By Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
These Wofford alumni have taken their undergraduate experience and used its lessons to influence the greater world of college and university administration.
Kristin Zollinger Lacey ’05
Vice president for operations and strategic planning, Converse University
Kristin Zollinger Lacey ’05 became vice president for operations and strategic planning at Converse University when the college was trying to reopen after COVID- 19. The institution had just experienced a change of model and name.
“It was a good time for me because that’s the kind of leader I am,” says Lacey, who enjoys living in Spartanburg with her husband, Travis ’05, and their two children. “I know I have the ability to impact change and that my services make a difference.”
Lacey is responsible for non-academic areas: campus safety, technology, facilities and grounds, human resources, research and engagement, risk management, auxiliary services (bookstore and dining), event services, etc. The job also includes partnering with campus leaders to develop a strategic vision and policies and procedures.
“I’m constantly flip-flopping between making sure we are successful today and for future generations,” says Lacey, who was a chemistry major at Wofford. Thinking she wanted to go into the clinical side of healthcare, Lacey followed her sister — Dr. Pam Zollinger ’02 — to a student job at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. She spent an Interim doing a medical shadowing internship and discovered that she was drawn to administration.
“I ask a lot of questions, and the physician I was shadowing noticed that most of them were not clinical,” says Lacey. His observation changed her trajectory. She started filling her schedule with business classes. She graduated from Wofford with a job at a local chemical manufacturer.
“I did that for a few years but still had the itch for business,” she says. Lacey transferred into marketing with the company and earned an MBA. Her path took her from research and development to healthcare administration and into education and pipeline development for the Greenville Hospital System/Prisma Health. It was the ideal bridge to begin a career in higher education.
“It was a winding path, but it’s all rooted in what I enjoy doing, and that’s in being mission-centered and making an impact,” says Lacey. “I think because of my odd career path, I’m constantly inspired by things outside of higher education. I’m the voice at the table that’s challenging the norm to create growth and new opportunities of thought.”
Anthony Wise ’90
President, Pellissippi State Community College
When Dr. Anthony Wise ’90 became president of Pellissippi State Community College in 2011, he was eager to work hard, learn, build relationships and settle into a new role. Twelve years later, he’s still doing all that but with new challenges.
“The community college sector was profoundly impacted by the pandemic,” says Wise. “Our priorities had to shift because of student need.”
Prior to COVID-19, the PSCC system was experiencing booming enrollment, facilities expansion, new programs and increased partnerships.
“Once the pandemic hit, we had to find ways to support homeless students and students who could no longer pay for tuition,” says Wise. Staffing, equity, fund raising and access to technology for distance learning also became a greater challenge.
“It’s been an interesting couple of years, but things are beginning to look up,” says Wise. “My time is now focused on stabilizing enrollment, closing equity gaps, planning for the next generation of community college students and building pathways for graduates. It feels good to feel optimistic.”
Dr. Tracy Harrell Dunn ’87
Dean, Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Benedict College
After earning her Ph.D., Dr. Tracy Harrell Dunn’s first job was as an assistant professor of marketing at Benedict College.
“The college’s mission is what resonated with me, and I have simply never left,” says Dunn ’87, dean of the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship for the past five years and the first woman to hold that position. “Being an administrator in higher education requires audacity, tenacity and comfort with the unknown,” and Dunn says she developed those traits as the only German major in her cohort at Wofford.
Dunn worked with her advisor to develop a challenging program that included study abroad, classes at Converse and lots of persistence. The experience, as well as her support networks of family and Wofford advisors, including Kaiser Thomas, assistant dean of students, and Charlie Gray ’72, director of admission, gives her important perspective when she advises students today.
“I work with a lot of first-generation college students. Having been one myself allows me to approach my work with additional insights and an extra layer of understanding and empathy,” Dunn says. “It also reduces communication barriers. My students can trust that I understand the hurdles that accompany being the first in your immediate family to pursue a college education.”
Dunn has a reputation for being completely committed to her students and their career aspiration. She’s nurturing and encouraging while seeking ways to challenge the boundaries of their comfort zones.
“That is what my Wofford education did for me,” she says. “Those uncomfortable experiences can yield the greatest personal growth.”
Dr. Holisa Wharton ’04
Dean, William Preston Turner School of Nursing, Lander University
Dr. Holisa Coleman Wharton ’04 would not be where she is today, serving as dean of the William Preston Turner School of Nursing at Lander University, had she been accepted into medical school.
A biology major at Wofford and a member of the volleyball team, she worked hard — harder when the material didn’t come easy.
“I was failing organic chemistry, but Dr. Charlie Bass (Dr. and Mrs. Larry Hearn McCalla Professor of Chemistry, emeritus) didn’t give up on me,” says Wharton. “He tutored me one-on-one. He told me, ‘Holisa, you can do this.’ He came into my life at a critical point and taught me not to give up.”
