WCU Stories      February 12, 2019

The WCU Alumni Association has announced the slate of the nominees for open positions on its Board of Directors. Alumni may vote for one candidate from each of five geographical districts. The top vote recipient in each district will serve a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2022.  Find more details about each candidate and vote online at alumni.wcu.edu. The deadline to vote is March 31, 2019.

N.C. District 1

Faviola Olvera ’15 MPA ’17, Highlands; employed by Highland-Cashier Renovations, formerly active in SGA and other WCU student organizations. 

Barbra White ’76, Fairview; retired teacher, volunteer in the Asheville community; late father, Wallace Hyde ’49 MA ’53, served as WCU Board of Trustees chair and on the UNC Board of Governors.

N.C. District 2

Jason Habbal ’07, Lake Wylie, South Carolina; vice president and director of sales for Vision Office Systems and president of the Charlotte WCU Alumni Club. 

Julian Jones ’15, Charlotte; risk analyst for Ally Financial, owner of Apex defensive driving program, UNCF scholar/mentor/program consultant; formerly SGA senator, Balsam Hall resident  assistant; 2015 fall commencement speaker.

N.C. District 3

Frank Koontz ’67 MAED ’69 EdS ’78, Raleigh; retired, Wake County Public Schools, Catamount Club member, charter member of Pi Kappa Phi at WCU.

Chris Schlenker ’96, Raleigh; employed by IQVIA as quality assurance manager of global vendor strategy, actively involved in WCU Triangle alumni activities, former member of marching and pep bands.

N.C. District 4

Vicky Faris ’66, Surf City; retired elementary school assistant principal, former member of WCU yearbook staff and Delta Zeta Sorority, charter member of the Gaston/Lincoln Western Alumni Club.  

Jenn Norris ’18, Kure Beach; currently promotes N.C. wines and is founder of Jenn’s Vin North Carolina Wines, recently hosted WCU alumni wine tasting event.  

Out-of-State District 5

Sam Chontos ’99, Roswell, Georgia; founder of Three Vistas website design, active member of the Western Club of Georgia.

Darrin Hemphill ’93, Sachse, Texas; principal in the Garland Independent School District, former WCU football player, member and 2019 Homecoming committee chair of WCU African-American Alumni Society.