Board of Trustees

Class: 2026
Committee: Resources

Mr. Amos Beason is a Managing Director at Seward Capital, an investment management firm based in Charlotte, NC. Mr. Beason is a former member of the Board of Directors of Outward Bound School. He is co-founder of "Extreme Hike", a national fundraising event for cystic fibrosis, and he is an avid rock climber and skier. He and his wife, Kimberly, live in Charlotte with their two daughters.

Class: 2026-2027
committee: Resources

Mr. Bernd is the President and COO of Novant Health Matthews Medical Center. Jason is a member of the Board of Directors for Discovery Place Children’s Museum and the Board of Directors for the Union County Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on various non-profit boards including the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Susan G. Komen – Charlotte. Jason and his wife, Tiffany, have four children and live in Charlotte.

board VICE chair

Class: 2025
Committee: Trusteeship & Executive committee; chair

Dr. Russell Booker is Executive Director of the Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) and retired Superintendent of Spartanburg School District Seven. In June 2020, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto - South Carolina's highest civilian honor. He is also the 2015 South Carolina Superintendent of the Yearn and he is a Wingate football alumnus. Dr. Booker serves on many boards including Strive Together, Liberty Fellowship, the Mary Black Foundation and the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. He and his wife, Sheryl, have two sons.

Class: 2026-2027
committee: Audit & Compliance; investment

Mr. Benton Bragg serves as President and CEO of Bragg Financial Advisors, where he is also chair of the Investment Committee. He has earned the professional designations of Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planner. An Eagle Scout, Benton sits on the Board of Advisors for the Boy Scouts of America—Mecklenburg County Council. He is also a member of the endowment committee and former board president. The Boy Scouts of America awarded Benton the Silver Beaver Award for his dedication and service to the program. Mr. Bragg and his family live on a small farm in Huntersville.

Class: 2024
Committees: Resources, chair; athletics; Executive

Mr. Patrick Brown is the CEO of OEConnection (OEC). With over 20 years in leadership positions, he is defined by his unwavering commitment to employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Mr. Brown holds an MBA in Finance from UNC-Charlotte and a Bachelor of Science, Economics and Finance from Wingate University. He also serves as a part-time board member for All Web Leads, Inc. and the Board of Directors of Lake Travis Youth Association. Mr. Brown and his wife, Shawn, have three children.

Class: 2024
Committee: Resources

Ms. Rebecca Bullard works in real estate and investments and is a recently ordained Stephen's Minister. She retired from a human resources career and is a former franchise and restaurant owner. Ms. Bullard is connected with many civic and professional organizations including Rotary International, Truist Bank, UNC-Pembroke and the Charlotte Rescue Mission. She enjoys gardening, reading and volunteer work. Ms. Bullard is a Wingate alumna and has one daughter.

Class: 2024
Committee: Audit & Compliance

Mr. Wayne Cooper, the Honorary Consul to Mexico, works in international trade in Charlotte, NC. During his career, Wayne received the Order of the Aztec Eagle in Mexico, equivalent to the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in North Carolina, and the Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the 2016 Excellence in International Trade Awards.

Class: 2026
Committees: resources; investment, chair; resources;  executive, member at large

Mr. Morrison Creech retired from Wells Fargo Advisors where he served as the Head of Private Banking/Executive VP since 2003. Birmingham, Alabama-based Oakworth Capital Bank has appointed Morrison Creech to its central Carolinas board. Mr. Creech will offer key advise, leadership, and knowledge to help build the banks presence in the central Carolinas. He is also a member of the Goodfellows Club, the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Alumni Council and the Director's Council - Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. He is a member of Oakworth Capital Bank's Board for the central Carolinas market. Mr. Creech and his wife, Lib, live in Charlotte.

Class: 2024
Committee:  Trusteeship

Mr. Bill Crowder is Executive VP of Crowder Construction and a Wingate alumnus. Bill has a longtime commitment to, and interest in, Alexander Youth Network. Mr. Crowder is also involved with Memory and Movement of Charlotte. Mr. Crowder is a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian honor, as well a member of the Alumni Hall of Fame at UNC-Charlotte. He and his wife, Pam, attend Philadelphia Presbyterian Church in Mint Hill where he is an elder.

Class: 2026
committees: Trusteeship & executive; member at large

Ms. Angelia Duncan is Partner in Charge at the Charlotte office of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. She is a commercial litigator and focuses on business disputes, employment matters, etc. She also serves as a volunteer with the Cobb Justice Foundation assisting victims of domestic violence. Ms. Duncan also sits on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and the Partnership Against Domestic Violence.

Class: 2025
committee: Audit & Compliance

Dr. Kim Eagle is the County Manager for Gaston County, NC. She is a Wingate alumna and a graduate faculty member in the UNC-Charlotte Master of Public Administration program. Dr. Eagle is a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg 50 Most Influential Women Class of 2018. She is also an award recipient of the Charlotte Business Journal's Women in Business 2021. Dr. Eagle and her husband, Keith, also a Wingate graduate, have three children.

Class: 2023
committees: executive; Trusteeship, chair

Ms. Kacey Grantham is the CEO at Road to Hire and is part of its founding team. She currently serves with several civic and professional organizations including the Council for Children's Rights Custody Advocate, HIRE Charlotte Steering Committee and the Mayor's Racial Equity Initiative Corporate Response Team. Ms. Grantham and her husband, Henry, live in Charlotte.

