Friday, August 05, 2005

WILMINGTON, NC – Charlotte executive Krista S. Tillman was elected chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina Wilmington at their quarterly meeting Aug. 4-5. Other officers elected included Vice Chair Charles Evans of Manteo and Treasurer John A. “Sandy” McNeill Jr. of Whiteville.

New Hanover and Pender County District Court Judge Rebecca Blackmore, UNCW class of 1975, administered the oath of office to three new trustees: Bob King, UNCW class of ‘66, president of Bob King Pontiac GMC, Linda Pearce, executive director of Elderhaus, both of Wilmington, and George Teague, attorney with Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, LLP, of Raleigh.

Charlotte attorney Larry Dagenhart, with Helms, Mullis & Wicker, was bid a fond farewell after serving two four-year terms on the UNCW Board of Trustees, including a term as chair. He also chaired the search committee that brought Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo to Wilmington. Dagenhart’s service at UNCW, a public university, was in addition to his long-time leadership at his alma mater, Davidson College, a private institution.

Also rotating off after two four-year terms were current board chair Alfred P. Carlton Jr., attorney with Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, of Raleigh; Katherine Bell Moore, UNCW class of 1973 with Eastern Delivery Service Inc. of Wilmington.

A bronze sculpture of a Seahawk about to grasp a fish by Wilmington artist Dumay Gorham III was presented to each outgoing trustee. Gorham's metal work appears in businesses throughout the area including downtown bicycle racks. He also created large steel jellyfish for the lobby of the UNCW Center for Marine Science and provided repairs to the large bronze Seahawk stolen and recovered from the front of Warwick Center.

Tillman is president of BellSouth North Carolina Operations. During her extensive career with the telecommunications company, Tillman has held numerous positions including president of small business services in Atlanta and director of public policy and planning in New Jersey. Appointed by the UNC Board of Governors, her first term expires June 2007.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Georgia State University, Tillman earned a master’s degree from the School of Industrial Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. She also completed the Executive Business Program at Emory University and the Executive Leaders Program at Boston University.