Dr. M. Kenneth “Kenny” Holt is the Founding Dean of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Winston-Salem State University. A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Holt brings a personal understanding of the stakes of higher education — and a career built on expanding access to it.
Dr. Holt earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Union University, a Master of Science in Economics from Louisiana State University, and his Ph.D. in Management from the University of Memphis, with specializations in Organizational Behavior and Strategy. Before joining WSSU, he served as Founding Dean of the Ray and Dorothy Young School of Business, Technology, and Design at Louisiana Christian University, and previously as Dean of the School of Business at Houston Baptist University and Middle Georgia State University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Holt has been recognized for building innovative, market-driven academic programs that connect students to real opportunity. He has authored or presented more than 40 academic articles and conference presentations, and his leadership extends into public service — including an elected position on the Jackson, TN City Council, a nomination to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and a chairmanship of the Board of Directors for Leaders Credit Union.
At WSSU, Dr. Holt oversees undergraduate programs in accounting, economics, finance, and business administration, as well as the MBA graduate program. His goal is to prepare transform the trajectory of lives through business education and prepare students for the emerging opportunities of tomorrow.