Alumna King Brings Wide Range of Experiences as New Director with The Ferris Foundation Board

Sculptor and former award-winning television broadcaster Dana King, a Ferris State University alumna, was approved by the Board of Trustees as a new member of The Ferris Foundation Board of Directors.

“I am excited about this role with the university and community where I began my lifetime learning journey,” said King, who lives in Oakland, California. “Even today, I love to share the Ferris gospel, and though I live on the West Coast. It’s a real thrill to find that people know about Ferris or happily share that they too are Bulldogs.”

King was born in Cleveland, coming to Big Rapids with her family in the 1970s. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing in 1982 from Ferris’ College of Business. Following a 25-year career of major market and network television news anchoring, King retired in 2012 to pursue her art interest full time. 

A recent return trip to Big Rapids set a chain of events in motion, which heightened her Ferris involvement.

“I was coming home to see dear friends. During that time, I became aware of Ferris’ active stance in creating opportunity for African descendants, from Woodbridge Ferris bringing Booker T. Washington to campus for an address to welcoming students from the Hampton Institute more than a century ago,” King said. “It inspired me to learn more about this connection. So, I called Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives David Pilgrim and visited the Jim Crow Museum. I am energized to serve.”

King agreed to serve on the cabinet that oversees the campaign to create a 31K-square-foot home for the Jim Crow Museum, Archive and Research Center, a stand-alone facility near the Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education (FLITE) and the Starr Building.

Representation for her work is overseen by the Thelma Harris Art Gallery in Oakland. King has sculptures placed in Montgomery, Alabama, New Haven, Connecticut and communities along the California coast. She also serves as Secretary for the Oakland Museum of California’s Board of Trustees.

“With what I have learned about the Jim Crow Museum, I have great interest in having their traveling museum brought in for an exhibition,” said King, one of six alumni recently brought en masse, with Pilgrim, to serve on The Ferris Foundation Board of Directors.

King will be a virtual participant, as the board holds organizational sessions in late February.