The Board of Trustees, 2022-2023

Trustees may be contacted through the Board of Trustees Office at 336.334.5266 or by email at trustees@uncg.edu

Betsy Oakley

Service: Reappointed by the Speaker of the House in 2019 to a four-year term expiring June 30, 2023. Betsy serves as Chair of the Board. She also serves on the Academic Affairs, Compliance, Audit, Risk Management, and Legal, Executive, Finance and Administration, Nominating, and University Advancement, and Committees. She also sits ex officio on the University Investment Fund and Capital Facilities Foundation Boards.

Employment: Co-owner, Charles Aris, Inc.

Education: B.S. Clothing and Textiles, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Bio:In addition to serving two terms on the Board of Trustees, Betsy is a member of the Light the Way Campaign Cabinet and was on the Campaign Planning Committee. She is a former member of the UNCG School of Human Environmental Sciences Foundation Board of Directors and has also served on the UNCG Legislative Network and as chair of the UNCG Friends of the Library. Her community and civic affiliations are numerous and include the American Red Cross Regional Board, the North Carolina Aquarium Society Board, and the Board of Advisors for Duke Cancer Institute. Locally, Betsy has served on the Cone Health Fundraising Committee, the Women to Women Grantmaking Advisory Council, and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Board. In 2021, the Oakley Family established a fund to provide renovation, refurbishment, and maintenance for the UNCG Alumni House meeting and reception space now known as the Oakley Family Reception Room.

Mae Douglas

Service: Appointed by the Board of Governors to serve a four-year term expiring June 30, 2023. Mae is Vice Chair of the Board and serves on the Finance & Administration, Nominating, and University Advancement Committees. She is also the Board of Trustees liaison to the Moss Street Partnership School Advisory Board.

Employment: Former Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Cox Communications; Atlanta, Georgia

Education: B.A. Sociology; University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Professional Affiliations: International Women’s Forum

Bio:Mae Douglas, a Greensboro native and a graduate of UNCG, is an esteemed community leader, philanthropist, and the former executive vice president and chief people officer at Cox Communications in Atlanta. After her retirement and relocation back to Greensboro, she has focused on community service. In recognition of those efforts, Mae received the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce Thomas Z. Osborne Distinguished Citizen Award for 2022, given for extraordinary service and achievement within the community. She was also named Greensboro's Outstanding Philanthropist for 2022 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for her significant contributions to the community through leadership, volunteer service, and philanthropy. Additionally, Mae received the 2019 ATHENA Award, presented annually by the Greensboro Chamber to a woman who embodies professional excellence and community service and who actively assists other women in their attainment of their own professional excellence and leadership skills.

Civic Affiliations and Community Service: Chair - Board of Directors of Cone Health; Member of the Board of Directors of Cone Health Foundation, United Way of Greater Greensboro, Gateway University Research Park, Guilford Child Development, M & F Bank Greensboro City Advisory Board; and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Advisory Committee. Mae is also a former member of the National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad (NCCJ) Board of Directors and the YMCA of Greensboro Association Board.

Linda Sloan

Service: Appointed by the Board of Governors in 2019 to a four-year term expiring on June 30, 2023. Linda serves as Secretary of the Board and sits on the Academic Affairs, Executive, and University Advancement Committees.

Employment: Linda is retired from Greensboro Day School. During her tenure, Linda established the school’s ongoing theatre program. She also previously served as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Speech at Wake Forest University and an adjunct lecturer in the UNCG Bryan School.

Education: B.S Psychology, University of Rochester; MA Teaching & English, Tufts University; MFA Drama, UNCG.

Bio:Linda received the 2012 O.Henry Award presented by ArtsGreensboro and the Greensboro Partnership. She and husband Tom are the 2022 recipients of the National Center for Community and Justice of the Triad's Brotherhood/Sisterhood Citation Award, given to community leaders in recognition of extraordinary efforts to fight bias, bigotry, and racism and make the community a better place for all. Linda and Tom have also received the Greensboro Business Leaders Hall of Fame Award from Junior Achievement; the Lifetime Achievement Award from United Way of Greater Greensboro; and the 232 Award for Excellence from Triad Stage. Their many contributions to UNC Greensboro include establishment of the Sloan Endowed Scholarship, which provides full support for students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and financial need. Residents of Greensboro, the Sloans have three daughters and nine grandchildren, all living in the Durham/Chapel Hill area.

