Sweet Briar College Welcomes Eight Visionary Leaders to Its Board of Directors

Eight distinguished professionals join Sweet Briar College's Board of Directors, bringing diverse expertise to drive innovation and growth.

AMHERST, VA, UNITED STATES, January 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Board of Directors plays a vital role in shaping Sweet Briar College's vision and future. These leaders bring a wealth of expertise and a shared commitment to the College’s mission of empowering women to lead and innovate. Their guidance ensures that Sweet Briar thrives, providing students with transformative opportunities while upholding its rich traditions. Below, we proudly introduce our newest board members, whose diverse backgrounds and experiences will profoundly impact our community.

Sweet Briar College recently welcomed eight new members to its Board of Directors, including Elizabeth “Lele” Dickson Frenzel Casalini ’82, P’14, Nancy Webb Corkery ’81, Jane Dure ’82, Michela English ’71, J. Eric Greenwood P’12, Andrew McAllister P’21, ’24, Tori Murden McClure, and Phillip C. Stone.

Tori Murden McClureis, a noted explorer and former president of Spalding University, retired in 2024 after 25 years of service. During her career, she also has worked as a chaplain at a Boston hospital, director of a Louisville women’s shelter, policy assistant in the Louisville Mayor’s Office, and the first full-time employee of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky. Tori holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College, Master of Divinity from Harvard University, law degree from the University of Louisville, and Master of Fine Arts in writing degree from Spalding. She is the author of the memoir A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean, which details her life and experience as the first woman and first American to row a boat solo across the Atlantic Ocean, having accomplished the feat in 1999 after 81 days at sea. The book is the basis of the stage musical Row,>which made its world premiere at the prestigious Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts in the summer of 2021.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in English from Sweet Briar, Jane Dure began a career in magazine journalism in New York City before moving home to work at Texas Monthly Magazine, ending her journalism career as the magazine’s deputy editor. She then earned a J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law, where she served on the Law Journal and worked in the school’s Center for Legal and Social Justice. She is now an oil and gas mineral title attorney in San Antonio. While at Sweet Briar, she was on the tennis team that earned a berth at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women's National Championships in 1981 and was the editor of The Sweet Briar News.

An alumna and mother of Sophia “Sophie” Elizabeth Casalini ’14, Lele Casalini owns Two Creek Hollow farm and is a yoga therapist, professional-rated tennis instructor, and photographer. While at Sweet Briar, she majored in American studies and participated in riding, swimming, and tennis. Since graduating, Lele has stayed active and engaged with the College as an ardent supporter. Lele’s mother, Cynthia “Cynnie” Wilson Ottaway, is a member of the Class of 1957.

Nancy Corkery was a government major and student-athlete while at the College, participating in the field hockey, lacrosse, and equestrian programs. She has since shared her expertise with Sweet Briar on several committees, recently chairing the Turf Field Committee, which opened in 2022. Nancy has also worked in sales, marketing, and alumnae relations at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and served on the board of the Braitmayer Foundation for more than 25 years.

Eric Greenwood is the father of Charlotte Greenwood ’12. A graduate of Rutgers College and the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business, Eric was an LTJG in the Marine Safety Office and LCDR USCG for the U.S. Coast Guard. He has since served as vice president of sales for Carolina Pad & Paper Co., vice president of private wealth management at Goldman Sachs, managing partner of J.E. Greenwood & Company, L.P., and director of the Babson Center for Global Commerce at Sewanee: The University of the South. He also serves as a Boys Home of Virginia Board of Trustees member.

Andrew “Andy” McAllister is the parent of recent graduates Madeline McAllister ’21 and Abigail McAllister ’24. Andy is a senior professional with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, having served for more than 30 years in technology programs, portfolio management, and executive leadership roles. He is also a volunteer director and board vice president of River Road Church, Baptist Endowment Fund. Following graduation from the Virginia Military Institute with a B.S. in electrical engineering, Andy received an officer’s commission in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Signals Intelligence leadership roles at field stations across the Pacific as well as with Regimental Combat Team 7 (Task Force Ripper) in Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. He also earned a M.S. in systems engineering from Virginia Tech.

Michela English returns to the Board of Directors, having served from 1999-2005 and as Emeriti Trustee from 2007-2022. Michela has also contributed to Sweet Briar as a member of the Campaign Steering and Planning Committees and Development Leadership Council for the For Her Worldcampaign. 2013, she was honored with the Sweet Briar College Distinguished Alumna Award. Following earning a B.A. in international affairs at Sweet Briar, she earned a master’s in public and private management from the Yale School of Management. Michela has spent her life in numerous sectors, including as a program analyst at the Federal Energy Administration, consultant for McKinsey & Company, vice president of corporate planning and business development for the Marriott Corporation, senior vice president of the National Geographic Society, senior executive for Discovery Communications, and president and CEO of Fight for Children. She currently serves on many corporate and education-focused nonprofit boards.

Phillip Stone served as Sweet Briar’s president from 2015-2017, instrumentally saving the College following the attempted closure. Before Sweet Briar, he led Bridgewater College as president for 16 years. In 2017, he returned to practicing law and prompted the Stone Law Group, PLC, in Harrisonburg, VA. A native of Bassett, Va., Phillip earned his B.A. in economics with honors from Bridgewater. He attended graduate school at the University of Chicago School of Economics and received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He also holds four honorary doctorate degrees.


To learn more about Sweet Briar College's leadership and mission, please visit https://www.sbc.edu/about/ or contact the Office of Admissions at 434-381-6142.

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