SCICU Announces Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Leadership for 2025

SCICU Announces Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Leadership for 2025–2028

South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) has announced its slate of trustees, officers, and college presidents for leadership positions on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee for the 2025–2028 term.

Re-elected Trustees:
The following trustees have been nominated for a second three-year term on the SCICU Board of Trustees, serving from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2028:

David Harrell, Insurance Advantage
Michael Jackson, SC Ports Authority
Danna Vetter, Milliken & Company
Tyson Blanton Wright, Duke Energy

Newly Elected Trustees:
The following individuals have been nominated for their first term on the Board of Trustees for the same period:

Ray Jones, South Carolina Student Loan
Kathi Snipes, Security Federal Bank Representative

Council of Presidents and Executive Committee Appointments:
Spartanburg Methodist College President Scott Cochran has been appointed to serve a two-year term as Chair of the Council of Presidents and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, which includes service on the Executive Committee, through August 31, 2027.

The following college and university presidents were elected to at-large two-year terms on the Executive Committee, continuing until August 31, 2026:

Boone Hopkins, Converse University
Dwaun Warmack, Claflin University

Dr. Anita Gustafson of Presbyterian College has been nominated to fill an unexpired at-large two-year term on the Executive Committee, serving through August 31, 2026.

Committee Leadership Appointments:
SCICU trustees have been appointed to serve as chairs and vice chairs of standing committees for September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. Committee chairs also serve on the Executive Committee:

Development Committee: Mark Robbins, Chair; Danna Vetter, Vice Chair
Finance Committee: Jada McAbee, Chair; Blake Dowd, Vice Chair
Public Policy Committee: Michael Jackson, Chair; Kalisha Richardson, Vice Chair
Nominating Committee: Willis Cantey, Chair (Year 1 of 2)

Audit Committee Members: Ben Porter, Jada McAbee, Scott Cochran, Kristi Eidson, Wade Kolb, Willis Cantey, Susan Amick

Investments Subcommittee Members: Blake Dowd, Chair; Scott Cochran, Vice Chair; Jada McAbee; Willis Cantey; Ben Porter; Wade Kolb

Board Officer Nominations:

Ben Porter, nominated to serve as SCICU Board Chair (Year 1 of 2)
Wade Kolb, nominated to serve as Board Chair-Elect (Year 1 of 2)
Willis Cantey, serving as Past Chair and Nominating Committee Chair (Year 1 of 2)
Ashleigh Hohmann, nominated for a two-year term as Board Secretary/Treasurer through August 31, 2027

These appointments reflect SCICU’s ongoing commitment to strong leadership and collaborative governance in support of South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities.