Advisory Board

Jen Willis recently retired as the associate dean for advancement at the UNC School of Government. Prior to that, she served as UNC-Chapel Hill’s director of public relations, representing the university before the North Carolina General Assembly and state government. Her advocacy work in public higher education includes service as the director of government relations for the North Carolina Community College System, where she developed policy issues and advocated on behalf of the system’s 58 community colleges. Her career spans into local government, where she led Wake County’s intergovernmental relations efforts and also served as a lead budget analyst for multiple county departments as well as the county’s capital improvement program. During graduate school at NC State, she worked with the North Carolina State Legislature’s Fiscal Research Division as the lead legislative staff for the House and the Senate natural and economic resources appropriations committees. Willis earned a B.A. in political science from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MPA from NC State.  

Emily is a real estate professional with Hodge Kittrell Sotheby’s International Realty. Prior to this endeavor, Emily had a career in fundraising, serving in several senior roles, including vice president and chief development officer of the Rex Foundation and vice president of development at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

David grew up in Boone, NC. He graduated from NC State in 2008 and from UNC Law in 2012. David works at Merz Aesthetics as senior corporate counsel. He is married to a 2009 NC State grad, Carrie McMillan, who is an attorney at First Citizens Bank. They are the proud parents of Campbell, their son, and Sampson, a black lab.

Erica is the founder and CEO of the Synapse Connection, LLC. She is an accomplished CFO with over 25 years of progressive financial leadership in privately held and publicly traded companies. Her diverse experience spans the high tech, clean tech and green tech industries. Erica began her career as a CPA in public accounting. She as a B.A. in English from NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and maintains her CPA license.

Mark is a retired senior counsel at Alston & Bird, LLP, where he effectively represented companies, individual executives, and state and local agencies in their most important and sensitive government investigations and litigation. Before joining Alston & Bird, Mark served as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina (1994 – 2001). During his tenure with the DOJ, Mark also served as director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, which has responsibility for support and oversight of all 93 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and played a key role in management and policy implementation for the DOJ. He also served as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys.

Susan is an executive with expertise in issues management, government affairs, crisis management, communications and strategic philanthropy. Recently retired after nearly 30 years with ExxonMobil, she serves as president of the board of directors of the National Woman’s Party at the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C. She is also the advisory council chair for NC State’s School of Public and International Affairs. She has a master’s degree in Middle East Studies, International Economics and Arabic from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Lynn started The Daniel Group in 1989, providing strategic planning, research and training services designed to help companies measure, manage and improve customer service. His background includes more than 11 years of management consulting experience with Norelli & Company, corporate planning and new product management positions with Rexham Corporation (now Rexam Corporation), as well as sales and sales management experience with Eli Lilly Company. He is a past president of the NC State Alumni Association.

Linda has more than 30 years of professional fundraising experience as a political consultant for local, state and national candidates and has advised nonprofit organizations as well. Linda is actively engaged in activities around prison reform and ex-offender reentry.

Julie Dean is a Raleigh native, mom and communicator. Julie spent the majority of her career in various communication positions at the global pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, including media relations, public relations, crisis communications and corporate advertising. She spent the most time — and saw the greatest influence on the organization — in executive communication and employee engagement, which included work in inclusion and diversity. She retired in 2018 after more than 28 years with the company. She has several connections to NC State and is eager to give back to a school that has given so much to her and her family. In addition to her M.S. in Technical Communication from NC State, Julie attended Peace College and received a B.A. in English from Meredith College.

At Warner Brothers Discovery, Robert focuses on executive communications, building social impact plans and corporations’ response to crises. Robert has decades of communications experience at the highest levels. He spent four and a half years at McDonald’s as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Communications Officer, where he oversaw all corporate communications, public relations, internal and executive communications, global government relations and public affairs work. Before joining McDonald’s, Robert was a top advisor to President Obama for nearly a decade. Starting as the Communications Director for then-Senator Obama, Gibbs served in the same role for the 2008 campaign, as the first White House Press Secretary for the Obama Administration and as a Senior Advisor on the 2012 re-election campaign. In 2013, he co-founded the Incite Agency, now a part of Bully Pulpit Interactive.

During his 18 year tenure at Walmart, Inc., Roger served as senior associate general counsel in the Sam’s Club Division. He also served as lead counsel in the Litigation Division. Before starting his career at Walmart in 2002, Roger was a partner at a law firm in Atlanta practicing insurance defense litigation throughout the United States. He currently serves in executive and director positions on several professional and community organizations. Roger retired from Walmart in 2020 to pursue restaurant entrepreneurship in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Angela is passionate about NC State and currently serves on the NCSU CHASS Board and is an interviewer for the Park Scholarships program.  She has spent the last 18 years consulting institutions on digital transformation and currently works at Amazon Web Services. She worked previously at Fullbridge Inc., Xerox, Blackboard Inc. and The Chronicle of Higher Education. She earned her MBA at Columbia Business School.  Angela, Adam and their son live in Connecticut.

