New members join WCU Foundation, Alumni Association, Catamount Club boards
Several members of the ĚđąĎĘÓƵapp community recently accepted appointments on three of the institution’s top volunteer boards that provide oversight and advice in support of university philanthropic, athletics and engagement activities.
The WCU Foundation Board of Directors, Alumni Association Board of Directors and Catamount Club Board of Directors approved new members during a series of meetings held throughout the spring and early summer.
Ben Pendry, WCU vice chancellor for advancement, welcomed the incoming board members and thanked them for their willingness to volunteer their time on behalf of the university.
“Our volunteer boards are critical to the Division of Advancement and our efforts to provide the engagement and philanthropic support that is necessary to ensure Western Carolina University can meet its mission,” said Pendry. “We look forward to working with the members of all of our boards on behalf of this institution and the students and region it serves.”
The incoming board members will play a key role in helping map out new priorities for WCU as it concludes its “Fill the Western Sky” fundraising campaign, a multiyear effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs, he said.
The ĚđąĎĘÓƵapp Foundation Board of Directors provides oversight and strategic guidance to support the university’s mission through philanthropy. The board helps advance WCU by fostering donor relationships, creating scholarships and securing resources for students, faculty and programs.
Joining the Foundation Board for three-year terms are four new members:
* Beverly Barr, a 1972 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in education. A retired teacher at White Oak High School, Barr also holds a master’s degree from East Carolina University. A resident of Jacksonville, she is an independent distributor for an essential oils company and former president of Alpha Delta Kappa professional educators sorority. She formerly served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
* Michael Blackmon, a 2005 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in political science who holds a law degree from Howard University. A resident of Charlotte, Blackmon is currently associate general counsel and executive director for bank operations for Wells Fargo. A member of Sigma Chi fraternity, he previously served as counsel for Dorsey and Whitney and US Bank.
* Melanie Clark, a longtime philanthropic supporter of Catamount athletics and partner of Kenny Messer, a 1986 graduate of WCU. Clark studied at the Southeastern Academy of Travel and Tourism before embarking upon a career in the travel industry, serving as a corporate travel consultant for Maritz Travel Company, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and, most recently, Direct Travel, retiring in 2021. She and Messer live in Greensboro, Georgia.
* Matt Martin, who holds a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Former U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, Martin is chief legal officer and corporate secretary for First Citizens Bank in Raleigh and has extensive family connections to WCU. His father, Dean Martin, was a WCU business professor. Brother Mark Martin, former N.C. Supreme Court chief justice, graduated from WCU in 1985.
Six board members were reappointed to second three-year terms:
Cullowhee resident Mary Arbaugh, a 1979 graduate of WCU with a bachelor's degree in marketing and a longtime supporter of the university’s athletics and arts programs; Dahlonega, Georgia, resident Terry Fortner, a 1977 graduate of WCU with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a retired insurance and auto parts industries executive; and Lisa Hill, longtime supporter of WCU and co-owner of Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, Florida, who attended WCU in the 1980s.
Also, Asheville resident Steve Hodge, a 1976 graduate of WCU with a bachelor's degree in finance and a banking executive; Hendersonville resident Judy Stroud, a retired insurance executive who graduated from WCU with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education in 1976 and master’s degree in physical education in 1981; and Las Vegas resident Randy White, a financial adviser who graduated from WCU with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1989 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1991.
The board also elected a slate of officers, set membership on its executive committee and made other committee chair appointments.
Continuing as board chair is Mike Crawford, an Asheville resident and retired chief performance officer for a national accounting firm who is a 1987 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. The recently reappointed Hodge is serving as first vice chair and chair of the board’s advancement committee, while fellow reappointee Arbaugh is chairing the finance and audit committee.
Asheville resident Kyle Carter, former WCU provost and retired chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, is second vice chair of the board and chair of the newly formed governance committee, which replaces the former board development and oversight committee.
The WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors strengthens connections between the university and its alumni by fostering engagement, supporting university initiatives and celebrating Catamount achievements. Board members serve as ambassadors, offering guidance and helping advance the mission of the university through alumni involvement.
The board appointed four new members to three-year terms at its June 26 meeting:
* Carrie Carpenter, a 2004 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in music education. A resident of Shelby, Carpenter worked at various public schools as a band director and chorus teacher. She received a master’s degree in ministry in 2016 from the Duke University Divinity School and is now spiritual life and recreation manager at the Avery County campus of Crossnore Communities for Children.
