Concord University Foundation Board Members

Chair – Jennifer Ware ’88

Princeton, West Virginia

Jenny Ware ’88 is a Senior Vice President and Fiduciary Division Director at Truist Bank Wealth with a responsibility for the trust platform for high net worth clients in WV/VA/DC/PA/MD and the North East. A graduate of Concord University with a BA in Communications with an emphasis in Advertising, she obtained an MBA from West Virginia University and is a graduate of the BB&T Banking School at Wake Forest University. Jenny is currently the Chair of the Concord University Foundation, a role that is exciting as the board works to grow and utilize the endowment for the advancement and support to Concord University.

Vice Chair – Kevin Powell ’89

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Kevin Powell ’89 is the Founder and CEO of Kevin Powell’s Automotive and Powersports Group. His dealerships represent nine different franchises with stores located in Winston Salem, Greensboro, Charlotte and Pilot Mountain, NC. His entrepreneurial interests also include an insurance agency, a marketing company, a scrap metal business and a professional automobile racing team. Kevin graduated from Concord with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. In addition to serving as Vice Chair, Kevin also chairs the Foundation Development Committee.

Secretary – Dr. Chuck Becker

Beckley, West Virginia

Dr. Chuck Becker is a CPA who graduated from college in 1969 with a degree in Economics. He has also received is MBA and DBA. He currently resides in Beckley, West Virginia, and has professional experience working as a Controller, Small Business Owner, Vice President for Business & Finance, and an Accounting Professor.

Treasurer – Pat McCormick-Moore

Princeton, West Virginia

Pat Moore is a graduate of West Virginia University with a B.S. in Business Administration and a Masters in Industrial Relations. She was an Instructor at Concord College for seven years in the Business Department where she taught Business Strategy, Management, and Economics. Pat joined Conn-Weld Industries in 1988 where she served as a founding Board Member and Vice President until the company was sold in 2020. She currently serves on the Princeton Community Hospital Board and as a member of the Truist Community Advisory Board.

Greg Allen ’70

Scottsdale, Arizona

Greg Allen graduated from Concord College in 1970 with a Business Administration degree with an Economics Emphasis. During his time at Concord, he was part of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. Professional experience: Founding partner of Disciplined Advisors Group. Previous work includes serving as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch, branch manager, Regional Sales Manager and Regional Director for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and National Sales Director for Bank of America Investment Services. Any certifications or organizational memberships you would like to include: Certified Financial Planner designation achieved in 1984.

Dr. Jerry Beasley

Athens, West Virginia

Dr. Jerry Beasley graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1966 with his A.B. in American History, from Harvard Graduate School of Education with his Ed.M. in 1969, and from Stanford University with his Ph.D. in 1980. He later went on to serve as the President of Concord College/University from 1985-2008. He currently resides in Athens, West Virginia where he serves a member of the Hinton Area Foundation, Concord University Foundation, and Concord United Methodist Church.

Dr. Jerry Benson ’72

Rockingham, Virginia

Dr. Jerry Benson graduated from Concord College in 1972 with a degree in Psychology, from George Peabody College with a his masters degree in 1973, and from George Peabody College with his Ph.D. in Transactional Ecological Psychology in 1976. He currently resides in Rockingham, Virginia, and is a licensed psychologist in Virginia and West Virginia. Director of Psychological Services for Regional Education Service Area IV, West Virginia from 1975 – 1979. While at James Madison University (Virginia) from 1980 – 2017 he served as:

• Professor of Psychology
• Director of Shenandoah Child Development Clinic
• Dean College of Education and Psychology
• Dean College of Integrated Science and Technology
• Vice Provost Science, Technology, Health and Human Services
• Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jie Chen ’99

Boston, Massachusetts

Jie Chen graduated from college in 1999 with a degree in Finance, and received her JD from the University of Michigan. She currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, where she serves as an Investments Attorney at Liberty Mutual. Prior to this, she worked as a Regulatory Banking Attorney at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (2016-2021), Counsel at State Street Bank of Trust (2013-2016), and an Associate at two law firms in New York and Boston (2006-2013).

Bill Courson

Columbus, Ohio

Bill Courson graduated from University of Michigan with his BA Concentrations in Economics and History, and from University of Chicago with his MBA Concentration in Finance. He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio where he serves as the Senior Managing Director for The Mason Companies, an investment advisory firm based in Reston, Virginia. In the past, Bill has served as President & Chief Investment Officer for the Lancaster Pollard Investment Advisory Group, an investment advisory firm based in Columbus, OH. He was also the Chief Investment Officer of a $10 billion public fund, and has over 10 years of capital markets experience. Courson was the former investment consultant to the Concord University Foundation from 2007 to 2015. He has authored or edited research that has been published or reprinted by over 70 organizations nationally, and has presented research to national and regional conferences. Courson has also been a guest lecturer at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business MBA and Specialized Masters in Finance programs on asset allocation and policy analysis.

