New members named to Alumni Association Board of Directors

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Alumni Association has approved nine new and returning board members, whose terms will run June 1, 2024, through May 31, 2027.

“The board is excited to welcome these members to our Alumni Association board of directors,” said Mary Ellen Sherrill, director of alumni and donor engagement. “Each of these alumni brings something different to the table and will help LR connect with alumni in their respective communities,”

The Alumni Association promotes fellowship and community among alumni; builds, maintains and enhances the relationship between LR and alumni; acts as an advisory on matters related to alumni relations; and generally furthers the interests of LR. All LR alumni are automatically members of the Alumni Association.

Dawna (Cooke) Blackburn ’90
Blackburn is currently a vice president of human capital management at Implementation Engineers based out of Chicago, Illinois. In her role, she implements core human programs and processes for a global consulting firm with more than 250 members. She previously was director of human resources for von Drehle and CT Management, Inc., with a robust skill set that includes employee relations, onboarding, new hire orientations, FMLA, employee engagement and more. Blackburn grew up at LR because her father, Dr. Charles Cooke ’59, taught science and just recently retired in May. She feels compelled to encourage others to love LR as much as she does. “I want alumni, students, and friends to be engaged in creating a sustainable LR community,” she says.

Matt Cannon ’19
Cannon is currently enrolled at Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, starting his first year of residency in medical training. During his time at LR, he was a student-athlete for track and field and a long snapper on the football team. Off the field, he was part of the Order of the Lamp and held multiple roles within Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Cannon was also involved with SGA, being elected as both the junior and senior class president while at LR. In his free time, he competes in local amateur golf tournaments and is an avid snow skiing enthusiast. Cannon states that LR provided him with countless opportunities to grow as a person and professionally which he believes will make him a great advocate for the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Rosa Corriveau ’13
Corriveau is an attorney at Ogletree Deakins in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she practices employment-based immigration law. At Lenoir-Rhyne, she majored in political science, was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and an active member of the LR Student Government Association. Corriveau was also a member of the Lenoir-Rhyne cross country and track and field teams. While at Campbell University School of Law, she was a member of the trial team and student bar association. Corriveau is married to Steven Corriveau ’10, a Lenoir-Rhyne and Wake Forest Law graduate. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and dog, Deacon; running; and cheering on the LR Bears, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and Carolina Hurricanes.

Jacob Duncan ’15
Duncan is a marketing specialist with BECO Holding Company, a content designer with Wells Fargo, and is the senior content strategist for Elevance Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. During his time at LR, Duncan joined Theta Xi fraternity, presided over the Gay-Straight Alliance, acted as freshman and sophomore vice-president for student government, DJ’d the Red Carpet Event in 2015 and became a Turtle Man for Delta Zeta sorority. Three generations of Duncan’s family have attended Lenoir-Rhyne. As a member of the board, Duncan hopes to help provide current and prospective students with the best education and experience and to connect with other alumni who share his love for the red and black.

William "Linn" Fisher '93, M.Div. '97
Fisher is proud that four generations of his family have been LR Bears, and three generations are Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary alumni. He joined the Chaplain Corps of the United States Air Force in 2002 and was deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. He earned a degree in pastoral psychotherapy, specializing in PTSD in 2009.  As a Lt. Col. he has served as the Wing Chaplain at several Air Force bases, protecting the first amendment rights of personnel of all (and no) faiths, providing individual and family counseling and training chaplains for deployment. He serves on the board of several non-profits focused on missions, veterans or homelessness. Fisher lives in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where he has a psychotherapy practice. He enjoys public speaking, spending time with his wife and young son, and riding the emotional rollercoaster of being a Panthers fan.

Janet Hambrick ’82, M.A. ’90
After graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1982, Hambrick began her teaching career. She returned to LR for postgraduate studies and earned her master's degree in 1990. Hambrick spent 30 years as a public school teacher of academically gifted students, as well as serving as an adjunct faculty member at Lenoir-Rhyne. Hambrick is retired and spends her time tutoring students as well as volunteering in the Hickory community. She has two sons, Jackson and Gaither, who both live in Hickory. Hambrick is looking forward to service on the board of directors and using her talents and networking to expand LR’s vision.

Cameron Robinson ’15, MBA ’17, M.A. ’19
Robinson is an assistant director of student services at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Morganton, North Carolina. During her undergraduate years at Lenoir-Rhyne, Robinson was a resident advisor and, during her graduate studies, held a residence director position. Pursuing a passion for providing leadership opportunities to young people, she accepted the role as director of student involvement for LR in 2020. She joined North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in August 2023 and works hard every day to apply her considerable experience to make a difference for the students. Outside of work, Robinson loves spending time with family and friends. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and loves to travel on cruises

The Rev. Stacey Troisi ’05, M.A. ’07
Troisi is a rostered deacon in the ELCA and currently serves as the campus minister for the Lutheran Students of Appalachian in Boone, North Carolina. She graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 2007 with a Master of Arts in religion. Her husband serves as the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Boone, and the couple have three boys (12, 9, and 6). She loves to spend time with her family, traveling and reading.

Carter Woolly ’18
During his undergraduate years at LR, Woolly was the president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, a member of the A Capella Choir, the Honors Academy, and a Bears of Distinction campus tour guide. Following graduation, Woolly spent a year working as an English teacher in Rwanda, through the Young Adults in Global Missions program. He currently works as a major gifts officer at the Institute for Humane Studies in Arlington, Virginia. He recently received a master’s degree in international security from George Mason University. Woolly met his fiancée, Sarah, at GMU and they are set to be married at Grace Chapel on LR's campus this summer. They both live in Washington, DC, and have a one-year-old dog named Digit.