1000 x 90

Four New Members Join Appalachian’s Foundation Board

Dec. 3, 2012. New members have been elected to four-year terms on the Appalachian State University Foundation Board of Directors. They are Jane M. Edmisten of Washington, D.C., Charlene W. Foley of Durham, J.K. Reaves of Kernersville and C. Hunter Widener of Charlotte.

Reelected to four-year terms were George G. Beasley of Florida, Linda M. Combs of Winston-Salem and Blowing Rock, and G.A. Sywassink of Charlotte and South Carolina.

Jane M. Edmisten

Jane M. Edmisten
Edmisten is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School and UNC Chapel Hill. She has a private law practice in the areas of tax and estate planning, probate and domestic relations. Her mother graduated from the university in 1927. Her sister, Mary Etta, is a 1964 graduate of the university.

Edmisten attended summer school at Appalachian. She and her siblings established a scholarship in memory of their parents, Mr. Ralph D. and Mrs. Lola T. Moretz.

Edmisten currently is an adjunct professor at the American University Washington College of Law and the George Washington University National Law Center. She served as in-house counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s tax division and worked for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Air Force Office. She also had a private law practice in Raleigh.

A past recipient of the Tom C. Clark Award for Outstanding Federal Government Lawyer, Edmisten also has received Outstanding Adjunct Faculty awards from American University and a Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award from George Washington University.

Charlene W. Foley

Charlene W. Foley
Foley is director of marketing for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). In this role, she is responsible for the marketing strategy and execution of BCBSNC’s Medicare products across the state and for the communications strategy and delivery to agents of BCBSNC.

A 15-year BCBSNC employee, Foley has held a diverse series of responsibilities including technical support manager, wellness consultant and strategic advisor. Previously, she was director of community relations for BCBSNC where her staff developed and led community-focused initiatives to support and advance corporate citizenship at BCBSNC.

Foley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health promotion from Appalachian in 1996 and a Master of Health Care Administration from UNC Chapel Hill in 2000.

She is a member of the Durham Chamber Board of Directors and was a member of Leadership North Carolina Class XIX.

James K. Reaves

James K. Reaves
Reaves is a senior vice president within BB&T’s Life and Financial Planning Department in Winston-Salem. A 1993 finance and risk management graduate from Appalachian’s Walker College of Business, he was a member of the Mountaineer football team and team captain for two years, and graduated as a scholar athlete.

He has a Master of Science degree in financial services from American College.

Reaves is a member of the Appalachian Alumni Council and a past president of the Yosef Club Advisory Board. He established the J.K. Reaves Financial Planning Annual Scholarship, the first scholarship to be offered for deserving students pursuing a degree in the financial planning program at Appalachian.

In 2011, Reaves received the Bill Franklin Volunteer of the Year Award from CASE District III. CASE is the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He received the Alumni Association’s Young Alumnus Award from Appalachian in 2010.

C. Hunter Widener

C. Hunter Widener
C. Hunter Widener is chief banking officer for Carolina Premier Bank and managing director of Carolina Premier Wealth Management. He earned a BSBA in management from Appalachian’s Walker College of Business in 1995. He also is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

Widener is a member of the Walker College of Business’ Finance, Insurance and Banking Advisory Board. He is a past member of the Appalachian Alumni Association’s Leadership Committee.

Widener’s career in the banking and financial services industry includes serving as chief operating officer for Bridgewater Capital, and senior positions at Bank of America Private Bank and Wachovia, now Wells Fargo.

Widener is a current board member of Advantage Carolina and the Charlotte Regional Partnership, where he is also a member of the Board Operations Committee and serves as chair of the Charlotte Regional Film Commission. He also currently serves on the Central Piedmont Community College’s President’s Council and the Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation’s Donor Cultivation Committee.

Created in 1970, the Appalachian State University Foundation Inc. receives and invests private funds to support the university. Its mission is to create the best possible learning environment for Appalachian students by funding scholarships and programs and providing other resources.