UNC Asheville Foundation Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors

The UNC Asheville Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of several new members to its Board of Directors, along with three current board members returning for their second terms and representatives from the University’s faculty, athletics, and alumni leadership groups. These appointments were approved at the Spring meeting on May 1, 2026, and will take effect beginning July 1, 2026.

Joining the UNC Asheville Foundation Board of Directors are:

Ross Bryan ‘95

Dr. W. Ross Bryan is a 1995 alumnus of UNC Asheville and is currently Associate Dean/Professor of Honors at the University of Alabama. Ross is one of the three alumni who founded the Drs. Mullen Don’t Be Afraid to Change the World Scholarship in honor of two of UNC Asheville’s first Black professors, Dr. Dwight Mullen and Dr. Dolly Jenkins-Mullen. Ross has been the associate dean and a professor in the Honors College since the spring of 2015. He holds degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill (PH.D.), The Florida State University (M.S.), and UNC Asheville (B.A.). His research interests include Construction of Social Identities, Experiential Education, Outdoor Leadership, and Sociology of Education. He is an affiliated faculty member in the departments of Higher Education and Social-Cultural Studies at UA. In his role as associate dean, Ross works with Student Development and Student Engagement in the Honors College.

Alan Coxie ‘97

Alan Coxie is an attorney in Asheville specializing in criminal law, personal injury, small business and civil litigation, and traffic violations/DWI. He graduated from UNC Asheville in 1997 with a BS in Management and later went on to earn a JD from Wake Forest University and a Master of Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill. Alan served as a firefighter and captain with the Asheville Fire Department from 1984 to 1998 and is an adjunct fire instructor for Asheville-Buncombe Technical College. He also serves on the Buncombe County Planning Board.

Elizabeth Conte Fink ‘19

Elizabeth is the Assistant Director of Major Gifts at the V Foundation, an organization devoted to cancer research. Prior to that, she was a Major Gifts Officer in UNC Asheville’s Advancement department for several years. She has also held development positions at High Point University and the Rams Club at UNC-Chapel Hill. Elizabeth is a 2019 UNC Asheville graduate in Economics. While a student, she was on the swim team, President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee her senior year, Big South Conference national representative to the NCAA, and a campus ambassador, providing potential and new students with tours and information about UNC Asheville. After graduation, she spent a year as an NCAA Division I Governance Intern. She recently received her MBA from East Carolina University.

Emma Jones ‘01

Emma serves as Executive Vice President for Leadership with Carnegie, guiding the agency’s commitment to be a trusted resource for practitioner-informed thinking about higher education. She nurtures partnerships with colleges, universities, and higher education organizations around the country. Her career has largely been on the regional and national level as a higher education expert, specifically in the areas of enrollment, strategic planning, and senior leadership management and mentoring. She speaks at many conferences on the headwinds facing higher education and is a consultant for many institutions in various revenue stream areas and leadership. Emma is currently pursuing her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Maryville University of Saint Louis. She earned her MA from UNC Greensboro and is a 2001 graduate of UNC Asheville, where she double majored in Mass Communication and Literature and served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Blue Banner.

These new board members bring a wealth of experience, leadership, and commitment to advancing the mission of UNC Asheville and supporting student success, academic excellence, and community engagement.

The Foundation Board of Directors voted for Cindy Eller to serve as Chair and for Al Davis to serve as Vice Chair for the 2026-2028 term.

Serving their second terms with the UNC Asheville Foundation Board are:

• Patrick Blalock
• Darlene Davis
• Carter Webb

The Foundation Board also welcomes new faculty representatives appointed by the Faculty Senate:

• Dr. Lyndi Hewitt, Professor of Health Sciences
• Dr. Casey King, Lecturer of Environmental Science and Director of Sustainability

Representing the Bulldog Athletic Board is:

• Sandi Heckman, former chair of the Bulldog Athletic Board

Serving as the representative from the UNC Asheville Alumni Association Board of Directors is:

• Luke Howe ’15, current member of the UNC Asheville Alumni Board.

“The UNC Asheville Foundation Board plays a vital role in strengthening the University’s future through advocacy, philanthropy, and strategic leadership,” said Shannon C. Earle, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement. “We are grateful for the dedication and expertise these individuals bring to the Foundation Board and look forward to their contributions.”

The UNC Asheville Foundation supports the University by managing and stewarding private resources that enhance educational opportunities, faculty and staff excellence, student scholarships, athletics, and campus strategic initiatives.

For more information about the UNC Asheville Foundation, visit https://go.unca.edu/giving/boards/foundation/.