Ericke S. Cage, J.D., LL.M., is the 13th president of West Virginia State University (WVSU), a historically black land-grant university located in Institute, West Virginia.
President Cage was unanimously selected for the position on March 31, 2022, by the WVSU Board of Governors, having served the university previously since September 2021 as interim president. In June 2024, President Cage signed a new five-year contract to continue to lead the university until 2029.
Under President Cage’s leadership, West Virginia State University has undergone a renaissance of idealism, innovation and impact.
In November 2024, ground was broken on campus for the construction of a new $50 million state-of-the-art agricultural research laboratory, the single largest investment into WVSU by the state of West Virginia during the university’s history. Also during the groundbreaking ceremony the single largest cash gift in the university’s history was announced helping in the development of the new Purdy School of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.
In addition, the university has achieved several additional significant milestones during President Cage’s tenure, including the development of a five-year university strategic plan known as Future State; the creation of a Cybersecurity Innovation Center; the launch of the university’s first doctorate degree program in educational leadership; and a return to downtown Charleston with the new WVSU Center. The university also launched a comprehensive capital campaign in 2024, only the second such campaign in its history, under President Cage’s leadership.
Prior to joining WVSU in July 2021 as vice president and chief of staff, President Cage served as executive advisor to the president and Board of Visitors at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia – where as a member of the university’s executive management team he served as principal advisor to the university president and board of visitors on matters related to institutional policy making, governance, government relations, and university ombudsman. President Cage also served as speechwriter for Norfolk State’s presidents and board chairs.
While at Norfolk State University, President Cage led the university’s 2019-2025 strategic plan committee, served as the chief architect of the university’s 2019-2020 self-assessment, and modernized the university’s policymaking process to improve decision making and compliance. As a former education lobbyist, President Cage was instrumental in expanding Norfolk State’s presence and impact on Capitol Hill and before the Virginia General Assembly. He directly supported outreach efforts that helped Norfolk State secure the largest state appropriation in the history of the university. While at Norfolk State, President Cage also authored a successful $2.7 million grant proposal to support student access, retention, and completion.
Prior to joining Norfolk State University, President Cage served as director of government affairs for Teach for America, and also served as state policy and research director for the Obama-Biden 2012 reelection campaign. President Cage served as legislative counsel for U.S. Congressman Tom Perriello, where he managed a legislative portfolio that included federal education, healthcare, defense, and veterans affairs policy. President Cage also served as a law clerk for the U.S. Department of Defense, and a legislative fellow for the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He also served as a congressional fellow in the office of U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison. During law school, he completed summer legal placements in the New York City Law Department’s Special Litigation Unit and at Prudential Financial Corporation. President Cage began his professional career as a high school government teacher in his hometown of Halifax County, Virginia, where he was recognized as teacher of the year by the senior class in 2004.
President Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in leadership studies. He holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, Associate Editor of the Rutgers Business Law Journal, Member of the Rutgers Moot Court Board, and Third Circuit Governor of the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division. President Cage holds a masters of law degree in litigation and dispute resolution from the George Washington University Law School. He is also a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. In addition, President Cage completed the Harvard University Seminar for New Presidents in 2022 as well as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities New President’s Academy.
President Cage currently serves as the Chair-Elect of the APLU 1890 Council of Presidents, Vice Chair of the 1890 Foundation, and as a taskforce member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 1890 Taskforce. He serves on the boards of the Charleston Area Alliance, Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Properties, CADCO Foundation, Advantage Valley, the Regional Intergovernmental Council, the Rotary Club of Charleston, the Truist Community Advisory Board, the West Virginia Start-Up Fund, Mountain East Conference, the West Virginia State University Research and Development Corporation, and the West Virginia State University Foundation.
President Cage is an active and engaging public speaker. His appearances include as a keynote speaker for the Salvation Army Celebration of Hope Dinner, the Healthy Grandfamilies Grand Conference, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Black History Month Speakers Series, the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Lecture at Marshall University, West Virginia American Water Inclusion Day, the Kanawha Valley Business Forum, the Goodwill Industries Annual Dinner, and at various local Rotary Clubs including those in Charleston, Beckley, and St. Albans.
President Cage is married to West Virginia State University First Lady Roa Cage.