Board of Trustees

Mark Copeland | Vice Chair; Reappointed in 2023 by the N.C. Senate; term ends 2027 

Mark Copeland is a Managing Director in Alvarez & Marsal’s (A&M) Global Transaction Advisory Group (Global TAG) and Corporate Transactions Group (CTG). Based in New York, New York, Mark holds a crossover leadership role that spans both private equity and corporate transactions globally. In this capacity, he works closely with A&M’s senior leadership to drive collaboration across global key accounts and to deliver integrated, end-to-end transaction solutions across the deal lifecycle.

With more than 28 years of public accounting and advisory experience, including over 24 years focused on complex, cross-border transactions, Mark is a trusted advisor to private equity sponsors and Fortune 500 corporations. He brings deep expertise in buy-side and sell-side diligence, integration, divestitures, and strategic planning across a wide range of sectors.

Before joining Alvarez & Marsal, Mark spent over two decades at EY, where he held several senior leadership positions. Most notably, he was the US West Strategy and Transactions (SaT) Managing Partner, responsible for a $1.2 billion business and a team of 2,500 professionals across 18 states and 28 offices. From 2013 to 2019, he served as the Southwest Region TAS Managing Partner, and earlier led EY’s Charlotte, North Carolina office as the Office Managing Partner.

Mark’s leadership has been recognized within the industry and broader community. In 2011, he was named one of the “40 Under 40” by The Charlotte Business Journal, and in 2013, he was honored as a Father of the Year for the Carolinas by the American Diabetes Association and the Father’s Day Council.

He has demonstrated a deep and ongoing commitment to his local communities through extensive board service across a range of impactful organizations, including the Green Beret Foundation, JDRF, Chiquita Classic (Korn Ferry Tour), and St. Philip’s School and Community Center. Immediately prior to his appointment to the Board of Trustees at North Carolina A&T State University, he served with on the Board of Trustees for East Carolina University.

Mark is a licensed CPA in North Carolina, Texas, and California. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from East Carolina University.

Kimberly Bullock Gatling | Appointed in 2023 by the B.O.G.; term ends 2027

Gatling is a partner and chief diversity and inclusion officer with the firm of Fox Rothschild LLP in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she practices in the areas of patents, trademarks, copyrights, software, and related licensing and litigation matters. 

Gatling grew up in Hampton, Virginia.  She graduated cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.  She graduated from George Washington University Law School in 1999 with her Juris Doctor degree.  She served on the editorial board of the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal while she was in law school.  Gatling is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and before the United States Supreme Court.

Gatling is on the Boards of Directors for the Culp, Inc. and Truliant Federal Credit Union. She is a former Chair of the Board of Visitors for North Carolina A&T State University.  She formerly served on the Boards of Directors for the United Way of Greater Greensboro, Cone Health Foundation, Gateway University Research Park, North Carolina A&T State University Real Estate Foundation, North Carolina Bar Association, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, and the Women’s Resource Center. She is a member of Providence Baptist Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Links Incorporated, and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

Gatling is very busy at home with being a wife and mother to three sons.  She enjoys spending time with her family and swimming.

Kathy R. Hairston | Appointed in 2025 by the B.O.G.; term ends 2029

Hairston is a distinguished business leader, philanthropist, and proud alumna of North Carolina A&T State University, where she earned her degree in social service in 1975. A Greensboro native and Dudley High School graduate, she met her husband, John R. Hairston, at N.C. A&T, and together they built a successful career in business, owning and operating 11 McDonald’s franchises over four decades. Their entrepreneurial success earned them numerous accolades, including the Golden Arch Award and the Ronald Award from McDonald’s Corp. Committed to giving back, the Hairstons have been longtime supporters of their alma mater, making transformative contributions that led to the naming of the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences at N.C. A&T. Their multimillion-dollar pledge established scholarships, endowed professorships, and program funding, ensuring future generations of students have access to educational opportunities. Kathy’s dedication to service was recognized with the 2013 Alumni Achievement Award, honoring her excellence in career achievement and contributions to the university. Now retired, she remains committed to philanthropy, living by the philosophy: “Never forget where you came from, and always reach back to help others.”