* Kaileigh Naylor, who graduated from WCU in 2020 with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology and in 2022 with a master’s degree in education. Following graduation, Naylor began working in the Wake County Public School System as a school counselor. A resident of Raleigh, she has worked in schools throughout Wake County, most recently at Smith Magnet Elementary School.
* Aaron Speyer, who earned bachelor's degrees in finance in 2021 and innovation and leadership in 2022 from WCU. Speyer is a systems engineer at Stellar Solutions supporting NASA’s human landing system program at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where he resides. He also serves as program leader at the nonprofit Destination SPACE.
* Dawson Spencer, who graduated from WCU in 2021 with bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and political science and in 2023 with a master’s degree in public affairs. A resident of Raleigh, he is former president of the Student Government Association. Currently, he is the long-term recovery branch manager in the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management Recovery Section.
The board also reappointed seven members to additional three-year terms.
Todd Blosser, a 1994 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Delta Airlines captain who resides in Temple, Georgia; John Connet, who earned his bachelor's degree in political science at WCU in 1992 and serves as Hendersonville’s city manager; Farragut, Tennessee, resident and retired U.S. Postal Service employee Keith Elliott, who graduated from WCU in 1969 with a bachelor's degree and in 1973 with a master’s degree, both in business administration; and Raleigh resident Dick Freeman, a 1983 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in business law and a national chemical company accounts manager.
Also, Allison Hinson, a Carrboro resident and property leasing manager who graduated from WCU in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and in 2005 with a master’s degree in entrepreneurship; Clemmons resident Mitch Treadaway, who graduated from WCU in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in management and is a retired sales director for a mineral processing company; and West Chester, Ohio, resident and attorney Celina Woods, a 1985 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in political science who earned a law degree at Campbell University in 1992.
In other action, the board elected officers, including newly reappointed Treadaway as president. Waynesville resident Audrey Sanders, a 1988 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in industrial distribution and business manager for the Americas in the Enka division of Freudenberg Performance Materials, was elected vice president.
The Catamount Club Board of Directors supports WCU’s athletics program by promoting philanthropic investment in student-athlete scholarships and facility enhancements. Board members serve as advocates and advisers, helping grow membership, increase engagement and strengthen the overall impact of the Catamount Club across the university community.
Five new Catamount Club Board members are beginning three-year terms, effective July 1:
* Alex Crenshaw, a 1994 graduate of WCU with a degree in finance and accounting. A resident of Waxhaw, Crenshaw is data management senior lead analyst for Wells Fargo. He has spent more than 13 years with the company in roles of increasing responsibility and previously worked with a variety of companies. A member of Sigma Chi fraternity, Crenshaw has a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University.
* Matt Magnus, a 2004 graduate of WCU with a degree in construction management who resides in Gainesville, Georgia. Magnus is owner of Lanier HVAC Services, which he established in 2016 after spending years working for his family’s business following his graduation from WCU. A member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, he is a longtime supporter of Catamount athletics.
* Kirk Roach, a former WCU football player who resides in Cumming, Georgia. An acclaimed kicker during his time with the Catamounts, Roach played professionally with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. He is a WCU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and one of only three players in the history of the Southern Conference to be named First Team All-Conference four years in a row. Roach retired as sales leader at Synergi Partners in 2025.
* Todd Roper, a 2004 graduate of WCU with a degree in management. A resident of Greenville, South Carolina, Roper is business development manager for Barringer Construction. He has worked in leadership development roles throughout his career with companies including Michelin, Red Rock Developments, Mohr Capital and Pattillo Construction. Roper was a member of WCU’s 2003 SoCon baseball championship team.
* Ali Schreiber, a 2024 WCU graduate with degrees in marketing and sport management who resides in Smyrna, Georgia. A member of the volleyball team during her time as a student, Schreiber is premium sales manager at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer. She is the youngest alumnus to be elected to the Catamount Club Board of Directors.
Three members were reappointed to the Catamount Club board: Stefanie Conley, a 2008 graduate of WCU with a degree in entrepreneurship who is a Sylva resident and real estate agent specializing in Western North Carolina properties; Conover resident Todd Harkins, a 1993 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in finance who is an automobile dealership general manager; and Hendersonville resident Randy Shaw, a 2001 graduate of WCU with a bachelor's degree in recreational therapy who earned a master’s degree in health sciences at WCU in 2013 and now works as a recreation therapist.
Sylva insurance executive Eddie Wells, a 2003 graduate of WCU with a bachelor's degree in sport management, will return for his second term as board president. Returning for a second term as vice president is Amber Haber of Lake Worth, Florida, a 2013 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and law who teaches in the Palm Beach County School District.