Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, the president and chief executive officer of Virginia Union University, has more job security.

The VUU Board of Trustees last week extended his contract, which was slated to end on June 30, for another five years.

His new contract runs through June 30, 2027.

“The Board of Trustees is very proud to be guided by the sacrificial leadership of our president and CEO, Dr. Hakim J. Lucas. His competence has excelled VUU to new levels,” said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, chairman of VUU’s board. “Under his leadership, we have made major strides on our quest to provide a quality education to students and a greater impact on the rest of our community.”

As the 13th president of the private HBCU on Lombardy Street that traces its roots to 1865 and a slave pen in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom that was turned into a place to educate the newly freed, Dr. Lucas has launched 11 new academic programs, along with graduate programs, during his tenure.

In the fall of 2020, VUU also achieved its highest total enrollment, retention and giving in four years, with a record increase in fundraising of more than $41 million, including a $6 million grant from energy giant Dominion for its STEM programs. VUU also received $11.8 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds.

The university also has expanded its footprint under Dr. Lucas with the acquisition or renovation of three properties — the former Budget Inn Motel on Lombardy Street, renovation of historic Huntley Hall and reconstruction of the historic Industrial Hall.

The university also has announced a partnership with Richmond Public Schools to provide full tuition scholarships to promising ninth-graders; a community mentoring initiative for middle school students in Gilpin Court; and a program to boost its enrollment of Latino students to 25 percent of the undergraduate population.

“It has always been my goal to serve the underserved and I am proud to have the opportunity to do that through education,” Dr. Lucas stated in the news release announcing his contract extension.

“The impact we’ve made in this city, so far, is only the beginning of what is still to come and the work we do today affects many generations that will come after us. I look forward to continuing the work to become “Best in Class” by 2025.”