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The Ģ����ý Alumni Association has approved six alumni to serve on its Board of Directors for terms beginning June 1, 2026, and ending May 31, 2029.

�This group has incredible passion for Ģ����ý,� said Mary Ellen Sherrill �10, director of alumni and donor engagement. �They each have unique experiences and connections to the university, but they all care deeply about helping Ģ����ý thrive. I'm excited to see how they'll use their talents, perspectives and enthusiasm to strengthen our alumni community.�

The Alumni Association promotes fellowship and community among alumni; builds, maintains and enhances the relationship between Ģ����ý and alumni; acts as an advisor on matters related to alumni relations; and generally furthers the interests of the university. All Ģ����ý graduates are automatically members of the Alumni Association.

Amy Collins �99
Collins is a senior travel advisor with Be Our Guest Travel Company in Winston-Salem and has remained an enthusiastic supporter of Ģ����ý since graduating in 1999. As a student, she was active across campus as a member of Sigma Kappa sorority, the A Cappella Choir, Meet A Bear, Prologue and Model United Nations, and she also studied abroad. Among her favorite memories is the annual Christmas tree lighting outside the Rhyne Building, where students gather to sing Christmas carols each December. Collins is excited to serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors as a way to stay connected to the university and looks forward to supporting Homecoming, one of her favorite traditions on campus.

Dorien Dickey �19
Dickey serves as business engagement manager for Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina, in Greenville, where he develops employer partnerships and expands access to workforce training opportunities. During his time at Ģ����ý, he was active in athletics and campus leadership as a member of the football and track and field teams, an orientation leader, a career education officer in the Career Center, a staff writer for the Ģ����ýN Monthly newspaper and president of the Alpha Delta Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. A recent collaboration with the Office of Alumni and Donor Engagement celebrating the fraternity's 10-year presence on campus, inspired Dickey to help strengthen the student experience and support new opportunities for future Bears.

Richard Graf �61
A resident of Hickory, Graf is a retired pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. His career included service as a parish and campus pastor, assistant to a synodical bishop and adjunct professor of homiletics at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. As a student at Ģ����ý, he immersed himself in campus life through debate and forensics, student publications, theater, student government and fraternity leadership. One of his favorite memories is meeting his wife, Shirley Whitley �60, whom he married shortly after graduation. More than six decades after enrolling at Ģ����ý in 1957, Graf remains deeply connected to the university and hopes to encourage fellow alumni to stay engaged by adopting a simple motto: �Once here, always home.�

Kris Litman-Koon �03, LTSS �11
Litman-Koon serves as lead pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. As a student at Ģ����ý, he was deeply involved in campus life through music ensembles, student government, fraternity leadership, residence life and admissions, while also helping found the university's intramural dodgeball program. One of his favorite memories is the time between final exams and graduation, when students gathered to share meals, build friendships and enjoy the final days of the academic year together. Litman-Koon is eager to help alumni stay connected long after graduation and hopes to strengthen regional alumni networks that foster fellowship and create meaningful opportunities for Bears to reconnect wherever they call home.

Kenny Martin �76
Martin, a retired claims adjuster in Wilmington, North Carolina, continues as a tennis official for the United States Tennis Association and Intercollegiate Tennis Association. During his time at Ģ����ý, he was a standout member of the football team and served as co-captain during his senior season. Among his favorite college memories is helping the Bears defeat Appalachian State and capture the South Atlantic Conference championship. Martin is honored to serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and looks forward to continuing to support the university and its alumni community.

Linda Swift �77
Swift, of Greenville, South Carolina, enjoyed a 43-year career as a registered nurse, serving in a variety of specialties and leadership roles, including obstetrics, intensive and cardiac care, the operating room, cardiac rehabilitation and oncology. During her time at Ģ����ý, she embraced campus life through freshman activities and sorority involvement, and she counts being named Homecoming Queen among her favorite college memories. Swift credits her Ģ����ý education with providing the foundation for a rewarding nursing career and is grateful for the opportunities it created. As a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, she hopes to give back by encouraging fellow alumni to remain personally engaged in supporting the university's continued growth.