NC State Elects Board of Trustees Officers, Welcomes Two New Members

During its July 10 meeting, the North Carolina State University Board of Trustees elected Ben Jenkins as chair, Jim Owens as first vice chair, Jimmy Clark as second vice chair and Gayle Lanier as secretary.

Jenkins is former vice chairman and president of Wachovia Corporation’s general banking group. He earned his bachelor’s degree in textile chemistry from NC State. Owens is the former chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in textile technology and a Ph.D. in economics from NC State. Clark is owner and president of Guy M. Turner Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from NC State. Lanier is senior vice president and chief customer officer at Duke Energy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from NC State.

The board also welcomed two new members, as Tom Cabaniss and Ronald Prestage began their four-year terms after a swearing-in ceremony during the meeting.

Cabaniss is managing partner of McGuireWoods LLP. He is a member of the board of the Wolfpack Club and currently serves as its president. He is the former president and an honorary lifetime member of the NC State Alumni Association. He previously served on the NC State University Foundation Board of Directors and is a founding member of the State Club Board of Directors. He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from NC State and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Prestage is president of Prestage Farms. He serves on the board of directors of the National Pork Producers Council, the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Black River Electric Cooperative. He is former chair of the S.C. Poultry Federation Board of Directors, the National Turkey Federation, and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from NC State and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University.

The NC State Board of Trustees is composed of 13 members – eight are elected by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors; four are appointed by the governor; and one, an ex officio voting member, is the president of NC State’s student body, a post now held by junior Alex Parker, a Spanish education major.

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