Grace Hurney ‘12

Grace Hurney ’12 is a Member with the law firm of Jackson Kelly PLLC, practicing labor and employment law.  Ms. Hurney graduated from Concord University with a degree in Political Science, and was an active participant in campus life, serving as President of the Student Government Association and President of her sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma, in addition to being a member of the Mock Trial team for several years.  Ms. Hurney went on to obtain her JD at the West Virginia University College of Law in 2015, and later served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Robert B. King of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Veneicia Lockhart ’82

Haymarket, Virginia

Veneicia Lockhart graduated from Concord College in 1982 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. During her time at Concord, she was a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, Cardinal Key Honor Society and SGA. Ms. Lockhart received her CPA certificate in 1985 and worked for public accounting firms in Chicago, Charlottesville, and Washington, D.C.  After working Twenty-five years for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in Arlington, Virginia,  Ms. Lockhart retired in 2022 as the SVP of Finance. At NRECA, Ms. Lockhart was a member of the Executive Leadership Team and responsible for the accounting, finance, and strategic sourcing and procurement departments. Ms. Lockhart currently resides in Haymarket, Virginia.

Jason Lunsford ‘99

Jason is the Director of Retirement Plan Consulting at FORVIS Wealth Advisors. He received a degree in Business Administration from Concord University and has an MBA from Marshall University.

April Lusk ‘04

April is a 2004 graduate of Concord University with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Tourism Management with an emphasis on Planning and Promotion. During her time at Concord she proudly served in the Bonner Scholars Program. April was appointed as the State Farm Agent in 2018 where she owns and operates a State Farm Insurance agency in Bastian, VA. She holds licenses in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee in Property & Casualty, Life, Accident and Health. She is currently pursuing her ChFC® Chartered Financial Consultant designation at The American College of Financial Services.

Scot Mitchel ‘85

Scot Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Concord College (1985) and a Master of Health Services Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina (1991). Currently residing in Lewisburg, WV, Scot brings over 30 years of experience in senior healthcare leadership. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of hospitals in West Virginia, Montana, and Alaska, and has held key leadership roles in nursing homes, clinics, and hospital networks. As a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Scot is committed to ensuring that rural communities have access to high-quality healthcare services.

Dipali Nanda ‘06

Dipali graduated from Concord in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance and is currently pursuing the Executive Leadership program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. With 15 years of experience in Global Client Operations, Program Management, and Customer Excellence, Dipali has honed her expertise in these areas and is now Vice President-Client Operations & Project Management with the Azzur Group. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring Customer Excellence for Pharma and Life Sciences Manufacturing services companies. She lives in Southern California with her husband and son, and enjoys spending time with her family when she’s not working.

Dr. Dimeji Onafuwa ’00

Dr. Dimeji Onafuwa achieved top honors at Concord University, graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Design and Studio Art in 2000. He furthered his education with an MBA from UNC Charlotte and a PhD in Design from Carnegie Mellon University. Currently, he serves as a UX Research leader at Microsoft within the technology sector. Previously, he held a role at Google Cloud focusing on Cloud Distribution.

Dimeji is recognized globally for his art exhibitions and is a sought-after design leader, frequently delivering keynote addresses. In Seattle, he co-founded the Common Cause Collective, a group of designers dedicated to tackling complex issues in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, he contributes as a member of the Advisory Board for University of Washington HCDE.

Chris Tuck ’90

Montgomery County, Virginia

Christopher Tuck lives in Montgomery County, Virginia and is a 1987 graduate of Concord College and a 1993 graduate of the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law. He is a member and past president of the Montgomery-Radford Bar Association, and has appeared before local courts, the Virginia Court of Appeals, the Virginia Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court. He served for eight years on the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. He has served on the Montgomery Museum Board of Directors, Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society Board of Directors, New River Valley ASAP Board of Directors, and Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Committee. Chris was recognized by the CU Alumni Association in 2014 with the Outstanding Alumnus Award. He is married to Susan Tuck ’87 and has two sons, Dylan Tuck and Jordan Tuck ’18.

David Kirby ’79

Hurricane, West Virginia

David Kirby is a managing director and financial advisor at Truist Investment Services, Inc. / Truist Advisory Services, Inc. He served on the CU Foundation board from 2005 through 2022, two terms as Chair, and spent the entire time on Investment Committee. Several years ago, David and his wife, Sandy established a memorial scholarship at CU for their daughter, Kelli Ann. He graduated from Concord in 1979.

Not Pictured: Charles Pace