Willie L. Todd Jr., Ph.D., president and CEO of Denmark Technical College, was recently awarded the Diamond Award for excellence in education, leadership, philanthropy, humanitarianism and community engagement by the Not Alone Foundation and the Academy of the Diamond. The award was presented at the Diamond Gala which was held on January 21 at the Buckhead Club in Atlanta.
“I am honored and thankful to be a recipient of the 2023 Diamond Award. I feel blessed beyond measure to be called to do the kind of work that makes and impact on our students and the future,” said Todd.
“I was thrilled to be able to attend the Diamond Awards and to see Dr. Todd accept his well-deserved honor. The program itself was an amazing display of talent, paled only by the caliber of the Diamond Award recipients,” added Kimoni Hickman, vice president for institutional advancement and effectiveness at Denmark Tech.
The Diamond Awards honor individuals in entertainment, business and education who have made a significant impact in their field in alignment with the Not Alone Foundation’s mission.
Mark Dodd founded the non-profit organization and Diamond Award Gala to provide financial assistance toward educational and medical expenses of kidney transplant patients after being diagnosed with renal failure himself and learning about the financial burden that many kidney transplant patients are faced with.
Todd assumed the helm of Denmark Technical College in January of 2020 and has made sweeping improvements across all facets of the institution. He is a national award-winning playwright and winner of numerous local, regional and national awards, most recently being named the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs Shining Star Award and being named CEO of the year by the South Carolina Association of Technical College Commissioners.
