(Carrollton, Ga.) – The University of West Georgia Foundation announced today the addition of eight new members to its board of trustees.
Joining the board are Bill Candler, Edward P. Crumbley, David Dennis, Matthew T. Echols, David Edwards, David Flint, Christa Pitts and Shaunya Chavis-Rucker.
“These new trustees bring a strong and diverse set of experiences and ideas to our already robust board,” said Dave Fraboni, UWG’s vice president of university advancement and the foundation’s executive director. “We look forward to their valuable contributions as the foundation supports our university’s strategic growth and its mission of fostering student success.”
While state funding provides financial support for the university, charitable giving managed by the foundation raises money for scholarships and improvements to UWG’s academic programs. Its primary goals center around attracting, receiving, investing, managing and expending gifts and other resources designated for educational programs, research projects and community service efforts.
“Gifts to the foundation provide much-needed scholarships for students, help to recruit and retain well-qualified faculty and staff, expand student research and travel opportunities, provide cutting-edge technology and improve our campus life and facilities,” Fraboni said. “Put simply, these funds fuel student success at UWG.”
Foundation members are elected to four-year terms and serve on various committees, including board development, finance and investment, resource development, hospitality, audit and others. Currently, 38 trustees from diverse backgrounds and business experiences.
Among the new trustees are:
Bill Candler – Candler is president of Candler Development Company, Inc. a real estate development company in Atlanta. He studied real estate development while at the University of Georgia before joining the firm of his father, Asa Griggs Candler V. The Candler family sold its stake in the Coca-Cola Company in 1919, while Bill’s family branch pursued real estate development. Candler and his wife, Linda, have twins – their son, Willie, a red-shirt sophomore real estate major at UWG and a quarterback for the Wolves, and daughter, Vallie, who attends the University of Georgia and is majoring in marketing and Spanish.
Edward P. Crumbley – Crumbley graduated in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UWG, where he ran men’s track and cross country and was named the academic athlete of the year. He is retired from Janssen Pharmaceutica, where he was an associate director in Medical Affairs, serving as the medical science liaison for the southeastern United States. He and his wife, Catherine, live in McDonough and have three children.
David Dennis – A 1979 UWG graduate, Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology. He is agency manager for Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, leading business development and operations for the company’s Atlanta office. Previously, he held management positions with AIG, Genworth Financial and Atlanta Life Insurance Company. His wife, Rosalind, earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UWG. They have three daughters and a son.
Matthew T. Echols – Echols, who earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from UWG in 1994 and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School, is senior vice president of public affairs and communications for Coca-Cola North America. Matt serves on the board of the Meridian International Center, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the High Museum of Art Atlanta. He is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a previous University of West Georgia Trustee. In 2010 was appointed to Georgia Public Broadcasting Commission Board by then Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. He and his wife, Abby, live in Atlanta with their three children.
David Edwards – Edwards is the Georgia state president and senior credit services officer for the Bank of the Ozarks. He has more than 30 years of banking experience. He held a variety of senior-level credit positons with C&S National Bank in Atlanta, a predecessor of the Bank of America. Edwards most recently served as senior vice president and chief credit officer for Citizens Bank and Trust in Carrollton.
David H. Flint – Flint is a founding partner of Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint, LLP, an Atlanta law firm. A 1967 UWG graduate, Flint earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and then received his law degree from the Emory University School of Law, where he was the first honor graduate. Flint is a director or trustee of the American Opportunity Foundation, the Atlanta Law School Foundation, the Arnold Foundation, the Shepherd Center, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, Georgia Primary Bank and Westside Bank. Flint is married to the former Sandra Lee Love and has two adult sons – one an attorney and the other a real estate developer – who live in Atlanta.
Christa Pitts – A 1994 UWG graduate in mass communications, Pitts is co-CEO and business leader of Creatively Classic Activities and Books, the family-owned publishing company that created the Christmas classic, The Elf on the Shelf®. She has been included in Georgia Trend’s “40 Under 40” list, been named a Georgia Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, was a finalist for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and was named a Cobb County Citizen of the Year by the Marietta Daily Journal.
Shaunya Chavis-Rucker – Rucker received a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from UWG in 1988, and was crowned Miss West Georgia homecoming queen. As broadcast, cable and film director for Fulton County Government – and station general manager and anchor for its public government television station, FGTV – she manages a department of 15 employees with a budget of $2 million. Rucker joined FGTV in 2001, after working as a news reporter and anchor at a number of network-affiliated stations around the country, including WSB-TV in Atlanta. Rucker also currently serves an on-air contributor for WXIA 11Alive’s Atlanta & Company television program. She is married to Clinton Rucker, executive assistant district attorney in Fulton County.
Press Release from UWG
