “Nashvillian of the Year” in 2021, and from 2015 to 2023, one of “Nashville’s 100 Most Powerful People” by the Nashville Business Journal.
Dr. Clark earned a B.S. and MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her Doctorate in Leadership from Vanderbilt University.
Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Nashville has been home to Dr. Clark for the past 30 years. Dr. Clark and her husband Charles Clark Jr. have two adult children and reside in Brentwood, Tennessee.