Latisha Hamilton-Williams | Appointed in 2025 by the B.O.G.; term ends 2029

Hamilton-Williams is the Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC). Latisha leads the human resources division and oversees the company’s People Strategies, Total Rewards and Shared Services, People Analytics and HR Technology, Enterprise Learning and Development, and Employment Brand and Talent Management. A North Carolina native, Hamilton-Williams returned to Blue Cross NC November 2022 from Bridgestone Americas, Inc., where she served as the Senior Vice President of Total Rewards and HR Operations, leading design, development, implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of Total Rewards and HR Operations.

In this role, Hamilton-Williams  influenced key investments and initiatives that supported the attraction, engagement, and retention of employees, while ensuring compensation and benefits offerings are cost-effective and aligned with business strategy. Prior to her position at Bridgestone, she oversaw the Total Rewards, HR Operations, and HR M&A for all employees at Amedisys, Inc. as Senior Vice President, Total Rewards. Hamilton-Williams worked at Blue Cross NC for nearly 11 years from 2004 until 2015 in roles including the Director of Human Resources Operations and Analytics, Vice President of Human Resources Support Services, and Vice President of Total Rewards and People Services. Hamilton-Williams holds a degree in accounting from North Carolina A&T State University.

Jim Kee  | Appointed in 2025 by the N.C. Legislature; term ends 2029

Kee is President and CEO of Kee Development Corp. and is developing 144 units for seniors and veterans, and a commercial urban farm all powered by 1MW of solar energy located in Greensboro, NC. Kee has been an entrepreneur and businessman since 1981. He has over forty years’ combined experience in the real estate, airline and the medical industries. His housing management portfolio includes rental properties located in Greensboro and Garysburg, North Carolina. In 2004, his project management experience began with Phase I land development of Knottingham Forest Sub-division.

He worked closely with the City of Greensboro in the preliminary stage and throughout the project’s completion. Kee coordinated and subcontracted services in surveying, engineering, land clearing and development including infrastructure development and construction. Jim partnered with contractors, financial brokers, and real estate agents to provide a turnkey service to homebuyers. When the housing market began to slowdown, Kee’s housing strategy enabled him to presale homes before construction began, leaving no inventory of homes on the books.

His management positions in sales include Account Manager with US Airways, where he managed a seventy million dollar territory and posted an increase in sales for eleven consecutive years. He was a Territory Business Manager with Bristol-Myers Squibb, managed a thirty-three million dollar territory, and received the excellence award for top sales in 1999. He was a Territory Manager for TheraSense, Inc., managed a seventy-five million dollar territory, and was ranked in top ten percent of sales managers. He was assistant personnel director for San Diego RETC for the Pete Wilson administration. Pete was mayor of San Diego, Ca and later became Governor of Ca. Jim also was employed as a Federal Auditor for the US Treasury Dept., Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Jim served on the Greensboro City Council from 2009 through 2013 where he devised policy to manage and allocate a four hundred and twenty million dollar budget. He led the effort on city council to redevelop a shopping center in the heart of his district that had remained dilapidated for seventeen years by convincing council to allocate $2.6 million dollars toward this project. Today a beautiful new shopping center stands. He also led the effort to infrastructure development in his district of $15M.

Kee brought a group of investors to Greensboro in 2023. These investors committed to purchasing two tracks of land totaling $18.5 million dollars in Districts 2 and 3. Total investment upon completion of projects was estimated to be $500 million dollars. Jim also brought investors to District 1 that included a total investment of $40M.

