Marcus H. Burgess

Dr. Marcus H. Burgess is the current interim president at Saint Augustine’s University. Most recently he served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Claflin University after holding the position of Associate Vice President for Major and Planned Gifts. Before his return to Claflin in 2019, Burgess served several institutions in a leadership capacity, including York Technical College in Rockhill, SC, as the Executive Director for Campaigns and Strategic Initiatives; Florida Memorial University, Miami Gardens, FL, as the Vice President for University Advancement; and Voorhees College as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

Burgess is a native of Cades, South Carolina. He is a 1996 graduate of Claflin University where he earned a BS in Elementary Education a 2000 Graduate of The Citadel, earning a MS in Education Administration and Supervision, and a 2020 graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School of Education earning a Doctorate of Education in Learning and Leadership in Organizations.

He is married to Leandra Hayes-Burgess, Vice President for Institutional Advancement for Benedict College. Together they have three children Marcus (Deuce), Mariana, and Tyler.