Several members of the Queens University Board of Trustees formally joined the Elon University Board of Trustees on Oct. 23, 2026, marking the latest milestone in the ongoing merger of the two institutions.
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The Elon University Board of Trustees installed several new members on Oct. 23, 2026, welcoming a group of corporate, community, nonprofit and alumni leaders who served on the Queens University of Charlotte Board of Trustees.
The installation took place in Charlotte where Elon’s trustees gathered for their Fall 2026 meeting where Board Secretary Dr. Kebbler M. Williams ’98 administered the oath of office. It represented another milestone in the integration of the two institutions, first announced in September 2025.
The Board of Trustees has ultimate corporate and fiduciary responsibility for Elon University. It oversees Elon’s long-term health and strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and overall advancement of the university’s mission.
New Members of the Elon University Board of Trustees
(In Alphabetical Order by Last Name)
Tanya Stewart Blackmon ’00
President and Founder, Auspen Consulting
Tanya Blackmon formerly served as an executive with Novant Health. She attended NC A&T State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in social work, earned a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina, and a Master of Business Administration from the McColl School of Business. Blackmon has served on the McColl School Board of Advisors. She has two children.
Sally Gambrell Bridgford ’87, P’23
Chief Executive Officer, The Gambrell Foundation and Belk Gambrell Enterprises
Sally Gambrell Bridgford has become a voice for closing the gaps of inequity and building communities that allow individuals to thrive and contribute. She attended Queens and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina. Bridgford has four children and she and her husband, Brian, live in Charlotte.
Nakesha Lopez
Executive Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer for Advocate Health
Nakesha Lopez brings more than two decades of experience in human resources to the Board of Trustees. She previously served as chief human resources officer for Baylor Scott & White Health. Lopez earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hunter College and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix. She and her husband, Terrence McAllister, have two children.
Susan McConnell ’83, ’13
Former Vice President and Director, Higher Education/Human Resources, The Duke Endowment
Susan McConnell joined the Queens Board of Trustees in 2019 after previously serving as an ex-officio member during her term as president of the Alumni Association. She received her bachelor’s degree in history and a Master of Science in Executive Coaching from Queens.
Brandon D. Perry
Principal, Highmarket Properties LLC
A native Virginian, Brandon D. Perry moved to Charlotte in 1998 to join the financial services practice of the technology consultancy American Management Systems (now CGI) . In 2012, he launched his own firm to focus on commercial real estate investments full-time. Perry holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Virginia Tech. He and his wife, Karen, have been members of the Queens Board of Visitors since 2011, serving as co-chairs from 2014–2017, and are the parents of four children.
Elizabeth Persson ’00
Community Leader; Former Executive Vice President, Human Capital for Red Ventures
Elizabeth Persson has twice served Queens as a member of its Board of Trustees. She also has served as a member of Queens’ Board of Visitors and on the Alumni Association Board. Persson earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from Queens. Prior to her work at Red Ventures, Persson was a vice president at Bank of America. She and her husband, Klas, have two children.
Robert “Bob” Salvin
Founder and Former Chief Executive Officer, Salvin Dental Specialties Inc.
In addition to seven years of service on the Queens Board of Trustees, Robert “Bob” Salvin has served on the Board of Trustees of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; is past president of the Metrolina Business Council and the Charlotte World Trade Association; and, with his wife Susan, has served on the Queens Board of Visitors. Salvin is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner and received his Bachelor of Science in Textile Technology from North Carolina State University.
Caroline Wannamaker Sink
Shareholder, Robinson Bradshaw
A partner with Robinson Bradshaw, Caroline Sink has been a longtime member of the Queens Board of Trustees. She also has served on the Board of Visitors of Salem College, is an emerita member of the Law Council of Washington and Lee University School of Law and served as board chair for Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. Sink earned a bachelor’s degree from Salem College and received her law degree from Washington and Lee University. She and her husband, Bob, have one child.
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A ninth member of the Queens University Board of Trustees, Charlotte community leader Audean H. Godehn ’97, was unable to attend the October meeting and will be installed by the Elon board at a future date. A magna cum laude Queens graduate, Godehn served on the Queens Alumni Board from 2002-2005, is past president of Friends of the Library, and has been an active volunteer with the American Red Cross, Junior League of Charlotte, and Charlotte’s performing arts community.
She and her husband, Berkley, have been members of the Board of Visitors since 2014.
The Elon University Board of Trustees also installed Omari Emmanuel ’26 as youth trustee. Emmanuel, a 2026 graduate of Queens, was announced in July as the newest youth trustee selected for service on the board and the October meeting marked the official start of his three-year term.