Alumni Elected, Appointed to GAA Board

Posted on May 13, 2023

W. Lowry Caudill ’79 of Durham has assumed office as chair of the GAA Board of Directors, succeeding David C. Keesler ’84 of Charlotte.

Caudill is the chair of Tennwood Holdings LLC in Durham. He received the University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008, the GAA’s Distinguished Service Medal in 2014 and an honorary degree from UNC in 2021. He was on the University’s Board of Trustees (2011-2019), including chair (2013-2015), and was co-chair of the Campaign for Carolina. He received a bachelor of science in chemistry from UNC in 1979 and a doctorate in analytical chemistry from Indiana University in 1983. Caudill serves on the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center board of visitors and is a member of the Executive Board of the Educational Foundation.

Other new board members elected by Carolina Alumni members or appointed by the board also have taken office.

Paula Brown Stafford ’86 (BSPH, ’92 MPH) of Chapel Hill is first vice chair, and Algernon “Alge” Crumpler ’00 of Suwanee, Georgia, is second vice chair.

Brown Stafford served on the GAA board from 2019 to 2022, representing the district for Caswell, Orange and Rockingham counties. She received a master’s degree in public health from UNC in 1992, is chair, president and CEO of Novan Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, and an adjunct professor in public health leadership at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is a former chair of the Public Health Foundation of the school and has received UNC’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Crumpler is retired from Fox Sports Southeast ACC Gridiron Live and the National Football League, where he played 10 seasons as a tight end for the Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots and in the Pro Bowl four times. As a student at UNC, he played on the football team (1996-2000), was named All ACC in 1997, 1999 and 2000, and served as captain. He also was a member of the track and field team. He is a member of the board of advisers for the Educational Foundation (Rams Club) and participates in the Legends Community Atlanta Falcons, a community outreach and charitable organization. He has been named to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame and to the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame and as the Georgia Association of Broadcasters’ Best Morning Show Personality for WQXI’s The Locker Room.

Elected to three-year terms representing N.C. districts:

James Reuben “Jim” Copland IV ’94 of New Bern to the district for Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrell and Washington counties. Copland is senior fellow and director for legal policy at the Manhattan Institute and vice chairman of Copland Fabrics. As a student at UNC, he was student body president; publisher and editor of Carolina Critic, a member of Chi Psi and Phi Beta Kappa; a Morehead scholar; and a GAA board member (ex officio), 1993-94.

Grant Liles Campbell ’93 (’97 MD) of Concord to the district for Anson, Cabarrus, Davie, Davidson, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Rowan, Randolph, Stanly and Union counties. Campbell is a physician and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Atrium Health University City. As a student at UNC, he was School of Medicine student body president in 1997; School of Medicine class president in 1996; and Residence Hall Association, Mangum Dormitory president 1990.

Ashley Parrott Dunham ’98 of Charlotte to the district for Anson, Cabarrus, Davie, Davidson, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Rowan, Randolph, Stanly and Union counties. Dunham is a senior marketing strategist at Deloitte. As a student at UNC, she was publisher of the Carolina Course Review, served on the student attorney general’s staff, vice president of standards for Kappa Delta Sorority, student ambassador for the Order of the Bell Tower, a Morehead scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Dunham serves on the out-of-state semifinalist committee and is a student mentor for the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

Natalie Knorr Best ’97 of Raleigh to the district for Franklin, Nash and Wake counties. Best is chief operating officer and principal for French/West/Vaughan. As a student at UNC, she was a student assistant for the Athletics Communications Office, a campus tour guide, participated in Women’s Club Volleyball, a freshman orientation counselor and chapter editor for Delta Zeta Sorority. She’s on the advisory board for the UNC Hussman School of Journalism & Media and co-chair of the N.C. Media & Journalism Hall of Fame.

Elected to three-year terms representing out-of-state alumni:

Kenneth W. Epps ’02 (MBA) of Philadelphia to the district for international students, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Epps is a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. As a student at UNC, he was president of the MBA Student Association, received the Frank Hawkins Kenan Award for Excellence, a member of the Frank Porter Graham Graduate and Professional Student Honor Society and a student representative on the Kenan-Flagler Board of Advisors.

Darryl Joel Keith ’77 of Wakefield, Rhode Island to the district of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. Keith is a research oceanographer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As a student at UNC, he was the intramural sports manager for Connor Residence Hall, a freshman orientation counselor and a member of the Order of St. Andrew, an honorary service society. Keith also is vice president of the Kingston Water District, a participant in Tar Heel Service Day and communications lead for the Rhode Island Carolina Club.

Monica R. Cloud ’96 of Silver Spring, Maryland to the District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia. Cloud is a director of federal government relations for GSK Pharmaceuticals. As a student at UNC, she was the Speaker of Student Congress, a member of the Black Student Movement, a volunteer at the GAA, and a member of UNITA loving and learning program.

Elected to a three-year term on UNC’s Athletic Council:

Charlotte Daniele Smith ’95 of Whitsett. Smith is the women’s basketball head coach at Elon University. At UNC, she was on the women’s basketball team, a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Player of the Year, a two-time ESPY Award winner, All-ACC, Kodak All American and ACC 50th anniversary team. Her jersey was retired.