Civic Affiliations and Community Service: UNCG College of Visual and Performing Arts Board of Visitors; Triad Stage, Founding Board Chair; Women to Women (Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro), Founding Co-Chair; Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Board; North Carolina School of the Arts Foundation Board; United Arts Council, Board Chair; United Way of Greater Greensboro Board; Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, Board Chair; Hospice Foundation of Greater Greensboro Board; Greensboro Day School Board.

Anita Bachmann

Service: Appointed by the Board of Governors in April 2021 for a first term running July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. Anita serves on the University Advancement and Compliance, Audit, Risk Management, and Legal (CARL) Committees.

Employment:CEO - North Carolina Market for UnitedHealthcare’s Community Plans

Education:Master of Health Science (MHS), Health Services Administration - Medical University of South Carolina Charleston; Executive Leadership Program - University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School.

Professional Affiliations:Appointed by Governor Cooper as board member to the NC Institute of Medicine and the NC Works Commission.

Bio:With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Anita is an accomplished Executive with extensive, progressive experience in healthcare administration, business operations, healthcare delivery systems, business development, technology, clinical strategy, and regulatory/legislative affairs. She has also served as Senior Vice President of Health Reform Strategy at Optum, where she was responsible for development of the reform strategy to support state government business growth, and Vice President of Health Care Reform at UnitedHealthcare. In recognition of her effort, Anita was named an Outstanding Women in Business by Triad Business Journal in 2017, Triad Power Player and Athena Leadership award winner in 2019 and Triad Power Players and C-Suite Award recipient in 2020.

Civic Affiliations and Community Service:Anita is immediate past chair of the Board for the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.

Margaret S. Benjamin

Service:Reappointed by the Board of Governors to a first full term running July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025. Margaret is as Chair of the University Advancement Committee and serves on the Nominating and Compliance, Audit, Risk Management and Legal Committees.

Education:MA Liberal Studies UNCG; BA Fine Arts and Advertising, Louisiana State University

Bio:A New Orleans native, Margaret began her museum career as Public Relations Director of the Gallier House Museum. At a Congressional awards ceremony in Washington, DC, Margaret received the 2017 Champion of Museums award from the American Alliance of Museums for her exemplary advocacy for museums and was recognized as a 2018 AAM Star Advocate. In 2018, she and husband Bill received the United Way Greater Greensboro Legacy Award, presented to families who demonstrate a legacy of giving and community impact and who exemplify a shared dedication to service and exceptional support of programs that transform lives in our community. Margaret is also the recipient of the Junior League of Greensboro's Sustainer of Distinction Award for 2022.

Civic Affiliations and Community Service:Civic Affiliations and Community Service: Margaret’s service to UNCG includes membership on the Campaign Steering Committee, Board of Visitors, Weatherspoon Arts Foundation Board of Directors, and Weatherspoon Art Museum Advisory Board. Outside UNCG, Margaret currently Chairs the Public Art Endowment of Greensboro Steering Committee and serves on the following: Greensboro Public Library Foundation Board of Directors; Cone Health Cancer Center Advisory Committee; Louisiana State University Museum of Art Advisory Board, and the Museum Trustee Association Board of Directors. She is former president of the Greensboro History Museum, Inc. Board of Trustees, and has served on the Greensboro College Board of Visitors, Greensboro Cerebral Palsy Association Board of Directors, Greensboro Downtown Parks Board of Directors, and Children’s Home Society of NC Board of Trustees.

Mona Edwards

Service: Reappointed by the Board of Governors in 2019 to a four-year term expiring June 30, 2023. Mona chairs the Grievance and Compliance, Audit, Risk Management, and Legal Committees, and serves on the Finance and Administration Committee.

