Board of Trustees Welcomes New Members and Officers

The UNCW Board of Trustees convened for its quarterly meetings on July 31 with four new board members. The trustees elected three new officers.  

Elected officers include two UNCW alumni who have strong histories of service to UNCW: 

• Hugh Caison ’85, chair: A Wilmington resident and past Cameron School of Business Alumni of the Year honoree and UNCW Foundation member, Caison is serving a second term ending in 2027. 

• The Honorable Aldona Woś, M.D., vice chair: A Poland native and retired internal medicine physician with extensive experience serving in roles related to international politics, Dr. Woś is serving her first term ending in 2027. 

• Jeffrey D. Clark ’85, secretary: A resident of Jacksonville, North Carolina, and past Cameron School of Business and UNCW baseball student-athlete, Clark is serving his second term ending in 2029. 

“It is an incredible honor to serve as chair of the board at a university that has played such a meaningful role in my life,” said Caison. “As an alum, I’ve seen firsthand the power of a UNCW education, and I’m proud to help guide the institution forward as we continue to create opportunities for future generations of Seahawks.” 

Karen King ’94, appointed by the North Carolina Senate for a four-year term, and Carrie B. Shields ’04, appointed by the North Carolina House for a four-year term, joined returning trustees Traci L. Butler; Caison; Frances “Perry” Chappell; Clark; Stephen Griffin ’82; Yousry Sayed; Skyler Stein ’26; Jimmy T. Tate ’99, ’01M, ’19M, and Woś. As announced in May, Luke Waddell and Dane Scalise were also appointed. 

King earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNCW in 1994. With more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, she has served as a clinical nursing instructor and director of nursing, leading policy development and accreditation efforts. King has remained connected to UNCW through her service on the Friends of UNCW Board and the UNCW Nursing Advisory Board. Her community involvement includes leadership roles with the Wrightsville Beach Planning Board, Communities in Schools, and other local organizations. 

Shields is an accomplished public servant and economic development leader with more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, government relations and community engagement. She currently serves as deputy county manager for Duplin County, where she oversees strategic initiatives and intergovernmental collaboration. A proud alumna of UNCW, Shields holds a bachelor’s in psychology and has maintained strong ties to regional development efforts. Her career includes leadership roles with the Duplin County Economic Development Commission and Curtis Media Group, with a focus on industry growth and public-private partnerships. Shields remains active in several regional and state organizations supporting economic advancement across North Carolina. 

Tiffany Tramontozzi and Jennifer Groves will continue to serve as assistant secretaries, along with newly appointed assistant secretary and chief of staff Michael Wilhelm. 

Trustee Stein, UNCW Student Government Association president, was re-elected to serve a second SGA term in 2025-26. He is majoring in political science and minoring in pre-law and campaign management, with an anticipated graduation date in 2026.