On July 1, alumna Bentina Terry ’92 became the new chair of the NC State Foundation Board of Directors.
“We’re thrilled to have Bentina step into this role,” said Brian Sischo, president of the NC State Foundation, and vice chancellor for University Advancement. “During her time as vice chair, she has shown nothing but the highest levels of expertise, dedication and passion for our Pack. I can’t wait to see her lead the board.”
Terry’s passion for the university started during her time as a student.
“I was a humanities student,” she said. “So to get this level of exposure to engineers and the folks in physics and forestry and animal husbandry and all that other kind of stuff, on top of the humanities, really broadened my perspective. NC State helped me see there was more to the world than what I knew coming in.”
After graduating from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), Terry went on to earn her J.D. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Primarily based out of Atlanta, Georgia, her career has included working at companies such as Georgia Power and Duke Energy. Now, Terry is the president and CEO of Southern Linc and Southern Telecom Inc.
In true Think and Do fashion, her work has resulted in high levels of recognition in both her career field and the greater Atlanta area: Terry has been selected multiple years in a row as one of Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Influential Atlantans and one of Atlanta Business League’s 100 Most Influential Women, as well as one of the National Diversity Council’s 100 Most Influential Women in Energy.
That success hasn’t overshadowed her strong belief in giving back.
“I was raised with the phrase, ‘To whom much is given, much is required’,” said Terry. “And I believe that. When you’re blessed with resources, whether it’s time or money, you should find a way to give to others.”
It’s easy to see that Terry lives that ethos simply by observing her work with her alma mater. In addition to her role with the Foundation Board of Directors, she previously served on the CHASS Advisory Board and was a panelist during a Women’s History Month event hosted by Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy.
And, in 2020, she established a scholarship with her husband Antonio, her sister Angela and her brother-in-law Eric, all fellow NC State graduates.
The Roosevelt Benjamin Chisolm Scholarship is named in memory of the sisters’ father. She says that Chisolm, who passed away in 2020, grew up in a rural area and couldn’t afford to attend college. This left him one option: enlist with the military.
“While the military ended up being a good choice for my dad, that was his only choice,” said Terry. “We created this scholarship because I want other kids like my dad to have the choice of education.”
That’s also why Terry is excited to chair the Foundation Board — the board gives her a chance to be hands-on in her work with NC State, helping to connect more students to an even better experience.
We created this scholarship because I want other kids like my dad to have the choice of education.
Through her time on the foundation’s Awards and Grants Committee, she’s read through countless project ideas that aim to better not only the campus but also the wider North Carolinian community. She has also learned more about the day-to-day lives of students through speaking with the recipients of the Roosevelt Benjamin Chisolm Scholarship, which has only strengthened her resolve toward giving back.
“I remember the first year it was awarded, and I received a note from the student. I felt like I was reading a letter from my dad,” said Terry. “[The recipient] also grew up on a farm like my dad, and the scholarship was helping him reach his goals. That’s what it’s about, right? There’s a bunch of people like that young man and we’re helping them too.”
In her first couple of months as chair, Terry is working with board members as they prepare for another school year. She’s excited for NC State’s incoming students to get settled in — and they should be excited too, she says.
“You’ll get a great education in a place where you’ll get to know an extraordinary cross section of people who are going to go off and do tremendous things.”
And if you’re as passionate about NC State as Terry, those tremendous things might even include chair of the Foundation Board of Directors.
This post was originally published in Giving News.
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