Thursday, July 27, 2017

The UNCW Board of Trustees elected officers for the 2017-18 academic year, and welcomed two Wilmington residents as new members, the university announced today.

Longtime Wilmington residents Robert S. Rippy and H. Carlton Fisher ’83 are UNCW’s newest trustees. Former chair of the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees and former member of the UNC Board of Governors, Rippy has been actively involved in the work of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, the Cape Fear Visitors Bureau, Wilmington International Airport and the Friends of Airlie Gardens. The son of Wilmington College alumni Herbert and Sylvia Fisher, Fisher is a former member and chair of the UNCW Foundation Board and a 1983 UNCW graduate. He is the owner and manager of Coastal Realty, a commercial real estate firm in Wilmington, and a former UNCW trustee.

“UNCW’s trustees serve as role models for our students by demonstrating the value of community engagement through their service on the board,” Chancellor Jose V. Sartarelli said. “I look forward to working with this stellar group to further the excellent academic, research and outreach programs underway at UNCW.”

The trustees also elected officers for the 2017-18 academic year. Wilma W. Daniels, a member of the board since 2008, has been re-elected as chair, a post she has held for a year. As chair, Daniels, a Wilmington businesswoman, also chairs the Executive Committee and the Endowment Board.

“I appreciate the opportunity to continue my service as chair of the UNCW Board of Trustees,” she said. “I have the pleasure of working with an outstanding group of community leaders on this board. We’re all dedicated to supporting the university’s Strategic Plan and helping UNCW’s students, faculty and staff achieve their goals.”

Ronald B. McNeill, Wilmington resident and board member since 2011, was re-elected as vice chair. McNeill is currently chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Educational Planning and Programs Committee, the Executive Committee and the External Affairs Committee, as well as vice chair of the Endowment Board.

Jacksonville resident Dennis P. Burgard ’88, a member of the board since 2013, was elected as board secretary. He currently serves as chair of the Special Committee on Military Affairs and a member of the Business Affairs Committee, the Educational Planning and Programs Committee, and the Executive Committee. Burgard is the owner and president of DSKT Real Estate Investments and a shareholder in CHOICE Jacksonville Realty.

The officer elections were held July 27 during the trustees’ special called meeting. The full Board of Trustees also includes: Agnes R. Beane; Michael R. Drummond ’86; Gidget Kidd ’91; Henry L. “Hal” Kitchin Jr.; Christopher J. Leonard; Student Government Association President Ottillie Mensah ’19; Henry E. “Hank” Miller III ’85; and Maurice R. Smith ’79.

-- Christina Schechtman

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