Lander University has announced 10 appointments to the Board of Trustees of The Lander Foundation, which receives, manages and invests gifts for the welfare of the university. Two of the members are faculty appointees: Dr. Paige Ouzts, who was appointed to a second term, and Dr. David Mash, dean of Library Services, who is new to the board.
Dr. Paige Ouzts is an associate professor of physics in Lander's College of Science and Mathematics. She received a bachelor's degree in physics from Furman University and her master's and doctorate in physics from the University of Alabama. She came to Lander in 2003 and was chosen as the university's Distinguished Professor of the Year in 2010.
Dr. David Mash received his degree in library and information science from the University of North Texas and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina. He also has degrees from Southern Methodist University and Dallas Theological Seminary and is the author of the recently published book "Decision Making in the Absence of Certainty."
The other appointees to The Lander Foundation Board are:
LeBron Bright, of Hodges, is a 1982 Lander graduate, and an executive at Velux Greenwood, where he has worked for 16 years. Lander is a family affair for the Brights. His wife, Deborah, received a master of education from the university; their son, LeBron Jr., is a 2005 graduate; and daughter Mary Haley Bright is a Lander nursing student. Bright is a former president of Lander's Alumni Association, a master gardener and on the board of Greenwood Rehabilitation.
Erin Knapp Layland, of Greenwood, vice president and commercial loan officer at CapitalBank, graduated from Lander in 2000. She is president of the Lander Alumni Association Board and was named the 2010 Young Alumna of the Year. She is a member of the Greenwood Rotary Club and serves on the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Board. She is married to Dr. Ralph Layland, professor and chair of Lander's Chemistry Department, and the couple has two daughters.
Wes McAllister, of Mt. Carmel, is an executive in the retail furniture, cattle and timber businesses. A 1989 graduate of Erskine College, he is chair of the Upper Savannah Council of Governments, a member of the boards of directors of the West Carolina Telephone Cooperative and Little River Volunteer Fire Department. A past president of the Erskine College Alumni Association and S.C. Cattleman's Association, he is also a past director of the S.C. Forestry Association.
Denise Medford, of Greenwood, president and CEO of The Links at Stoney Point. The recipient of an associate degree in nursing from Pacific Union College in California, in 1975, she is on the board of the Partnership Alliance and a member of the Greenwood Rotary Club.
Don Scott, of Greenwood, graduated from Lander in 1975. He is director of field sales for Thomson Reuters and has been with the company since 1986. The company's top director of sales in 2009 and 2010, he is also active in Lander's Alumni Association, including having served as president.
Jack (Jan) Smoke, of Greenwood, retired from Monsanto with 29 years of service in sales, human resources, environmental regulatory compliance and quality assurance. He has a chemical engineering degree from Clemson University and an MBA from the University of South Carolina. A U.S. Army veteran, he is an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood where he serves on the financial oversight committee.
Steve Southwell, of Rock Hill, is a loan officer with Arthur State Bank in Rock Hill. A 1980 graduate of Erskine College, he is past president of the Erskine Alumni Association, the Erskine Flying Fleet Club, the Rock Hill Sertoma Club, and a member of the Rock Hill Rotary Club.
Ferol Teed Stroud, of Greenwood, graduated from the University of South Carolina. She was the business and financial manager of Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology and vice president and city executive officer with Citizens and Southern National Bank of South Carolina in Greenwood. She also completed an advanced accounting curriculum at Lander. Her community activities include the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, Greenwood Community Theatre, Greenwood United Way and the Festival of Flowers.
Other current board members are: Joe Adams Jr.; Herbert Anderson; Sandra Anderson; Bill Barnette Jr.; R. Boykin Curry; Kevin Dempsey; Linda Dolny; Lisa Emily; Larry Hammond; Wayne Justesen Jr., the board's president for 2011-2012; the Rev. Doug Kauffmann; Jim McDonald; Dr. Danny McKenzie; Jack Lawrence; Ron Millender; Dr. Gus Ramage; Glenda Ridgely; Charles Rogers; Nancy Scott; W.M. (Bubba) Self Jr.; George Starnes; Linda Stevens; and Audrey Witherspoon.
Ralph Patterson, vice president for University Advancement, said, "I am grateful to the new Lander Foundation trustees for their willingness to serve, and I look forward to working with them for the advancement of the foundation and the university."