Bill Hodgin (Political Science 1974/MPA 1976) retired from Wells Fargo Private Bank where he served as the Senior Vice President and Senior Trust and Fiduciary Specialist.  Bill’s entire career was spent in the Financial Services industry.  He served in the U.S. Army as a Captain, Airborne Infantry Officer.  He volunteers with Friendship Trays and the Shepherd Center.  He served as the Board President of Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Center, and a board member for Charlotte Goodwill Industries.  Bill was Chairman of the Boy Scout Committee at Myers Park United Methodist Church and served on the Boy Scout Eagle Review Board. 

Clare is a Winston-Salem native and mother of three N.C State alumnae (in Design, Biology and CHASS). With a 30+ year career working with nonprofits, Clare is a senior executive and strategist for the social sector, facilitating campaigns, development planning and executive search for nonprofits with CapDev for over 17 years. Her nonprofit career was seeded when she founded and chaired the NCSU Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter as a student. She is the previous chair of the N.C. State Institute for Nonprofits Advisory Council, recent Chair of her Parents and Families Services region, currently serves on the Triad Leadership Council, and was named Distinguished Alumna of the Year for CHASS in 2021.

Paula is a senior manager of talent development at First Citizens Bank, leading the organization’s efforts related to performance, talent, leadership development, and training. Prior to joining First Citizens, Paula held various roles within the Office of State Human Resources, including as interim deputy director, director of talent management and human resources director for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Jennifer is a 1988 NC State psychology graduate with a Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology from Pennsylvania State University. Jennifer is the founder and president of Leap & Inspire Global, where she helps individuals in traditionally underrepresented groups — specifically women and people of color — identify and break through the barriers they confront in their leadership journeys and works with organizations to create more inclusive, equitable cultures, policies and practices. Prior to founding Leap & Inspire, Jennifer led for 26 years at the Center for Creative Leadership, serving the last four years as a senior vice president of research, evaluation and societal advancement. Her specialties in measuring the impact of leadership development; helping organizations achieve their business strategies and goals through leadership strategy and culture transformation; and improving organizations and society through equity, diversity and inclusion.

Angela Rivers is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America, serving as the Third-Party Portfolio Executive for Consumer and Small Business Banking. In this role, Angela is responsible for risk management oversight of all third-party vendors, ensuring adherence to program standards. Angela’s 36-year risk management career has included multiple leadership roles in both the public sector and the banking industry. She began her professional career in law enforcement at the Raleigh Police Department. Angela is a recipient of the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine and has served on various local and state boards in North Carolina.

Jane is an entrepreneur with more than 35 years of experience working in various leadership roles within the public and private sectors. She has served as a consultant to improve train travel in North Carolina and to secure the funding for rail corridor improvements. Her professional career is punctuated by development and fundraising. She has worked with environmental and educational organizations in and out of North Carolina and found time to volunteer with many nonprofits, including NC State’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems, the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh Precinct 01-29 and Quail Ridge Books and Music. Jane was named the CHASS Distinguished Alumna in 2019.

With more than 15 years of experience leading marketing efforts in higher education, Jason is CEO and partner at Simpson Scarborough. In addition to corporate and agency branding experience, Jason has served in marketing communications leadership roles for the University of California System and NC State University. A regular speaker on marketing strategy, he co-chairs the AMA’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. He has penned articles or been featured in CASE Currents, Marketing News, The New York Times, NPR and other media outlets.

Rick has a B.A. in History from NC State and a J.D. from UNC Law. He is a co-founder and an Investment Advisor Representative with Private Wealth Management of NC. Prior to working with Private Wealth Management of NC, he was an independent contractor with Raymond James Financial Services from 1999-2009. Rick is former president of the North Carolina Services for Dentists Board of Directors and former chairman of the North Carolina Heart Association planned giving program.

Dr. Kevin P. Thompson serves as associate dean for advancement in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington. Prior to joining the University of Washington, Kevin served in advancement leadership roles at UNC Wilmington, NC State University and Northeastern University.

A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Kevin earned his Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) from Vanderbilt University and his Master of Public Administration (MPA) and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from NC State in 2014. Kevin is also the founder of Thompson Philanthropic Consulting, serving as a thought partner and strategic advisor to the leaders of educational, arts, cultural, religious, healthcare and social service nonprofits on philanthropy as well as organizational leadership and effectiveness.

