HPU President Nido Qubein Receives Award from the NAACP’s High Point Branch

HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 14, 2026 – High Point University President Nido Qubein received the President’s Award from the High Point branch of the NAACP for his continued support for women and minority entrepreneurs and the development of affordable housing for families who live and work in the city.

Dr. Elma Hairston, president of the High Point NAACP, honored Qubein with this year’s President’s Award during the branch’s Annual Freedom Fund Banquet and Awards Gala on Nov. 15. The award is presented to a community leader or organization member who has made significant contributions to the city.

“Dr. Qubein and High Point University have contributed significantly to High Point from the inception of Thrive High Point, whose goal is to uplift women and minority businesses, reimagining the infrastructure of Washington Street and supporting the affordable housing initiative spearheaded by the High Point Community Foundation,” Hairston said.

“I am honored to receive this award, especially since it recognizes the incredible progress that we have made over the years in High Point, a city that I call home and where my wife and I decided to raise a family,” Qubein said. “I believe in the future of High Point and its ability to be a city where all of its residents can prosper and feel welcomed.”

The university’s support for the city has significantly grown during Qubein’s leadership, with millions of dollars given to nonprofits and community initiatives. Here is a glimpse:

• HPU has contributed more than $30 million to the High Point Community Foundation for city initiatives since 2005.
• More than $4 million has been contributed by the university to annual United Way campaigns since 2005. Most recently, HPU raised a record $285,000 for United Way of Greater High Point during its 2024 campaign.
• More than $1 million has been given to support the Carl Chavis YMCA, including a lead gift of $100,000 to fund a Splash Park at the Carl Chavis YMCA in High Point, giving children a safe place to stay cool and be healthy while having fun during the summer. Qubein dedicated the park to Carlvena Foster, executive director of the YMCA and an HPU alumna.

• Last January, Qubein announced that HPU was donating $250,000 to Business High Point to support local entrepreneurs and develop the Washington Street Historic District in High Point. He presented a check to High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson and Business High Point President and CEO Rachel Collins at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast hosted by the Ministers Conference of High Point and Vicinity on HPU’s campus.

• Two weeks later, Qubein announced that HPU was giving $500,000 to the High Point Community Foundation (HPCF) to help provide quality, affordable housing for families in High Point. The gift will support a Housing Impact Fund that the HPCF, in partnership with Self-Help Ventures Fund, has launched with the goal of providing low-interest loans to developers to build affordable, multi-family rental housing.

• Qubein has helped spearhead Thrive High Point, an initiative of Business High Point to support local entrepreneurs and small business owners by providing the resources, mentorship and network needed to grow their companies.

• In 2015, the High Point Fire Department applied for and received a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for more than $1 million, with the requirement that the city would provide a match of $110,469. Qubein delivered the news to city officials that HPU would provide the entirety of the match with a $110,469 donation.

• Qubein has awarded hundreds of scholarships to students in North Carolina and across the country through his Qubein Foundation. HPU also donates $10,000 annually to support scholarships for the high school winners of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Scholarship essay contest. The latest round of scholarships will be presented to area students during the annual MLK Day breakfast hosted by the Ministers Conference of High Point and Vicinity in the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center on Jan. 19.

• Qubein was essential in the city of High Point’s downtown revitalization. City officials asked him to be a major leader in downtown revitalization efforts, and he answered the call by securing the naming rights for the city’s new baseball stadium, now known as Truist Point. He also secured five-year, major sponsorships for suites inside the stadium and garnered more than $100 million in support from philanthropists and private developers.

• He and HPU First Lady Mariana Qubein made the lead gift for and created the vision for the Nido and Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum, a vibrant educational museum in the heart of downtown High Point that is named in their honor. The museum was named North Carolina’s Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2022.

• The university established physical therapy and law pro bono clinics in the community for individuals who need such services but are uninsured or cannot afford them.