Kee grew up on a family farm in eastern North Carolina where he learned the basics of construction, raising livestock and growing fruits and vegetables. Jim was indoctrinated into public service by watching his dad, granddad and great granddad work in the community. Jim is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

 

Gina Loften | Chair; Appointed in 2023 by the B.O.G.; term ends 2027

Gina Loften is a Fortune 100 board director and the recently retired Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft U.S., widely recognized for her leadership in driving innovation, scaling businesses, and delivering shareholder value. With prior roles as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at both IBM and Microsoft, she brings deep expertise in mergers and acquisitions, research, technical strategy and emerging technology adoption. She currently serves on the boards of TIAA, TTEC, Thoughtworks, Foursquare, and RTI International. A proud alumna of North Carolina A&T State University, Gina is also a champion for STEM education, an angel investor, and an influential thought leader. She was appointed to the N.C. A&T Board of Trustees in 2023.

Gregg Lowe | Appointed in 2023 by the B.O.G.; term ends 2027

Gregg Lowe joined Wolfspeed in September 2017 as president and chief executive officer (CEO) and served in that capacity through November of 2024.

Prior to Wolfspeed, he served as president and CEO of Freescale Semiconductor, a $5 billion global company with products serving automotive, industrial, consumer and communications markets. During his time at Freescale, Lowe led the successful merger with NXP Semiconductors N.V., creating a high-performance, mixed-signal semiconductor industry leader, with combined revenue of more than $10 billion. Prior to Freescale, he had a long career spanning 28 years at Texas Instruments including executive roles as senior vice president and leader of the analog business.

In addition to his roles as a corporate executive, Lowe also holds numerous board positions including Silicon Labs in Austin, Texas; Semiconductor Industry Association in Washington, DC; and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, where he serves as chairman of the board.

Lowe holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (where he played football for the “Fighting Engineers”) and has completed the executive program at Stanford University. He is the recipient of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Career Achievement Award, which honored both his accomplishments in the semiconductor industry as well as his community service, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the Institute in 2014.

Lowe is married and has two adult children. His career spans living in Houston, Detroit, Munich, Nice, Dallas, Austin, and now Durham, North Carolina. He is fluent in German.
 

McLean is a retired Caswell County, North Carolina Chief Deputy and is currently serving as the Mayor Pro Tem of the Town of Yanceyville. He represents the Town of Yanceyville as a member of both the Caswell Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the Caswell County Partnership for Children. 

McLean graduated from the Danville, Virginia’s George Washington High School during June of 1984. He is a 1984 graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and earned a Bachelors’ degree in the field of Music Education. Mclean has experience as a Music Educator teaching Elementary, Junior High and High School Band and Orchestra in the Cincinnati Public School System. He relocated to Danville, Virginia during the summer of 1993 and decided forgo a career in education and sought employment in law enforcement.

During August of 1993, he was hired by the Caswell County Sheriffs’ Office and was encouraged to attend a School Resource Officer training course that was offered by the NC Criminal Justice Academy during the summer of 1994. Working as a SRO, McLean enjoyed the interaction with High School students and eventually began a Huskins Bill Instructor of Criminal Justice Technology. A friend encouraged him to apply for admission to the NC A&T University Graduate School of Education. McLean graduated during December of 2006 earning a Masters of Science in Adult Education. The time that he spent attending classes at NC A&T State was a great experience and the motivation for his desire to apply for appointment as a member of the NC A&T Board of Trustees.

George W. Ragsdale | Appointed in 2023 by the N.C. Legislature; term ends 2027 

George Ragsdale has three decades of experience in Banking, Real Estate and business leadership.  This expertise has served him well in a variety of roles. After graduating from NC State, he served as a Vice President at BB&T in many positions within his 10 year tenure. Following time at two Community Banks, George became principal at B.R. Foxx and Company in Jamestown, North Carolina.  As Principal of both B.R. Foxx and The Wrennovation Companies George has expanded the company’s Real Estate Portfolio to include substantial holdings throughout The Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. Today, George serves as the Director of Business Development for Wells Fargo covering the Carolinas. In addition to that leadership role, George serves on the Guilford Technical Community College Trustees where he is the Immediate Past Chair as well as a Director on the North Carolina Textile Foundation. Prior service includes the NC Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council, Family Service of the Piedmont(Past Chair), YMCA of Greater Greensboro, Hospice of the Piedmont and many others. He is a proud supporter and advocate of education in North Carolina. Through his generosity and foresight, George is playing a vital role in securing the future of education for all North Carolinians.  In his leisure time George enjoys Family, Golf, Fishing and the Outdoors.  George and His wife Jenny live in Jamestown with their son Wrenn (15) and daughter Katherine (14). 

