Wednesday, November 30, 2005

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Russ La Belle, president of Wilmington Machinery, has been elected chair of the UNCW Foundation Board, and Linda Nance, former president of the Friends of UNCW, was elected vice chair.

"I look forward to working with the business and civic leaders on the UNCW Foundation Board to help the university achieve the highest levels of success in all of its programs," said La Belle, a Wilmington, N.C., resident, and former vice chair of the board.

Members of the Foundation Board are Carl A. Byrd Sr., Ron Copley, Windell Daniels, Steve Diab, Matthew Dill, Carlton Fisher, Jack Fuller, Rob Gerlach, Adair M. Graham Sr., Allen P. Hunt Jr., Janice Kingoff, Phil Marion, Paul McCombie, Marvin O. Robinson, Bill Saffo, Donna Shiro, Bill Smith, Jim Stasios, Steve Warwick, Kenneth Weeden, Margaret Weller-Stargell and Connie Yow, all of Wilmington; Virginia Holland Brewer of Rocky Mount, N.C.; Tim Duncan of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and Joe L. King III of Bloomfield Way, Mich.

The UNCW Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, traces its roots to the Wilmington College Foundation created in 1962. The articles of incorporation for the foundation were amended to change its name when the college joined the University of North Carolina system in 1969. The foundation assists the university with fundraising, endowment fund investment and property acquisition. A current priority for the 27-member board is raising funds to endow a merit scholarship fund; this initiative follows the successful fundraising effort in 2002-03 to establish the Leutze Merit Scholarship Fund in honor of former Chancellor James Leutze.

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Media Contact: Andrea Weaver, marketing and communications manager, UNCW Division for University Advancement, 910.962.7631 or weavera@uncw.edu