HBCU Campaign Fund (HCF) Founder, President and CEO Demetrius Johnson, Jr. has announced the selection of West Virginia State University President Ericke S. Cage as an honoree of the eighth class of The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2025 for his outstanding leadership at WVSU and steadfast dedication to the field of higher education. President Cage will join honorees Dr. Charles McClelland, Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, Dr. Cynthia Anthony, Olivier Charles, Dr. Glenda Glover, Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, and three other recipients comprised of the eighth class who will be inducted into the prestigious national recognition for 2025.
“President Ericke S. Cage is an exceptional leader, and I have been proud to witness every milestone the university has achieved under his guidance since he took office at WVSU. WVSU stands as a unique institution within the HBCU landscape, and I am confident that President Cage will continue to make significant strides in leading WVSU to even greater heights in the future. It is with great honor that we recognize President Cage as a honoree of the esteemed eighth class of The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2025. Join me in commending the outstanding leadership of President Cage,” said Demetrius Johnson Jr., HCF Founder, President and CEO.
The Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders Award & Class is a national recognition created by the HBCU Campaign Fund that identifies ten chancellors and presidents, and as of 2024, sports-affiliated individuals serving in the role at an HBCU, MSI, or affiliated with who exemplify a prominent and influential role in leadership and model the characteristics of following responsibilities in the progression of an institution or entity forward.
President Cage was unanimously selected to become the 13th president of West Virginia State University by the Board of Governors on March 31, 2022, having served the university previously as interim president. Cage joined WVSU in July 2021 as vice president and chief of staff and was subsequently appointed by the Board as the university’s chief operating officer.
Prior to joining WVSU, Cage most recently served as executive advisor to the president and Board of Visitors at Norfolk State University and prior to joining Norfolk State University, he served as director of government affairs for Teach for America, and also served as state policy and research director for the Obama-Biden 2012 reelection campaign.
Under President Cage’s leadership, West Virginia State University has achieved several significant milestone, including the launch of a new doctoral degree program in educational leadership; creation of a Cybersecurity Innovation Center; development of a five-year university strategic plan; and a return to downtown Charleston with the WVSU Center.
In July 2024, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission approved a five-year contract for President Cage.
Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School and a masters of law degree in litigation and dispute resolution from the George Washington University Law School.