Kevin resides in Seattle, WA, and enjoys playing the piano as a former recitalist and accompanist, spending time with his dog, Brooks, and volunteering with various community organizations.

John Ward is Sr. Manager, Technical Operations and Engineering for Prime Video and Amazon Studios, with responsibilities for managing a team that executes technical delivery of live sports across the US, UK and Europe for the Amazon platforms.  Most recently, he served as Chief Technology Officer for iNDEMAND, a U.S. cable consortium, where he was responsible for the distribution of premium VOD and PPV entertainment to more than 200 North American TV operators. Previously, he held positions with Deluxe Creative Services, AT&T Entertainment and DIRECTV, where he managed broadcast operations and production for the original content and sports businesses. He also held positions with Fox Sports Productions, where he supervised all studio production for FOX NFL, MLB and NASCAR coverage. Ward has received 12 Sports Emmy Awards in his career.

Adama is an energetic community member who is involved in numerous civic and educational organizations. She is the proud mother of three children, who keep her extremely busy with their academic studies and extracurricular activities.

Chris manages municipal and governmental relations throughout North Carolina and Virginia for Republic Services, the second largest waste and environmental solutions company in the United States. Before joining Republic in 1998, he was active in North Carolina politics, serving as a political field director for State Capital Strategies and in the administration of Governor Jim Hunt and the Office of Congressman Martin Lancaster.  In addition to serving on several environmental related boards, he is currently the chair of the board of the North Carolina Museum of History Associates and a deacon in his church, White Memorial Presbyterian Church.  Chris resides in Raleigh with his wife, Walker, and their three children.

Sherald has more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry, primarily in trust and investment management. Recently retired, Sherald is the former chairman of the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) advisory council at N C State, where he continues to serve as a council member.

Lee is a Medicare contractor medical director for Palmetto GBA (Medicare Jurisdiction M). He was previously with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. He was previously in private practice as a nephrologist for 20 years in Raleigh, and also served in the U.S. Air Force as a physician for 20 years. Lee has been an integral part of the Raleigh community through service on multiple nonprofit boards.

In addition to serving as Pastor for ten congregations in North Carolina, he has served as Executive Director of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Administrative Council of The United Methodist Church, President/CEO of The United Methodist Retirement Homes, Inc., Durham, NC, and President of Louisburg College, Louisburg, NC.

Robert is the retired chief district court judge for the 10th Judicial District of North Carolina, which encompasses all of Wake County. He served as a district court judge for over 26 years, making him the longest-serving District Court judge in Wake County history. Prior to that, Robert was a practicing attorney for eight years prior to being appointed to the bench by Governor Jim Hunt. Robert has served on the executive board of numerous professional and community organizations.

Bentina C. Terry is President and CEO of Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, Inc., Southern
Company.

Prior to her current role at Southern Company, Terry held several senior executive roles with increasing responsibility. A lawyer, she practiced law at Troutman Sanders (now Troutman Pepper) as a labor and employment lawyer and served as the Associate General Counsel at Progress Energy (now Duke Energy) in Raleigh, NC. She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the Georgia State Bar, Leadership Atlanta, Leadership North Carolina, Leadership Florida, the International Women’s Forum, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and The Links, Inc. She has received various awards and recognitions for her contribution to the state of Atlanta and Florida including one of the 500 Most Influential Atlantans for several consecutive years as well as being named one of Influence Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Florida Politics (2015). Bentina is married to Antonio Terry (College of Engineering, 1994).

A 26-year industry veteran, David advises individuals and closely held businesses on investment management, risk management and estate planning opportunities. In addition to his time on the CHASS Advisory Board, David has also held board positions with NC State’s Alumni Association and the State Club. He’s heavily involved in several nonprofits and is an avid Wolfpack fan. David, Ann and their two boys live in Raleigh.

After a distinguished legal career, Ken recently retired as managing director at Ward and Smith, PA where he embraced the use of legal project management, process improvement and alternatives to the billable hour, and was also a champion of flexible work policies and the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Before becoming co-managing director, Ken handled various types of litigation, including construction, business and commercial, contract, public housing, insurance coverage and federal litigation. He is an International Fellow and past district governor of Civitan International, and has served on the executive boards of many civic organizations. Prior to joining Ward and Smith, Ken was a research assistant to Justice J. William Copeland of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Ken received his B.A. from NC State with high honors before taking a J.D. from the UNC School of Law.

David has more than 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, including both commercial and investment banking. He is currently managing director at Allen C. Ewing Company, an investment banking firm.