Lander University has announced six appointments to the Board of Trustees of The Lander Foundation, which was created in 1948 as the policy-making board of the university. In 1973, it was reorganized into an independent, non-profit organization responsible for receiving, managing and investing gifts for the welfare of the university. The new appointees are:
Bill Dixon, of Ninety Six, retired plant manager of Eaton Corp. A graduate of Tarkio College in Missouri with degrees in biology and chemistry, Dixon has held positions with several civic organizations in Greenwood, Iowa and Tennessee. He is a member of the board of Cornerstone Society and has been active in his church. He has also held offices as vice president and president of the Grand Harbor Property Owners Association.
Alvin Green Sr., of Greenwood, pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, in Abbeville. He received a degree in electrical engineering from Tuskegee Institute and a master's of divinity from Erskine Seminary. He is a past District 50 school board trustee; served on the board of Burton Center; the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce; is past president and area governor for Toastmaster's International and former moderator of the Little River Missionary Baptist Association.
Jeffrey Humphrey, of Lafayette, Colo., a senior executive with The Boedecker Foundation, of Boulder, Colo., which has funded scholarships at Lander, including new ones for students in the university's new Honors College. Humphrey has a degree in political science and history from the University of Northern Colorado. His business background includes senior management, financial and marketing positions with the Quiznos franchise development company and an inventory auditing firm with offices in Colorado and Kansas.
Theo Lane Jr., of Lake Murray, district manager of government and community relations for Duke Energy. He is a graduate of The Citadel and the University of South Carolina and received a master's in education from Columbia College. Lane has been recognized for outstanding philanthropic work, including having raised over $2 million to support educational and therapeutic services for children with autism. He is a member of the board of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce and the Greenwood Partnership Alliance, and he is the governor's district appointee to the board of Burton Center.
John Patrick, of Greenwood, vice president of Park Sterling Investment Services. He graduated from Clemson University with a degree in business management. He is a member of Rotary International and the organization's former Young Members chairman; the Arts Council of Greenwood, having served as president of the board from 2010-2012; and he is the current chair of the diaconate of the First Greenwood Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Frank Ridlehoover, '67 of Spartanburg, joins the foundation board as president of Lander's Alumni Association. He has a degree in biology and minors in chemistry and physical education from Lander and a master's in science from Converse College. The Greenwood native taught science at high schools in South Carolina and North Carolina, where he also coached four sports. He compiled a distinguished career as a soccer coach, leading his teams to over 25 state and division championships. He was named Coach of the Year more than a dozen times and is a member of the South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The new appointees join current Lander Foundation board members Sandra Anderson, LeBron Bright, Wayne Carstens, A.R. Charnes, Emmett Davis Jr., Kevin Dempsey, Lisa Emily, Kenneth Johnson and Wes McAllister, who is serving as board president for 2013-2014. The other trustees are Jim McDonald, Denise Medford, Dr. Gus Ramage, Claude Robinson, Charlie Rogers, Don Scott, Nancy Scott, Jan Smoke, Jerry Stevens and Ferol Stroud.
Drs. Renee Love, dean of Lander's College of Arts and Humanities, and Paige Ouzts, associate professor of physics, are faculty appointees to the board. David Mash, vice president for Academic Affairs, and Gary McCombs, vice president for Business and Administration, are administrative appointees and Jack Lawrence and George Starnes are Lander Board of Trustees appointees
Ralph Patterson, Lander's vice president for University Advancement is the executive director of the foundation.