Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees Elects Patrice Black Davis, Ed.D. Chair and Dr. John McConnell Vice Chair
WINSTON-SALEM, NC (APRIL 25, 2023)—The Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees has elected Patrice Black Davis, Ed.D. as Board chair and Dr. John McConnell as Vice Chair. Salem Academy and College marks another important milestone with the election of Patrice Black Davis, Ed.D. as the first African American to chair its Board of Trustees. A 1989 graduate of Salem College, Davis began her board service at Salem in 2017 and will serve a two-year term as chair beginning July 1, 2023. Dr. McConnell will serve a one-year term as Vice Chair.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Davis as chair of our Board of Trustees,” Salem Academy and College President Summer J. McGee, Ph.D., CPH said. “She brings a wealth of higher education experience, wisdom and guidance to our board. I look forward to working closely alongside Dr. Davis to take Salem to new heights.”
A 1989 graduate of Salem College, Davis has worked in higher education for 33 years and serves as the Vice President for Student Services at Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina. Since her arrival at Trident Tech in 2013, Davis has provided leadership for the establishment of the college’s first centralized advising hub through a Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant. Prior to Trident Tech, Davis served as the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services at Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus, Dean of Enrollment at Forsyth Technical Community College, Director of Admissions at Winston-Salem State University and Dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid at the University of North Carolina Asheville.
Davis is a recipient of the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished College Administrator Award and the Salem College Alumna Service Award. In addition, she is a YWCA What Women Bring Education Honoree and a Riley’s Institute Diversity Fellow. Davis grew up in Winston-Salem, where she received an undergraduate degree in communication from Salem College. She earned her Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and a doctorate in adult and community college education from North Carolina State University. Davis is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Dr. John McConnell—a physician and widely respected healthcare authority on a local, regional and national level—has been elected vice chair of the Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees.
McConnell is Chief Executive Officer Emeritus, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Professor and Gordon Hanes Chair of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. McConnell joined Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the academic medical center of Wake Forest University, in November 2008 after being named the Medical Center’s first Chief Executive Officer. Since stepping down as CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in 2017, McConnell has continued fulltime as a tenured professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine, serving as the Director of the Urology Residency training program and developing educational content for the American Urological Association in the area of the business of medicine. He serves on the Advisory Board of FCA Health Innovation Fund I and II, assessing and promoting investments in digital health companies.
A physician and translational researcher by training, Dr. McConnell served on the Advisory Board of National Institutes of Health and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2004. He has received the Barringer Medal from the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons and the Fuller Award from the American Urological Association in recognition of his contributions to the field of prostate disease. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and ten books. In 2022, McConnell became an honorary member of the American Urological Association in recognition of his contributions to the field.
McConnell has served as a board member and advisor to a number of non-profit organizations that focus on healthcare, education, the arts and the development of an inclusive economy. His areas of experience include board-level change management, finance and investment, governance structure, strategic planning, inter-institutional affiliation and executive development.
“Dr. McConnell has been a vital member of our healthcare ecosystem in Winston-Salem for years, making a deep, broad and profound impact on the wellbeing of people throughout the region,” Salem Academy and College President Summer Johnson McGee, Ph.D., CPH said. “Dr. McConnell is nationally respected for his work as a health leader. His service as vice chair of Salem’s board will be crucial to the Academy’s evolving STEAM focus and the College’s Health Leadership curriculum.”
About Salem Academy and College
Salem Academy and College is the nation’s oldest educational institution for girls and women in the United States. Salem Academy is intentionally focused on STEAM to transform students’ education through the holistic integration of rigorous academic and co-curricular experiences that build character and leadership. Salem College provides a liberal arts education with a distinctive focus on health across the curriculum and co-curriculum, preparing students to make the world a better, healthier, and more equitable place. Salem College is the only national liberal arts college exclusively focused on developing the health leaders of tomorrow.
For more than 250 years, Salem Academy and College has empowered and prepared girls and women from all around the world to effect change, shatter expectations and lead. Salem Academy and College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a vibrant educational community known for arts and innovation. For more information about Salem Academy, please visit SalemAcademy.com. For more information about Salem College, please visit Salem.edu.
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