Now, when students walk into Wharton’s office and say they can’t learn something, she sits them down and helps them build the persistence and resilience they will need as students, nurses and citizens.
“I thrive on interacting with students. I thrive on encouraging faculty,” says Wharton, who worked in the Wofford Department of Athletics, at a plasma center and as a certified nursing assistant for a year while trying to figure out her next steps after being turned down for medical school. She applied to the Mary Black School of Nursing at USC Upstate, and again, received a rejection letter.
“This time, I asked to speak to the dean. I wanted to know what I was missing. I watched him review my application. When he looked up, he said, ‘I can’t tell you why you didn’t get in. Can you start class on Thursday?’ And I did.”
Wharton went on to earn a master’s degree and then a Ph.D. in healthcare genetics from Clemson University. She was in the first class to earn that degree in the state.
Terriers at Spartanburg Methodist College
“Spartanburg Methodist College is proud School of Medicine to employ graduates from nearly every college in Spartanburg as well as from around the state and country,” says Jennifer Almond Dillenger ’07, vice president for institutional advancement and chief of staff at Spartanburg Methodist College. “It’s no surprise Terriers are attracted to our mission of serving students by providing a transformative liberal arts education.” She’s joined at SMC by (from left): Michael Crocker ’07, vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer; Allen Lollis ’15, dean of students; Josh Holt ’14, director of arts enrichment; Dillenger; Jason Womick ’94, vice president for information technology and analytics; and W. Scott Cochran ’88, president of Spartanburg Methodist College.
Dr. Anthony Leigh ’99
Senior vice president for student and institutional development, dean of students, Huntingdon College
When Dr. Anthony Leigh ’99 visited Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., for the first time, he felt a tug. The small, private, liberal arts college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and features beautiful architecture and lovely grounds. (Sound familiar?)
“When I left Wofford, I had political aspirations. I had no intention of working at a college or going back to school,” says Leigh.
Then life happened. After three years as a legislative assistant for a U.S. senator then six years as Alabama’s deputy state treasurer, Leigh and his wife, Wendy, were married. (They now have a daughter, Carey Mae.)
“I decided that I did not want my job security to be tied to the electoral wisdom of voters,” says Leigh, who applied and was chosen to be vice president of external affairs for Huntingdon College in 2009. Master’s and doctoral degrees were logical next steps.
“My master’s degree in philanthropy made me a far superior fundraiser, and the Ph.D. helped me put Wofford and Huntingdon in context,” says Leigh, whose doctoral research took him to Amsterdam and China to study higher education systems in Europe and Asia. Now the senior vice president for student and institutional development and dean of students, Leigh credits Wofford with starting his preparation for his current life and work.
“Wofford was my north star. When I started working in higher education, everything I knew was from being a student at Wofford,” he says. “When I was president of the student body, I looked at everything through the lens of a student. Now I have other lenses, but that experience as a student leader still helps me keep an eye on the needs of our students.”
Dr. Todd Dorman ’80
Senior associate dean for education coordination, associate dean of continuing medical education, professor and vice chair for critical care, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dr. Todd Dorman’s first professional loves are teaching and patient care, and he appreciates the opportunity he has at Johns Hopkins to do both and lead in both areas.
“Now that I’ve accrued leadership and administrative skills to complement the clinical and academic side of the equation, I’m not just helping the patients I touch. I can work with a bunch of physicians and touch all their patients as well. It’s very exciting,” says Dorman, who is responsible for more than 850 educational activities each year and is always looking for new things to support the mission. One of those new initiatives was the consolidation of an office of assessment and evaluation that works across the specialties and departments to ensure constant improvement.
“I enjoy what I do very much. The diversity of things can lead to craziness some days, but everything is exciting,” he says.
After Wofford, Dorman graduated from Tulane Medical School. He explored internal medicine in Charlotte, N.C., before joining the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He came to Johns Hopkins to do a second residency and never left.
“I always loved teaching. I was a teaching assistant at Wofford, and even taught before. I helped start the club team that became the intercollegiate soccer team at Wofford. From that experience, I learned about teamwork,” says Dorman. He has even made use of the background in tech that started with punch cards and IBM computing on the physics floor in the Milliken Science Building. “I understood digitizing on a different level when we were exploring more efficient ways to use technology at Hopkins.”
E. Jim Oree ’91
Director of Student Support Services, Midlands Technical College
E. Jim Oree ’91 just received his 25-year service award from SC TRIO, the professional organization for TRIO staff members in South Carolina. After a quarter of a century working in the student success field, he’s still excited to go to work each day, partly because he understands what’s at stake.
