MJCHF names Ed Hightower as Executive Director

Edwardsville – The Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization charged with supporting the efforts of Lewis and Clark Community College’s Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities, has named Ed Hightower as the Executive Director of the Foundation.

Hightower will take the helm of the new Foundation and will be tasked with continuing to build on the development efforts that, to date, have garnered more than $7 million in gifts and pledges.

Hightower retired in June from his role as superintendent of the Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7. He served in the position since 1995 and before that was assistant superintendent for Alton schools.

Hightower is known nationally as an outstanding Division I basketball referee, officiating in 12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four tournaments. In 1999, he was named one of the top 100 St. Louis area athletes of the century, and has received numerous awards for his professional officiating.

Hightower holds bachelor's, master's and specialist degrees from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a doctorate in education administration from Saint Louis University. 

The new Foundation, chaired by Mannie Jackson, serves as the fundraising organization for the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities.

Jackson said he was pleased to announce the Foundation’s first talent acquisitions.

“I have known Ed for many years, and he is a proven leader and major fund developer,” Jackson said. “He is dedicated to this Center and knows the region well. I am confident that he will be successful in helping fully attain the vision of the Center and its programming through ongoing fund development. We envision this Center will quickly gain national and international attention, and we know that Ed will continue to help us expand the philanthropic goals of the Foundation to match this widespread impact the Center aims to have.”

Over the years, Hightower has been recognized locally and nationally for his contributions to education, winning the 1989 Illinois Distinguished Principals Award and recognition in the 1992 Who's Who of American Educators. In 1993, he won the Illinois Principal of the Year Award and the National Distinguished Principals Award. 

In 1990, Hightower received the Elijah P. Lovejoy Human Rights Award and the Illinois Jaycees 10 Outstanding Young Persons Award. In 2007, he was selected as the Trails West Distinguished Citizen of the Year, and in 2012, he received the Patriotic Employer Award.

“Now that I am retired, I’m looking forward to working closely with Mannie Jackson and developing his and the college’s vision for the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities,” Hightower said. “This Center will have a great impact on education and public engagement both locally and on a global scale.” 

Lewis and Clark Board of Trustees Chair and MJCH Foundation Member Robert Watson said the choice of Hightower for the position was an obvious one.

“The Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities is a major venture for Lewis and Clark, so having Ed at the helm of the Foundation will create continuity and stability for this new 501(c)(3) Foundation charged with creating a resource base to operate transformational humanities programming at the highest levels,” Watson said.

L&C President and MJCH Foundation Board Member Dale Chapman echoed the sentiments of Watson and Jackson.

“Ed is a proven leader, not just in this region, but in major fund development,” Chapman said. “His leadership and philanthropic goals have served the Edwardsville School District, the Lewis and Clark District and the region well for many years. He is dedicated to the mission of the Center and has already played a key role in the fundraising efforts for this Center to date.” 

The Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities, located at the former site of the historic Lincoln School in Edwardsville, will bring together diverse audiences and humanities programming through lectures, readings, dialogues, public service opportunities and educational programs. 

Entrepreneur and influential African American leader Mannie Jackson announced the creation of the Mannie Jackson Endowment and Center for the Humanities, as well as $200,000 toward the endowment, in April 2012 during a book signing event for his memoir, "Boxcar to Boardrooms," held on Lewis and Clark's N.O. Nelson campus in Edwardsville, Illinois.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the historic Lincoln School on Oct. 16, 2014, and the Center is expected to open in late 2015.

In addition to his financial contributions to the project, Jackson also donated the historic Lincoln School to the college to serve as the headquarters for this endeavor.

For more information about the Center visit www.lc.edu/manniejackson.