Thursday, July 28, 2022

The UNCW Board of Trustees welcomed its newest members at its quarterly meetings held July 28 and 29, and elected officers for the 2022-23 term.  

Frances “Perry” Chappell and Kevin H. Sills ’86 took oaths of office to join returning trustees Agnes R. Beane; Earl F. "Hugh" Caison II ’85; Jeffrey D. Clark ’85; Malcomb D. Coley Sr. ’86, ’89M; H. Carlton Fisher ’83; Gidget Kidd ’91; Henry E. "Hank" Miller III ’85; Robert S. Rippy; Dr. Yousry Sayed; Dr. Jimmy T. Tate ’99, ’01M, ’19M; and Hannah-Valentina Horowitz ’23. 

“We are excited that Perry Chappell and Kevin Sills are joining our committed UNCW Board of Trustees,” Chancellor Aswani K. Volety said. “As we build on the university’s strong foundation and unlimited potential together, I look forward to working with this experienced group of professionals who bring a wide range of leadership experiences and invaluable acumen and insight to UNCW.”  
 
Chappell, a Wilmington native who earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Davidson College, was appointed by the UNCW Board of Governors to fill a term expiring in 2025. She is a business management and development consultant for The Blair Group in Wilmington, NC, specializing in construction and construction-adjacent industries in the United States and Canada. Previously, she worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for North Carolina Rep. David Rouzer, most recently as the Congressman’s senior legislative assistant. 
 
Sills was appointed by the Speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives to fulfill a term expiring in 2025. He holds a bachelor’s degree from UNCW in biology and is currently president of Longleaf Pharmaceutical Associates and chief executive officer for Asterra Labs, LLC. With more than 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and development team leadership, he is also a pioneer innovator of a successful virtual drug development business model. While a student at UNCW, he was active in SGA, Greek life and the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee. 

Newly elected officers include three UNCW alumni:

• Henry E. “Hank” Miller III ’85 (Chair): A resident of Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington native who was past chair of the UNCW Foundation Board and has held numerous civic leadership roles, Miller is serving a second Board of Trustees term ending in 2023.  
• H. Carlton Fisher ’83 (Vice Chair): A resident and native of Wilmington and former chair of the UNCW Foundation Board with numerous family ties to the university, Fisher is serving a second term ending in 2025.  
• Earl F. “Hugh” Caison ’85 (Secretary): A Wilmington resident and past Cameron School of Business Alumni of the Year honoree and UNCW Foundation member, Caison is serving his first term ending in 2023.  

UNCW Student Government Association President Hannah-Valentina Horowitz, elected in spring 2022, is an ex officio (voting) member. A student in the Honors College studying public health with a community health education concentration, she plans to graduate in May 2023 and pursue graduate school.

More information on Board of Trustees members, meeting agendas and materials can be found on UNCW’s BOT webpage. 

 -- Krissy Vick 

#BOT