 He earned his bachelor’s degree in textile and apparel management in 1999 from the Wilson College of Textile at NC State University and completed the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

Corey Smith II | Ex-Officio, Term ends 2026

Smith is a senior Criminal Justice student with a pre-law concentration at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and a proud native of Charlotte, North Carolina. He currently serves as the 2025–2026 Student Government Association President, where he leads initiatives aimed at amplifying student voices, improving campus life, and fostering collaboration between students and university administration.

In addition to his role as president, Smith served as the Community Service Chair for the Beta Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., organizing service initiatives and managing volunteer hour documentation. His previous leadership roles include Sophomore Class President (2023–2024) and SGA Presidential Intern (2022–2023), positions in which he advocated for student engagement, civic awareness, and resource accessibility.

In 2024, Smith was selected as a Fellow for the Duke PreLaw Fellowship Program, where he gained hands-on experience with legal coursework, participated in mock trials, and built relationships with legal professionals and law school admissions representatives.

Smith’s commitment to leadership and service has earned him several honors, including SGA Intern of the Year and the Leonard Cortez Leadership Award from the Association of North Carolina Alphamen. Following graduation, Smith plans to attend law school and pursue a career as a criminal defense attorney. Outside the classroom, he enjoys staying active through fitness, watching YouTube content, exploring new cuisines, and enjoying the outdoors. 

William Thomas Stanley | Appointed in 2025 by the B.O.G.; term ends 2029

W. Thomas Stanley is Founder and Owner of BTS Ventures. Most recently, Thomas served as both CEO of Chainalysis US Gov. and President & CRO of its global businesses. He is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in strategic governance, financial oversight, and revenue leadership. With a proven track record of driving growth and transformation, he has excelled across industries such as IT services, SaaS, financial services, and healthcare.

Mr. Stanley serves as an Independent Board Director for organizations like Sprout Social and Nasuni, where he oversees governance, market strategy, and executive compensation. He is also the Vice Chairman of North Carolina A&T State University’s Foundation Board, where he leads fundraising campaigns and institutional partnerships.

As the CEO of Chainalysis Government Solutions, he spearheaded a business expansion, doubling ARR to $200M and leading the transformation to government-centric operations. His leadership at Tanium and NetApp delivered multimillion-dollar revenue growth through strategic realignment and global market expansion.

Mr. Stanley holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a BS in Computer Science from North Carolina A&T State University. A dedicated advocate for education and philanthropy, he has established multiple endowments supporting STEM, arts, and business scholarships.

Sean Suggs | Appointed in 2024 by B.O.G.; Term ends 2029

Jini D. Thornton | Secretary | Appointed in 2023 by the B.O.G.; term ends 2027

Thornton is the founder and CEO of Envision Business Management Group, a boutique firm that provides a full range of accounting and money management services for clients exclusively in the entertainment industry. Her A-list clientele encompasses artists, producers, songwriters, actors, record labels, and talent management companies.

For over 20 years, Thornton has been the go-to financial expert for Radio One. She is currently the financial expert on the nationally syndicated “Rickey Smiley Morning Show,” “The Willie Moore Jr. Show,” and “Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell.” You can tune in weekly and hear her in over 90 cities nationwide.

Thornton is also the founder of Thank Me Later, a financial education platform, that empowers Black women to create, build, and transfer wealth. As the host of her weekly podcast, The Thank Me Later Show with Jini, she teaches her listeners how to master their money so they can transform their lives.

Thornton received a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.