Bennie L. Harris, PhD
Dr. Bennie L. Harris serves as Senior Vice President at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in Atlanta, where he leads fundraising and advancement for the historically black health sciences institution.
At MSM, Harris more than a leader. He is known as a mentor to young black men in Atlanta, as well as to members of his staff and to professionals employed elsewhere. A deeply spiritual man, he abides by the ideals of servant leadership, offering wise advice, counsel, and support that lifts others up and encourages them to always be better.
In his position as Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Harris increased fundraising by 165 percent over a five-year period and helped MSM achieve the ninth-highest alumni-giving rate among medical schools in the United States.
Harris holds the Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University, a Master of Business Administration degree in strategic marketing from Washington State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in educational leadership and marketing from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
He has engaged in postgraduate training at Harvard University, where he was a Summer Fellow at the Institute for Education Management; at the American Council on Education Advancing to the Presidency Leadership Program; at Vanderbilt University, where he was a Vanderbilt Fellow in the Higher Education Management Institute; and at the CASE Fundraising Institute at Dartmouth University.
He has held leadership positions in institutional advancement at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn.; DePaul University in Chicago, Ill.; University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Washington State University. During his time at Washington State University, he also served as the director for the Center for Human Rights.
Since then Harris has worked with a number of organizations facilitating conversations and strategic plans around leadership development, diversity, healthcare, and health equity.
Harris is a member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta and was an active member of 100 Black Men of Chicago and 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee, where he has served as an officer and a board member. He has been involved in a number of civic and community organizations’ boards, including: Leadership Atlanta, Susan G. Komen, the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, the Nashville Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Phi Beta Sigma Leadership Academy, the Nashville Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, the Nashville Chapter of the National Association of Health Services Executives, and Rotary International Nashville Downtown Chapter.
Harris is married to Frankie Andrea Harris. Together they have three children: Bria, Bennie II, and Branden.