Dr. Kimberly Jeffries-Leonard, Frederick Nelson Jr. and Gregory A. Pinnix were appointed earlier this year to serve as members of the Fayetteville State University Board of Trustees, but on Aug. 26 they were sworn in by The Honorable Judge Gale M. Adams.
On Thursday afternoon, as part of their orientation, board members took the opportunity to review the university strategic plan, fall enrollment and student recruitment, and a new member orientation.
FSU provided short biographies of the new board members.
Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard
Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, FSU Class of 1986, was appointed by the UNC Board of Governors. She is the 17th national president of The Links, Incorporated, and The Links Foundation, Incorporated. She is currently the president and CEO of Envision Consulting, LLC and has 30 years of experience in applied health and behavioral medicine research, evaluation, and training, specializing in health promotion and disease prevention. Jeffries Leonard has served as spokeswoman for federal and state government initiatives and numerous public health organizations. She earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Howard University, a Master of Science in Psychology from North Carolina Central University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from FSU.
Gregory A. Pinnix
Gregory A. Pinnix, FSU Class of 1995, was appointed by the UNC Board of Governors. Pinnix currently works as a manager of enterprise account development for Avalara. Prior to Avalara, he served as a relationship manager for Sageworks, where he advised 155 community bank clients with combined assets of $80+ billion on credit analysis, risk management needs, and strategies related to their loan portfolio. He has worked as a consultant for Intuit Health and as a senior sales executive for Channel Advisor. Pinnix earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from FSU.
Frederick Nelson Jr.
Frederick Nelson Jr., FSU Class of 1998, was appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly. Nelson currently serves as the Town Manager of Benson, NC, where he oversees a $12.4M budget and leads the town's economic development efforts. Prior to 2019, Nelson served as a lead administrator for RHA Health Services, Inc. and was responsible for the property, assets, and budget of all mental health facilities in Johnston and Harnett counties. A proud veteran, Nelson served in the U.S. Army from 1971-77 and was stationed at Fort Bragg. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from FSU.