Employment: Mona is the founder and owner of LIFT Coaching and Consulting, an executive and career coaching and organizational consulting firm. Mona is also an Adjunct Feedback and Executive Coach at the Center for Creative Leadership. Previously she served as Chief Operating Officer for the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, as Vice President and Chief of Staff at the Center for Creative Leadership and as Deputy City Manager for the City of Greensboro. She is a 2020 recipient of the Triad Business Journal's Outstanding Women in Business Award, and received the 2019 Gwendolyn and Dr. Alvin Blount, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service from the United Way of Greater Greensboro.

Education: J.D., Washington and Lee University; B.A., University of Virginia

Professional Affiliations: Virginia State Bar (Associate)

Civic Affiliations and Community Service: Chair, National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad (NCCJ) Board of Directors; Member, Center for Creative Leadership Board of Trustees; Triad Coaching Connection, Women's Professional Forum; Former Board member for Guilford Education Alliance, Communities and Schools of Greater Greensboro (Vice Chair); United Way of Greater Greensboro; and The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.

Dr. Ernest J. Grant

Service:Appointed by the Board of Governors in April 2021 for a first term running July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. Ernest serves on the University Advancement and Compliance, Audit, Risk Management, and Legal (CARL) Committees.

Employment:In March 2023, Dr. Grant was named Interim Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Duke University School of Nursing.

Education:BSN, North Carolina Central University; MSN and PhD in Nursing, UNC Greensboro.

Professional Affiliations:Immediate Past President, American Nurses Association (ANA); Past Chair, National Fire Protection Association Board of Directors; Chair, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Education Messaging Advisory Committee; Member, American Burn Association Board of Trustees; Past President, North Carolina Nurses Association; Fellow, American Academy of Nursing; Member, UNCG School of Nursing Advisory Board.

Bio:Dr. Grant is the 2022 recipient of the Nightingale Award, given by the Foundation of New York State Nurses, to an individual whose actions mirror those of Florence Nightingale: leader, mentor, educator, researcher, organizer, developer, bold in the face of adversity, and passionate about nursing and patient care. He was also named one of Modern Healthcare's 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives in 2022. The list honors health care leaders who are deemed by their peers and the senior editors of Modern Healthcare to be paving the way to better health through their executive responsibility, leadership qualities, innovation, community service, and achievements. He was also selected by the US Celebration of World Standards Day Planning Committee as the 2021 recipient of the Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award, named in honor of the late US Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown, in recognition of Grant’s decades of work in burn care and prevention and development of the NFPA standard used nationally as essential guidance for all aspects of fire and life safety education. In 2002, the ANA honored Grant with the Honorary Nursing Practice Award for his contributions to the advancement of nursing practice through strength of character, commitment, and competence. In 2001, Dr. Grant received the Nurse of the Year Award from former President George W. Bush for his service to burn patients injured in the September 11 World Trade Center attacks. Grant was named UNCG Alumnus of the Year in 2010 and received the Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2006.

Brad Hayes

Service: Reappointed by the Board of Governors in 2019 to a four-year term expiring June 30, 2023. Brad chairs the Finance and Administration and Nominating Committees and serves on the Athletics, Executive, and Grievance Committees.

Employment: After working at KPMG for nine years, Brad joined LabCorp, Burlington, NC in 1996 and served as the company's CFO from 2005 until his retirement in 2014.

Education: B.S. Accounting, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Civic Affiliations and Community Service: Brad serves on the Board of Directors of Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLDR) and chairs the Audit Committee. He also serves on the Canterbury School Board of Trustees and Finance Committee, the Alamance Regional Medical Center Community Board, the JDRF Piedmont Triad Chapter Board, Board of Directors of Cone Health, and the Board of Directors for Intec Pharma, where he serves as Chair of the Audit Committee. Brad and his wife Kim are both alumni of UNCG and are loyal Spartan supporters.

George Hoyle

Service:Reappointed by Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger to a four-year term running July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. George serves as Chair of the Athletics Committee and is a member of the Finance and Administration Committee.

Employment:Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Compass Financial Partners – Greensboro, NC.

Education:B.A. Organizational Speech, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Civic Affiliations and Community Service:George’s service to UNCG includes membership on the Excellence Foundation Board of Directors, the Campaign Steering Committee, and the Students First Campaign Steering Committee. He is a past president of the Spartan Club Executive Committee and is currently Co-Chair of the Athletics Departments “5 for 5” Campaign for Champions. Outside UNCG, George serves as Board Chair for the Carolinas Chapter of Operation Smile, was a founding member of the Greensboro Police Foundation Board and is a member of the Greensboro Sports Council.