Oree is the director of Student Support Services at Midlands Technical College. The department is included among the eight federal Department of Education TRIO programs that serve limitedincome, first-generation students. He now works with college students, but his past TRIO work has included programs designed for middle and high school students.
“I was doing some of this work while at Wofford,” says Oree, who, while in high school, was a participant in TRIO’s Upward Bound program at the University of South Carolina. “At Wofford, I was a first-gen student with limited income. It was a great experience for me to continue my affiliation with TRIO by spending summers mentoring students at the same program that gave me support.”
Oree considered a career in teaching so he could stay involved in the program but decided to pursue a business degree at Wofford instead.
“I knew to work in higher ed administration I would need the ability to plan, budget and administer a program,” he says.
Currently, Midlands Tech offers services to about 185 students who qualify for student support services. Those services include tutoring and advising in addition to what the college offers across the board.
“First-gen students can’t ask mom and dad about financial aid forms, selecting books for classes or a challenging academic situation because they don’t have that experience,” says Oree. “That’s what we’re for.”
Oree’s work also involves providing financial literacy classes and other training while connecting students to workforce partners and other community organizations. Oree and other seasoned colleagues and TRIO alums produce a Yo TRIO! podcast to share professional development opportunities with others in the field.
Dr. Lucas McMillan ’02
Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and professor of political science, Lander University
This spring Dr. Lucas McMillan ’02 is teaching Introduction to World Politics. As dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and professor of political science at Lander University, teaching one course a semester is both required by the college and essential to McMillan.
“Keeping one foot in the classroom is good for me professionally — it keeps me in touch with students and faculty needs — and personally because it keeps me sane,” says McMillan, who loves introducing students to the world.
“Together we investigate why they think what they think and why they need to get more interested in what’s going on around them,” says McMillan. “We have a responsibility to create ethical, engaged citizens.”
In his 15th year at Lander, McMillan often reflects on his Wofford mentors and what they’ve meant to his career. In addition to four years as an undergraduate, McMillan returned to the campus as assistant to the vice president for planning and marketing. That meant he got an extra year with mentors such as Dr. Larry McGehee, Dr. Doyle Boggs ’70, Dr. Annemarie Wiseman and Dr. Dan Maultsby ’61.
“Because of my Wofford experience where people were so open and willing to explain things, I learned about academic affairs, fund raising, student development, institutional research and marketing,” he says. “My Lander journey would not have been the same without the people at Wofford who let me ask questions — lots of questions — and who asked me to think deep and wide. Wofford helped me understand that the liberal arts can be the start for an exciting and adventurous life as a person inspired to keep learning. I’m where I am because of the people at Wofford and their mentorship of me.”
McMillan is married to Lisa Cameron McMillan ’02 and they have two sons, Will and Henry. Lisa majored in art history and history and became an attorney. Now she’s executive director of human resources for Greenwood School District 50. They’re both heavily involved in the community, their church and in professional organizations.
Dr. Michael Mikota ’98
President, Spartanburg Community College
Michael Mikota ’98 never missed a class at Wofford. The same thirst for knowledge and commitment to tradition that fueled his perfect attendance record continues to fuel his work at the intersection of higher education and economic development in the Upstate.
“I come to work every day knowing that I’m living a legacy,” says Mikota, president of Spartanburg Community College since July 2020. “Former generations of Terriers guided my decision to attend Wofford, and those individuals, as well as others from Spartanburg and Gaffney, drew me back home to build upon the legacy of others.”
After earning an MBA from Gardner- Webb University, Mikota launched a career in banking with Wachovia. He earned a Ph.D. in policy studies at Clemson University before joining the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C., during the 2008 Financial Crisis.
Dr. Shelley Haddock Dempsey ’97
Director, On Your Time Initiatives, University of South Carolina
For some, Dr. Shelley Haddock Dempsey ’97 is a higher education translator, explaining what a bursar is or how to add a minor. For others, she’s a connector to services that help students catch up, graduate early or stay on track so they can graduate on time. For everyone, she’s someone with a grasp of the big picture and how to make strategic improvements so students succeed.
“Basically, I look at data and determine institutional hurdles,” says Dempsey. “Then, we establish programs or direct students toward programs designed to increase retention.”
Since she started as director of On Your Time Initiatives in 2017, transfer retention has improved, an increasing number of students have graduated in less than four years, and a wide variety of programs have been implemented to serve a growing student body.
As a Wofford student, Dempsey worked in the president’s office all four years.
“I learned that I wanted to be in college forever,” she says, “so I started researching what that would mean for me.”
She spent her senior Interim interning in different administrative offices on campus and attended the South Carolina Women in Higher Education conference with Lucy Quinn ’83, the registrar at the time.
“I remember sitting in that room and listening to those women. I don’t remember what they said, but I remember thinking, ‘One day I will speak to this group.’” And she has.
