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Allegheny College will award honorary degrees to two distinguished leaders at the college’s Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2023 on Saturday, May 13.

Receiving honorary degrees will be Allegheny alumnus Andre M. Perry, a nationally respected author, professor, and scholar on structural racism and education, and former trustee Kim Tillotson Fleming, a prominent business executive and tireless community servant.

“We are thrilled to honor Dr. Perry and Ms. Fleming for their achievements at this year’s Commencement,” Allegheny President Ron Cole said. “They exemplify the passionate commitment to creative problem solving, civic responsibility, and life-long learning we seek to equip our students with to lead successful and meaningful lives.”

Andre M. Perry, Allegheny Class of 1993, is a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro, a scholar-in-residence at American University, and a professor of practice of economics at Washington University. He is a nationally known and respected commentator on race, structural inequality, and education. In 2020, Perry released the book “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in Black Cities,” and in 2018 authored the Brookings Institution report “The Devaluation of Assets in Black Neighborhoods.” Perry’s scholarship at Brookings has analyzed Black-majority cities and institutions in America, focusing on valuable assets worthy of increased investment.

Perry’s pioneering work on asset devaluation has made him a go-to researcher for policymakers, community development professionals, civil rights groups and media outlets. He is a regular commentator on MSNBC, has bylines on the New York Times, Washington Post and Time and has appeared on HBO, CNN, NPR, and PBS.

Perry was the founding dean of the College of Urban Education at Davenport University and associate professor at the University of New Orleans. In 2023, he served on Pennsylvania Governor Elect Josh Shapiro’s transition team on education and the workforce. In 2015, he served on Louisiana Governor Edwards’ K-12 education transition committee and co-chaired New Orleans Mayor Landrieu’s transition team for education in 2010. Perry holds a Ph.D. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland College Park.

Kim Tillotson Fleming, former Allegheny College trustee and parent, is the Vice-Chair at Baird and previously was the Chairman and CEO of Hefren-Tillotson, a privately held Pittsburgh-based financial planning and investment advisory firm. She currently serves on multiple boards including The Buhl Foundation, Dollar Bank, the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and as President of the Duquesne Club. In 2017, Fleming served as the Allegheny College Executive in Residence for the Center for Business and Economics.

In recognition of her extensive community work, Fleming has been awarded the Pittsburgh Business Lifetime Achievement Award, the Roberto Clemente “Seat 21” Award from the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was honored with the History Makers Award in Business by the Heinz History Center. In 2015, she was selected by the Governor as a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania for extraordinary service and contributions to the Commonwealth. Service work is very important to Fleming and she has been actively involved with local, national and international project-related mission trips including multiple Habitat for Humanity trips to Guatemala. Fleming holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in economics and holds several professional designations.