Elizabeth Phillips

Service: Reappointed by the Senate President Pro Tempore in 2019 to a four-year term expiring June 30, 2023. Elizabeth serves on the Academic Affairs, Athletics, and Grievance Committees.

Employment: Executive Director, Phillips Foundation

Education: B.A. Corporate Communications and Public Affairs from Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Bio: Elizabeth was a recipient of the Triad Business Journal's Women in Business Award in 2015. Ms. Phillips is involved in a variety of organizations, locally, nationally and abroad.

Civic Affiliations and Community Service: National Center for Family Philanthropy, board member; The ImPact, cofounder; Texas Women's Foundation, board member; Women Moving Millions, board member; The Dallas Foundation, board member

Dean Priddy

Service: Appointed by the Speaker of the House Tim Moore to a second four-year term running July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. Dean serves as Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and as a member of the Executive, Nominating, and Compliance, Audit, Risk Management, and Legal Committees.

Employment: Retired (2015) Executive VP of Administration, Qorvo, Inc.

Education: B.S. and M.B.A., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Bio: Dean began his career with Analog Devices in 1986 and held progressively responsible positions in finance and marketing. He joined RFMD, a leading supplier of solutions for the wireless industry in 1991 as Controller, and became CFO and Corporate Vice President of Administration in 1997. He held that position until the formation of Qorvo, a merger of equals between RFMD and TriQuint Semiconductor in December 2014, and subsequently held the position of Executive Vice President of Administration and Value Creation at Qorvo until his retirement in March, 2015.

Civic Affiliations and Community Service: UNCG Bryan Business School Advisory Board, Board of Partners Ending Homelessness, and the Bryan School’s Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma. Dean is a past recipient of the Bryan School’s Distinguished Alumni Award and was Triad Business Journal’s Change Agent of the Year for 2010.

Tim Rice

Service:Appointed by the Board of Governors in April 2021 for a first term running July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. Tim serves on the Academic Affairs and Finance & Administration Committees.

Education:BS Pharmacy, Washington State University; MS Health Administration, Duke University

Professional Affiliations:President and Board Chair of The National Center for Healthcare Leadership; Past Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives; Board of Trustees, Cielo Healthcare; Board of Governors, Center for Creative Leadership; Trustee, NC A&T State University; NC Hospital Association Board Member; Radius Ventures Advisory Board Member

Bio:Tim is former CEO and current CEO Emeritus of Cone Health. He is a 2015 recipient of the American Hospital Administration’s Board of Trustees Award and in 2012 received the NC Hospital Association’s Distinguished Service Award as well as the Thomas Z. Osborne Award from the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. Rice was keynote speaker at UNCG’s May 2015 Commencement ceremony and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for his lifetime of service and contributions to the humanities and to human welfare.

Civic Affiliations and Community Service:Tim currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Foundation of Greater Greensbor. He is a former member of the GTCC Foundation Board and has also chaired the boards for United Way of Greater Greensboro, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, and the War Memorial Commission. In addition to his role on the Board of Trustees, Tim's service to UNCG includes membership on the Excellence Foundation Board of Directors, the Board of Visitors, the Union Square Campus Board, and the School of Nursing Advisory Board.

Hazael Mengesha

Bio:Hazael Mengesha is president of the UNCG Student Government Association and ex officio voting member of the UNCG Board of Trustees through June 30, 2023. He serves as a member of the Academic Affairs and Athletics Committees. “Haz” is a junior from Raleigh, NC on a Pre-PA track, double minoring in Biology and Chemistry while seeking a Bachelor degree in Kinesiology. He is a Blue and Gold Scholar at UNCG and also the recipient of the Betsy Umstead Undergraduate Scholarship, UNCG Chancellor's Scholarship, as well as the Board of Visitors Scholarship. His previous experience within the Student Government Association includes service as a Sophomore Senator, DEI Committee Chairman, and SGA Vice President. Haz also serves as a representative of the Ethiopia-Eritrean Student Association as well as the Spartan Men's Initiative.