UNCW Welcomes 2023-24 Board Members and Elects Officers

The UNCW Board of Trustees convened for its quarterly meetings on July 27 with two new board members and three new officers for the 2023-24 term.

Traci L. Butler and The Honorable Aldona Z. Woś, M.D. took oaths of office to join returning trustees Earl F. "Hugh" Caison II ’85; Frances "Perry" Chappell; Jeffrey D. Clark ’85; Malcomb D. Coley Sr. ’86, ’89M; H. Carlton Fisher ’83; Robert S. Rippy; Dr. Yousry Sayed; Kevin H. Sills '86; Dr. Jimmy T. Tate ’99, ’01M, ’19M; and Cody Brandon ’24.

"UNCW proudly welcomes the addition of Traci Butler and Dr. Aldona Woś to our esteemed Board of Trustees, along with the election of our new officers for the 2023-24 term,” said Chancellor Aswani K. Volety. “Their remarkable backgrounds in leadership and public service undoubtedly will enrich our university community, strengthening our ties to our region and fostering deeper connections throughout the state of North Carolina.”

Appointed by the Board of Governors to a four-year term, Butler has served for the past decade as senior vice president for LabCorp Diagnostics’ South Atlantic division, one of the company’s largest revenue-generating divisions. During her tenure, she directed approximately 5,200 employees, spearheaded several strategic acquisitions and led major growth initiatives. Butler was recently promoted to customer experience officer for LabCorp’s Diagnostics and Drug Development business segments. Butler received her MBA from Elon University, along with a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She currently serves on the Board for the NC Chamber of Commerce and serves as an executive sponsor for the American Heart Association.

Dr. Woś, a native of Poland, a graduate of the Warsaw Medical Academy and a retired internal medicine and pulmonary medicine physician, was also appointed by the UNCW Board of Governors to a four-year term. She is currently the president at the Institute of World Politics. Previously, she served in many roles including vice chair of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, Presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Newly elected officers include three UNCW alumni who have strong histories of service to UNCW:

• H. Carlton Fisher ’83 (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 (Vice Chair): A Wilmington resident and past Cameron School of Business Alumni of the Year honoree and UNCW Foundation member, Caison was reappointed by the Board of Governors to a second term ending in 2027.
• Mr. Jeffrey D. Clark '85 (Secretary): A resident of Jacksonville, NC, and past Cameron School of Business and UNCW baseball student-athlete, Clark is serving his first term ending in 2025.

Mark Lanier will continue serving as assistant secretary, along with newly appointed assistant secretary Jennifer Groves.

UNCW Student Government Association President Cody Brandon, elected in spring 2023, is an ex officio (voting) member. Brandon is majoring in sociology with minors in Africana Studies, English, Leadership Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. He plans to graduate in May 2024 and pursue graduate school.