The African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard has announced the appointment of J. Keith Motley, PhD, to its board of directors. Mr. Motley will support the organization’s mission to document and share the African American history of Martha’s Vineyard.

Mr. Motley is a distinguished professor at UMass Boston’s College of Management. In 2018 New Balance Athletics, Inc. created the J. Keith Motley Endowed Chair of Sport Leadership and Administration position there in his honor. He was the first African American chancellor of UMass Boston, a position he held from 2007 through 2017.

He earned bachelor and master’s degrees from Northeastern University and a PhD from Boston College.