Ed Bell ’75
President, Charleston School of Law
Charleston School of Law President Ed Bell ’75 maintains an office in the school’s student center.
“I’ve intentionally located my office there, and I keep my door open,” says Bell, who enjoys chatting with the students who study at the conference table he can see from his desk. “It’s invigorating to me when they ask questions.”
Although heavily involved on the business end of running a law school, Bell appreciates every opportunity to keep the justice system vibrant by mentoring students and helping them understand the advocacy system. According to Bell, CSOL’s focus on advocacy continues to attract students as well as the college’s nationally ranked faculty and the opportunities it provides to give back to the community.
“Our students have given almost one million hours of free legal services in and around Charleston,” says Bell. “We prepare law students well for a life of public service.”
Bell says CSOL shares that commitment with Wofford, which is one reason Wofford students make such good law students.
“In addition to the academic piece of it, Wofford helps students grow personally. Wofford teaches students how to get along with and understand people,” says Bell, who takes great pride in the acceptance rates and success of Wofford graduates who enroll in CSOL. And he understands how hard that is.
“My first year at Wofford was … well to say it was disastrous would be an understatement,” says Bell. “I needed to mature, so I took a year off.”
He went to work for UPS and took a business law class at the University of South Carolina at night. Bell wrote the proposal for UPS’s scholarship program and became the first recipient. Some still call it the Bell Scholarship.
After graduating from Wofford and USC’s School of Law, he became a top civil litigator, trying more than 300 major cases throughout the United States. In addition to serving as president, Bell continues to practice law. He’s also majority owner of Garden and Gun magazine, The Litchfield Co. and Charleston City Paper, and he’s an active member of TMS Global, a global missions organization.
The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton ’95
The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton ’95 is in his first year as president of Princeton Theological Seminary. He had been serving as dean of Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity and before that was on the faculty at Harvard University as the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and the Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church of Harvard University.
Jennifer Nodine Bell ’94
Director of Athletics, Converse University
When Jennifer Nodine Bell ’94 was chosen nationally as a winner of the NCAA Division II’s Cushman & Wakefield Athletics Director of the Year Award, Converse University leadership and athletics staff were thrilled … but not surprised.
Since arriving at Converse in 2018, Bell has led an emphasis on developing a winning culture that extends beyond athletics to academics and community engagement. She led the department through a successful transition from single-gender athletics to a program that now fields six male sports, esports and a spirit squad.
“I am truly humbled,” says Bell. “The award recognizes what our entire Converse athletics community has accomplished throughout the last year. I am fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues who pursue excellence in every way possible.”
Converse now offers 21 athletics programs, and the number of studentathletes and staff has doubled under Bell’s leadership.
“Leadership for me means motivating, mentoring, advising and encouraging our coaches and staff to reach their full potential,” says Bell. Being director of athletics also means fundraising, strategic planning, problem-solving and gameday prep. “My entire career has been in college athletics. It isn’t easy, but thanks to my upbringing, I have never been one to shy away from hard work.”
At Wofford, Bell played volleyball then was asked to coach the Terriers upon graduation.
“I was fresh out of college and had no idea what I was doing, but I learned a lot those first four years. If I had not been given the opportunity at Wofford, I know I would not be where I am today,” Bell says.
Joe Pickens ’80
President, St. Johns River State College
Joe Pickens ’80 had his career path mapped out when he arrived at Wofford in the fall of 1976: 1. Graduate with honors. 2. Attend law school. 3. Become an attorney then a judge.
“That was easy for me to see,” says Pickens. “Then I served in the Florida legislature (2000-08), and my path changed.”
Pickens had developed a thriving legal practice specializing in education, specifically K-12. Once in the Florida legislature, he was eager to make an impact for school-aged children, but he knew he only had eight years because of Florida term limits. What he didn’t expect was the opportunity to chair a combined committee on education that allowed him to gain a global understanding of education in the state. As chair, he and his team co-authored a bill that created the Florida college system out of the community college system.
“We established the pilot so colleges could offer bachelor’s degrees, most for very specific workforce needs,” says Pickens, who joined St. Johns River State first as special counsel to the president after 17 years as the attorney for the Putnam County School Board. When the president retired after 36 years of service, Pickens was an obvious choice to succeed him.
“At first I was somewhat of a novelty,” says Pickens, a college president, practicing attorney and former legislator. “Now I’ve been in the role for 15 years.”
Pickens says Wofford prepared him to be a college president, even though that was not on the radar while he was a Wofford student.
“Wofford absolutely prepared me academically and as a person,” says Pickens. “I grew in maturity, and my ability to communicate — via spoken and written word — improved greatly because of the personal attention I received at Wofford.”