GAA Installs New Board Members

Posted on June 3, 2005

Jean Almand Kitchin ’70 of Scotland Neck, president and chief executive officer of Almand’s Drug Stores, was installed as chair of the GAA Board of Directors at the Annual Alumni Luncheon on May 14, succeeding Anthony Harrington ’63 of Easton, Md.

Tom Efird ’61 of Gastonia, president of Standard Distributors Inc., assumed office as chair-elect. Efird was a member of the board from 2001 to 2004, representing N.C. District IX.

Kitchin previously has served the board as first vice chair and a district director. She is a cookbook author and former producer and host of several television programs, including Carolina Cooking, Triangle East Magazine and Tar Heel Chefs. She also has worked as public relations director of the Newspapers in Education program for The Rocky Mount Telegram.

At UNC, Kitchin was a member of Pi Beta Phi and a class officer. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. As an alumna, she has served UNC in several capacities, including as a member of the Board of Visitors. She is a current member of the Board of Trustees, serving as secretary of that board from 2001 to 2004.

The election of Kitchin, board officers and other directors, as well as the appointment of additional board members were announced by Harrington.

Other new executive officers are Dr. James Harrell Jr. ’69 of Elkin, first vice chair, and Joel Graham Brinkley ’75 of Chevy Chase, Md., second vice chair. Harrell is a family dentist, and Brinkley is a correspondent for The New York Times.

New directors elected to three-year terms representing N.C. districts are:

• Joseph Jenkins ’70 (AB, ’74 MD, ’90 JD) of Fayetteville. Jenkins is president of the urology division of HealthTronics Inc. He is a former member of the UNC Board of Visitors.
• Karen Lynn Parker ’65 (ABJO) of Greensboro. Parker is a copy editor at the Winston-Salem Journal. She was a recipient of the 2004 Harvey E. Beech Outstanding Alumni Award. At UNC, she was a member of Valkyries, an editor for the UNC Journalist, a participant in the Toronto Exchange and vice president of the UNC Press Club.
• William Johnston Leach Jr. ’67 of Statesville. Leach is senior vice president and market executive of First Citizens Bank. Leach is a past president of the Iredell County Carolina Club and is a member of the UNC Educational Foundation, which he serves as a Rams Rep, and has served on a Morehead Scholarship nominating committee. At UNC, he was a member of Zeta Psi fraternity.

New directors elected to three-year terms representing out-of-state alumni are:

• David Brian Layton Royle ’78 (AB), Washington, D.C. Royle is executive vice president of National Geographic Television & Film. His films include a biography of U.S. Sen. Sam Ervin ’17 and Dr. Frank: The Life and Times of Frank Porter Graham. Royle was a Morehead Scholar at UNC, was president of the Carolina Athletic Association and the Sports Club Council; founded the Carolina Godiva Track Club; and was a member of the Carolina Forum, Chi Psi fraternity and Order of the Grail.
• James E. Delany ’70, ’73 (JD), of Park Ridge, Ill. Delany is commissioner of the Big Ten Conference and is vice president of USA Basketball. At UNC, he was tri-captain of the men’s basketball team, a recipient of the Foy Roberson Award and a member of Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity.
• Virginia Commander Knott ’72 of Mill Neck, N.Y. Knott is executive publisher of Harris Outdoor Group, which publishes several magazines. She is member of the UNC Board of Visitors, the UNC New York Women’s Committee and the UNC New York Carolina First Committee. At UNC, she was social chairman of Pi Beta Phi sorority, president of Pandora, a member of Gamma Beta Epsilon and was an SAE Sister of Minerva.

New director elected to a three-year term on UNC’s Athletic Council:

• Richard Franklin Taylor ’50 of Lumberton. Taylor is president of Taylor Insurance Agency Inc. He is a member of the UNC Track Hall of Fame and president of the UNC Spike Shoe Track Club. UNC’s indoor track facility was dedicated in his name. Taylor has served on the executive committee for the UNC Educational Foundation. At UNC, he was a member of the Order of the Old Well and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, and he was an All American for men’s track.

Appointed as at-large directors for three-year terms are:

• Fletcher L. Hartsell Jr. ’72 (JD) of Concord. Hartsell is an attorney and president of Hartsell & Williams, P.A. and is N.C. senator for Cabarrus and Iredell counties. He has served as a member of the UNC Board of Visitors and is a past recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
• Rebecca Faye Smith Galli ’80 of Phoenix, Md. Galli is a freelance writer, columnist and a contributor to The Baltimore Sun‘s op-ed page. At UNC, Galli was a Morehead Scholar and belonged to Phi Mu sorority.

James L. Leloudis II ’77, associate professor of history, was appointed faculty representative to the board. Leloudis is associate dean for honors and the director of the James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence.

Reappointed to their posts were William P. Aycock II ’65 of Greensboro, counsel to the board; N.C. Sen. Anthony Eden Rand ’61 treasurer; and Dwight M. Davidson III ’77, assistant treasurer.

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