BOARD SECRETARY

Class: 2026
committees: Resources; Investment

Mr. Ron Hinson owns Hinson Electric in Monroe, NC. He serves on several boards, including the local Kiwanis Club, the regional Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors, the Monroe Advisory Board for Truist, the Union County Community Arts Council, the Union County Community Foundation and the Carolina Electrical Contractors Associates. Mr. Hinson and his wife, Delilah, live in Monroe. 

Class: 2025
committee: resources

Mr. Craig Horn is the Mayor of Weddington, NC. He also served five terms in the NC General Assembly, House of Representatives for District 68. Mr. Horn is an Early Learning Fellow at the National Conference of State Legislators. His work in education dubbed him the "Education Legislator" by EdNC, the popular blog that covers education policy across North Carolina. He is president of the Churchill Society of North Carolina and serves on the Board of Governors of the International Churchill Society. Mr. Horn and his wife, Lorraine, live in Weddington.

Class: 2025
committee: Audit & Compliance

Mr. Chuck Howard is the owner and CEO of Autobell Car Wash and Howco. Autobell is a Wake Forest University Family Business of the Year. In addition to numerous environmental awards, Mr. Howard is a member of the International Car Wash Association Hall of Fame. He is a Wingate alumnus, a pilot and an avid outdoorsman. Mr. Howard and his wife, Carmen, attend St. John's Baptist Church where he is a deacon.

Class 2026-2027
committee: mission & PurposE

Dr. Lander is the Project Coordinator for “Our Future in UniSon” a local educational attainment collaborative sponsored by MyFutureNC. Maria is also the retired Dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology at SPCC and a former adjunct professor at Wingate University. Dr. Lander serves on the board of GenOne CLT, Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, and is a former board member for the Alliance for Children and LAWA. She is also a partner with Social Venture Partners. Maria and her husband, Henry, live in Charlotte.

Class: 2024
committees:  Resources,
investment &
athletics

Mr. Jim Mason is the owner and retired Principal of the Mason Company, real estate appraisers and consultants. He is a member of the Laurinburg-Scotland County Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club. He also serves on the investment and building committees for Scotland Memorial Hospital. Mr. Mason is a Wingate alumnus. He and his wife, Lynn, have one daughter and two grandchildren.

board chair

Class: 2026
committees: executive; Mission & Purpose

Ms. Carolyn Matthews is a retired school counselor and Senior Advisor for the Crosby Scholars program in Winston-Salem, NC. She is a Wingate alumna ('69) and received the University's Alumni Service Award in 2014. Ms. Matthews is a member of Retired School Personnel, Delta Kappa Gamma and the National Education Association. She is a member of College Park Baptist Church. Ms. Matthews and her husband, Rick, have two children.

Class: 2026
committees: trusteeship

Dr. Lynn Moss, a former Wingate University vice president, is retired from YMCA Camps Sea Gull and Seafarer on the coast of North Carolina where she had a distinguished career. Dr. Moss is the 2022 recipient of the Baptist Heritage Award that is granted annually by the Baptist State Convention of NC and the NC Baptist Foundation. Dr. Moss was a longtime Board of Visitors member. In 2007, she received an Honorary Alumni Award from Wingate.

Class: 2025
committees: Executive; mission & Purpose, chair

Ms. Fonda Salgueiro is the CFO for Crown Premier Properties. She is a member of St. James Catholic Church. Ms. Salgueiro is a USTA tennis player with a 4.0 rating. She is a member-at-large of the Chatham Commerce Club, the Savannah Chamber of Commerce, the Skidaway Island Republican Party, the Savannah Tennis League, the Landings Club Savannah and the Savannah Chathma Club. The Salgueiros' daughter, Juliet, is a Wingate graduate.

Class: 2025
committees: Resources; athletics

Mr. Andrew Smart is President and CEO of DiscoverFresh Foods, a leading manufacturer of ready-to-eat appetizers and bakery items. Mr. Smart is a Wingate University alumnus and received the Young Alumni Award in 2016. He also worked in the Wingate Admissions Office. Mr. Smart supports Wingate University, Clemson University and the Meyer Center for Special Children. He and his wife, Julie, and their two children live in Greenville, SC.

Class: 2026
committee: Resources

Carl is owner and CEO of C.M. Tucker Lumber Companies, LLC, founded in 1920 by his grandfather. He joined the company in 1970 and has led much of its subsequent expansion and diversification. Carl and his wife, Linda, have four sons – David, Mark, Paul, and Andrew – all of whom work in the family business. The Tuckers are members of First Baptist Church in Pageland, and Carl is a former Board of Visitors member. He also taught Economics at Wingate in the past

Class: 2026
committees: Athletics, chair; Mission & purpose; executive, member at large

Mr. Doug Turner is a native of Concord NC and attended Wingate University ('94) and Campbell University Law School. He practices law in Dunn, NC. Mr. Turner is a member of the NC Bar Association and the NC Advocates for Justice. Mr. Turner also served on Wingate University's Board of Visitors for three years prior to becoming a member of the Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Natalie, have three children. 

Class: 2026
committees: audit & compliance; investment

Mr. Ed West is the founder of General Steel Drum Corporation and is now retired. He is an avid supporter of athletics and education. Mr. West is a member of the Petroleum Packaging Council and a Lifetime member of the Industrial Steel Drum Institute. He is a member of New City Church. Mr. West has two children. He and his wife, Millie, live in Charlotte.