Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The UNCW Board of Trustees will welcome its newest members at its quarterly meetings this week, July 15 and 16: Jeff Clark, Malcomb Coley, Holly Grange, and James “Chip” Mahan. The new board also includes reappointed members Carlton Fisher and Robert Rippy; and Jimmy Tate and Robby Fensom, who joined the board earlier this year. 
 
“These outstanding alumni, community and business leaders are joining a dedicated UNCW Board of Trustees,” Chancellor Jose V. Sartarelli said. “I look forward to working with the board to advance the university’s stellar academic programs, research endeavors and community engagement efforts in the years ahead.” 
 
Jeff Clark, who earned his business degree from UNCW and played baseball for the Seahawks, has more than 30 years of experience in finance. Clark is the president and CEO of Marine Federal Credit Union in Jacksonville, NC. He also is active in the Jacksonville Breakfast Rotary and the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce.  
 
Malcomb Coley holds double degrees from UNCW and is currently the central growth market leader and Charlotte managing partner for Ernst & Young U.S. Coley serves on the board of directors for several organizations including the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (2022 chair), the United Way of Central Carolinas, the UNCW Cameron School of Business Executive Advisory Board and the UNCW Endowment Board. He is also a member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta. 
 
Former state Rep. Holly Grange was appointed to the board by the Speaker of the NC House of Representatives. Grange served in the House from 2016 through 2020, representing District 20 (New Hanover County). A resident of Wilmington with her husband, David, she is the president of The Grange Company, a strategic consulting firm and is a managing member of GSG Partners. After graduation from West Point, she served in the United States Army as an airborne company commander, rising to the rank of Captain. Grange’s public service has included many local groups including the North Carolina State Ports Authority, Coastal Horizons Center, Cape Fear Community College Foundation and UNCW’s Swain Center in the Cameron School of Business.  
 
James “Chip” Mahan is the founder, chairman and CEO of Live Oak Bancshares and co-founder of nCino, both Wilmington-based companies. He is also the former chairman and CEO for S1 Corporation and founder of Security First Network Bank, the world’s first internet bank. A resident of Wilmington, Mahan began his career in 1973 at Wachovia Bank & Trust Co. in Winston-Salem.

H. Carlton Fisher, a native of Wilmington and 1983 UNCW graduate, is the owner and manager of Coastal Realty, a commercial real estate firm in Wilmington. Reappointed for a third term, he has served on various board committees including Business Affairs (chair); Audit, Risk, and Compliance; and Education Planning and Programs. The son of Wilmington College alumni Herbert and Sylvia Fisher, he is also a former member and chair of the UNCW Foundation Board. 
Robert Rippy, who was reappointed for a second term by the NC Senate President Pro Tempore, has served the Wilmington community in leadership roles with the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, the Cape Fear Visitors Bureau, Wilmington International Airport and the Friends of Airlie Gardens. A former chair of the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees and former member of the UNC Board of Governors, Rippy has also served on numerous advisory and advancement boards for both UNCW and ECU. 
 
In the spring, Jimmy Tate, a triple-degree UNCW graduate, was also appointed by the NC Senate President Pro Tempore to fill the unexpired term of former trustee Sen. Michael Lee. Tate is the president of Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development, which serves 10 counties in southeastern North Carolina. Tate’s work in public higher education has included service as community college president and university chief of staff. Serving on numerous boards, he was most recently appointed vice chair of the Duplin Disaster Taskforce. 
 
UNCW Student Government Association President Robby Fensom, elected in spring 2021, is an ex officio (voting) member. He currently is completing an internship with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. A senior majoring in philosophy and communication studies with minors in English and leadership studies, Fensom plans to graduate in May 2022. 
 
The full UNCW Board of Trustees also includes Agnes Beane, Gidget Kidd, Henry "Hank" Miller, Yousry Sayed and Woody White. Trustees who are rotating off the board after serving from 2013 through June 30, 2021 are Dennis Burgard, Michael Drummond, Henry “Hal” Kitchin Jr. and Maurice Smith.   
 
The newest members will take the oath of office on July 15, and the board will elect officers for 2021-22 on July 16. The complete agenda for the quarterly meetings can be found here. 

 -- Krissy Vick

#BOT